55
the
ture. It would therefore be unwise to try to force any drastic retrenchment on department. Such a course would only lead to a less careful scrutiny of the Colony's book keeping with the consequent risk of fraud.
2. There does not appear to be any sufficient reason for the employment of an European lady stenographer, and it is recommended that the post be abolished. The Auditor stated that he would be willing to release three Chinese clerks, provided that he could select the three to go. This is but reasonable, and the Commissioners recommend that it be done.
3. The Senior Clerk in the department is a member of the Senior Clerical and Accounting Staff and therefore liable to transfer to another department. The Com- missioners are of the opinion that to transfer the senior clerk of a department in which he has spent many years does not make for efficiency, and that the holder of the post should not be regarded as available for transfer.--This applies to all Government departments. As this will deprive him of his opportunity for promotion to one of the higher posts in the Senior Clerical and Accounting Staff, it will in time be necessary to raise the post from Class I to a Special Appointment. The post of Examiner should be retained.
POLICE DEPARTMENT.
The labours of the Commissioners as regards the Police Department were consider- ably lightened by the helpful attitude of the Inspector General of Police, who came before them with a comprehensive scheme of retrenchment which showed a saving of about two lakhs. It is largely this scheme, with the important addition dealt with in the next paragraph, which the Commissioners recommend.
2. The approved establishment of posts in the executive branch is ten posts. A reduction of two should be made. The Hong Kong Police Force has proportionately to Asiatics a very large number of Europeans. It does not therefore require the same pro- portion of European commissioned officers as do other Crown colonies, where the European contingents are comparatively small.
3. The main feature of the Inspector General's retrenchment scheme is the replace- ment of thirty British police by an equal number of Russians. This accounts for a saving of nearly a lakh in personal emoluments, to which must be added a not incon- siderable saving in passages, pensions, etc. The police to be replaced are those per- forming the duties of section sergeants; the least responsible work of the European. contingent, and performed by the most junior officers. To employ on it highly paid Europeans is extravagant, but neither Indians nor Chinese would, according to the In- spector General of Police, be satisfactory. On the other hand, Russians, being domiciled in China, are cheap. and experience with them as anti-piracy guards has shown that they would be eminently suitable. Only men with a knowledge of English would be employed. The higher posts of inspector, sub-inspector, and Crown sergeant in the European con- tingent would be reserved for British officers. The Russian police would he recruited on a temporary basis. If therefore it were desired at a later date to revert to an all British European contingent there would be no difficulty in doing so.
4. The Commissioners, with the exception of the Chairman, advocate the adoption of the proposal set forth in paragraph three above, the Hon. Mr. Paterson desiring to add that he has had experience of Russians in Shanghai and has found them to be most satisfactory.
5. The Chairman dissents from the proposal, and in lieu thereof recommends that the reduction of the thirty posts could and should be effected by a re-organization of the duties of section sergeants who should be mounted on motor cycles, thus enabling each officer to cover a greater number of sections than he can at present when he proceeds on foot.
6. Further reductions in the European contingent of one Inspector, two Sub- Inspectors, one Sergeant, eight Lance Sergeants and the replacement of one Russian Sergeant (paid at the same rate as a British Sergeant) by a temporary Russian constable, are recommended.