OUR-CIVIL SERVANTS
SALARIES.
THE HONG KONG TELEGRAPH SATURDAYJULY 201907.
[Paragraph of Daspatch of 75th Novembar,
colle haverme to the conclusine that the case for the memorialists and petitioners can succinctly
years, to which I have
-THE MAN ON INSU
ESPRATO EXTEND:17S, OPERATIONS:
Was 1/8 to 2/- and the dollar was above / they would be paid at 7-and if the dollar was below 1/8 1/8. The objection to the system is that the ange is small, as it would be with the above limits; the achams: would practically be the same as converting all sterling salaries isto dollar salaries for local payments and if large say 1/6 to 2/3 would not remove the present difficulties.
Taking the sime concrete instance as before the salary
dollars would be liable to fluctuate amount with the smaller range suggested or from $1,616 to $6,660 or 4/9th of his lowest amount with the wider range, NM
7.A third scheme would be to fix upon some low of the more important despatches bearing on the question, crncluding with lord Elging rate and if the dollar goes above it to pay the the dollar equivalent at the rate and if it goes despatch-which, with the Council's approval; | below it to pay at the average rate of the useful purpoza would be served by the adop- | what i, (2/5 × 4/5+×11/10) or 67.5% of be renewed unless the step can, bo justified-by of the company. Since then he hadyobtained
· TAXPAYERS' HEAVILY MULCTED.
EXCHANGE.COMPENSATION. TO DE MADE RETROSPECTIVE.
Sessional Papar No. 30 of 1907, which was laid day afternoon, contained correspondence, and memorials on the subject of untaries af European Civil Servants in the Colony: We reproduce.
on the table of the Legislative Council last Tues- | Um 135,000 to 16,000 or 1/5th of its lowest to the Council and I regret that I am unable | by rise of prices at least 20 per cent, while enhanced sterling v Jue of the dollar, suppos: master before the Court, of the motion for the
anctions as arrangement for the granting of exchange compensation which the Officer Ad-. ministering the Government is authorised put in force at ants with effect from the 18t of January last"
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that, if the limit of 1,000 is finally adopted, la the case of officers, whose salaries are 006, from Betretary of State.
comically fixed in dollars, payable at 5, the In paragraph is at your despatch you terms, and fairly of, put in the following salaty ahould be regarded as exceeding £1,000 allude to a suggestion made in the Legislative in the last five years the number of if the sterling salary attached to the post is Council by Mr. Hewelt that a Committee dollars received on account of sterling and more than that sum, should be appointed to consider the question exchange compensation salaries, bas, bean Shortly before the end of the period of of the Alarien paid to Civil, Servants in Hong reduced 25 per cent. 19. the out res the grant of the allowances shall expect to to limit proposed kong, have alton y expressed my views on dollar payments which make up about the question of salaries in the despatch of the expenditure of senior and somewhat receive a full report on the cast of living and which the substance has been communicated more of that of junior officers have increased on maker prices in Hongkong showing how far local pitces have adjusted themselves to the to seconsider my decliion. In any case the sterling payments which account for ård ne fact, that it spite of economy in Public Works less of the total have decreased by more ing the rate of exchange still to be high On the estimated revenue for 1907 barely covers than to per cent inversed by not bore
the receipt of the report, the question of can. the estimated expenditure is suficient reason 7. The purchasing power of an official's sterlinuing the local allowance will be reconsider against any general increase of salaries. In ling salary according to the above statement is ed, but it must be understood that it will ant
opinion that no, in 1907 1903. these circumstances i am
Preference to the local, conditions obtaining of Neglecting is in prices for local produce the time I have, &c. and labour as being probably independent lo it cause of the alteration in the gold value of the dollar the proportion of purchasing power of sterling salarins. in 1907 to what it was in
alteration 1903
solely from this a
preceding month. If for instance, a 1-ion rate is fixed upon then when the dollar is above z/- officers drawing sterling salaries would receive to dollars to the and if below 24 some greater number, according to the exchange of the previous month..... would be an arbitrary but convenient rate to fix. It is considerably higher than the rate current at the time of the fixing of the sterling salaries by Mr. Chamberlain's despatch of the 13th June, 1906, but since that date officers have on the would again profit if the gold value of silver fell, while they would not lose if it tose. The practical effect of this scheme, il carried out, would be to convert sterling salaries into dollar if the dollar value payment
of Mr. Hawett's suggestion..........
[Governor to Secretary of Staiz.]
Goremment House, Hongkong, 8th March, 1907.
On
חז
It was
or
Haes the proportion of the pur chasing power of sterling salaries in March go to what it was in November 1995 dus dollar from 1/10th to 1/gth of a £ is les
in less than 9/to (1+1 × 13/10) or 93 %1
ELGIN,
[Telegram from Offeër Administering the Goverment to Secretary of State]
1st March, 1007.
Your despatch No.. 37 of 28th March. The allowance offered would not satisfy the Service and I propose to suspend action until 1 shall patch No. 37 of the 8th March.
