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Paragraph 37.-It is considered that the payment from public funds of the cost of the central heating plant should date from the time when the plant first came into operation (in 1929) and this adjustment has already been made.
Paragraphs 38-42. Cadet Service.
The recommendations in these paragraphs are accepted, but certain proposals connected with the Cadet Service are offered under Paragraph 163 and it is re- commended that the total of seven First Class posts (Paragraph 42) should not be affected by the transfer, permanently or otherwise, of certain appointments in the Service to non-Cadet officers. The appointment of Secretary for Chinese Affairs now raised to "staff" class with a fixed salary should, however, be counted as one of the seven. The total Cadet establishment below First Class is now 31, and seven higher appointments is not, in my opinion, an unduly generous proportion.
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Paragraphs 43-49. Senior Clerical & Accounting Staff.
Paragraph 47. It is considered that the post of Chief Clerk in the Colonial Secretary's Office should be restored to the premier position of the whole cadre with the salary allotted by the Report to the two highest Special Appointments i.e., £820- £1050 by seven annual increments of £30 and one of £20. This officer is not merely Chief Clerk of the Colonial Secretariat but Chief Clerk of the Government. The Commissioners do not appear to have appreciated this position and were probably further influenced in their allotment of salary by the fact that the appointment of the present holder, which had to be made hastily in unforeseen and unfortunate circumstances, carried a considerable increase in his emoluments. He has, how- ever, shown himself more than fully capable of maintaining the high standard set up by his predecessors and his elevation to their status is therefore as justifiable on per- sonal as it is desirable on administrative grounds.
The question of the salaries to be allotted to the Accountant and Cashier, Trea- sury, should await the arrival of the new Deputy Treasurer, in the meantime the awards of the Report should stand. The Cashier is now in Class I of the Senior Clerical and Accounting Staff.
Similarly the question of the First Clerkship, Magistracy, should stand over un- til the return of the First Magistrate from leave. The post will not fall vacant until the end of August, 1930.
Paragraphs 50-54. Junior Clerical Staff.
Protests against the award of the Commissioners were received from many mem- bers of this cadre in different departments, the chief burden of their complaint being the through time-scale awarded to Chinese Masters in the Education Depart- ment. It is, however, obvious that a through scale could not be granted to so large and various an establishment as the Chinese clerical staff without placing a charge. on the public purse out of all proportion to value received and the Government is satisfied that, when due allowance is made for the principal of valuation by maximum capacity enunciated in Paragraph 18 of the Report, there is no undue stagnation in this branch of the Service.
Paragraph 53.-The system of expansion referred to in this paragraph is being regularly followed.
Paragraphs 55-57. Colonial Secretary' Office.
Paragraph 56.-The status and salary of the Chief Clerk is dealt with above. under Paragraph 47.
Paragraph 57.—The post of Head Messenger, shewn with a special salary ($180) in the Estimates for 1929 (and 1930) appears to have been overlooked by the Com- mission. He has considerable responsibility in the matter of transport of documents and it is recommended that he should be granted the scale $192 to $240 by $12 triennially.