~Hon. Mr 'H, E. Pollock,, K.C. instructed by Mr RFC Master of Manics Johnson, our the Chief Justice in Original Triadic Stokes and Master appeared before his Hone lion last Tuesday, in the matter of the Man On Insurance Company, Ld
Mr. Pollock said that when he brought the operations, to Man On Company.to extend itt Fire Insurance in addition to its present busi ness of marine insurance, his Honour required further Information as to the financial standing
supported by the information Krone Tunt Foo A director of the company. Mr. R. F. C. Master, and the manager, and theso affidavits had been fled, and he would now ask for the order, His Honour: ssid ba would grant the order which, for the reason that he was not satisfied that the capital of $1,000,000, was sufficient when the matter moved before him before,. He had now obtaine ed all the information he required and had ascertained that of seven marine and Bra insar- half paid up. He was now satisfied and would make the order, the company to pay the cost of the motios and of this application.
Council are pressing for action by the (overn { whole gained by the low exchange and they mit copies of two memorials on the solely toʻ the alteration in the value of the | have received a reply to Sir - M. Nathŵn'a dés. ance companies here the capital was the sROJO,
· [Telegram from Governor, Hongkong, to * Secretary of State,] =
14th May, 1906. The constant rise in silver is seriously affecting sterling salaries and the Legislative ment, I think some relief is necessary. I propose as a lamporary measte to pay the sterling salaries for the remainder of the year from the 1st May half at the current rate and balf at the 1 shilling and 8 penny rale provided
in the Estimates.
I likewise propose to pay the dollar carrying axchange compensation as if the Exchange was the mean between current rate and still log and 8 pence. Kindly telegraph sanction.
[ Telegram from-Secretary of State to Governor, Hongkong.)
19th May, 1936. Your telegram of 14 May. You can submit. for consideration proposals to grant, relief to prison warders, subordinate police officers and persons of similar salary and status, but I am not prepared to consider any allowance to officers more highly paid:
"I
salaries for local tole above 2/..
The disadvantage of this scheme is the loss that would fall on the Treasury with a very low dollar: but a low dollar is generally good for trade and consequently when the dollar falls the revenue tends to rise and to be in a position to meet the additional expenditure due to increase in the number of dollars paid on account of sterling salaries and home pay. ments..
Taking the anme concrete instance as before the salary in dollars would be liable to fluctu- ate from $5,000 to $6,666 or one third of its
lower amount,
B. A fourth scheme would be to revert to doilar salaries, entirely, fixing a rate for coo [From Governor to Secretary of St de} version of sterling with dollar salaries. Such
· Güvernment Houré, a rate might for the reasons, already given be Confidential. ** Hongkong, 13th July; 1996. The advantage of this scheme would be My Lord, Referring to my telegram of the to do away with all fluctuations in the local 14th and to Your Lordship's of the 4th May values of salaries. The objection to this scheme would be that if the dollar fell to say on the subject of relief to Government servants our account of the rise is silver seriously affect 16 or leas the whole question first of exchange ing starting salaries, of which telestams i en compensation and then of sterling salaries
would come up de novo, close capics for convenience f reference, have the honour in point out that prisons war ders, subordinate police officers and persis of similar salary and status with regard to whost relief Your Lordship, is prepared to cruder proposals are not the persons minst affected by the present state of affaits. They are provided with Government quarters, fuel and light; whereas rent in a very heavy item of scal expenditure on the part of persons for whony 'ño such provision is made and a great proi portion are also unmarried and live in messes, An arrangement which greatly reduces the necessary cost of living. It is the class above these such is schoolmasters and the junior European officers in the various departments that are most affected by the reduction is in- come resulting from the fall of the dollar, though senior married officers with families and no private means alen suffer, and of course all officers drawing sterling or exchange com- pensation salaries are affected to the extent of
locally.
My Lord-In accordance with paragraph No. 222 of the Rules and Regulations of H. M. Colonial Service, I have the honour to of the salaries of officers of this Government in relation to the exchange value of the gold or gold equivalent in arised ey are paid. The first memorial dressed to me for transuslasion to Your Lordship is signed by Sir F. T. Piggott, Chlef Justice, by Sir H.S. Berkeley, who has since resigned from the Colonial Service, and by Mr. S. T. Duca, Superintendent of the Batasical and Forestry Department. It pur- Phelips, the Local Auditor, and of the late porta also to present the views of Mr. H. R. Harbour Master. The second memorial, also addressed to me for similar transmission in the event of my being satisfied of the general correctness of the figures it contains, a signed by the remaining heads of departments with the exception of the Colonial Secretary and of the Director of the Observatory, who is about to retire the Service; it is also signed by the assistant heads in some of the principal offices. In forwarding it Mr. H. H. J. Gompertz, Acting Attorney General, stated that no names of officers in pasts below the 2nd class had been appended to it because it was thought undesirable to multiply signatures but that the signatories claimed to speak for all ranks of the Government Service,
I also forward in duplicate a letter on the Fame subject addressed to Your Lordship by Mr. A. G. Wise, Fuispe judge, who gives his cons for not signing either of the memorials referred to above.
reasons
I farther transmit a copy of a "petition
nd.
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8. From whatever point of view these figures are considered it cannot be questioned that there has been a heavy fall in the purchasing power of sterling salaries in the last few years and it could scarcely be expected that this fall should be without its effect on the efficiency of the Service generally, Apart from general dissatisfaction everal cases have already the Colony by the unattractiveness of the pre occurred in which good,men have been lost to sent outlook."
Since the memorials above discussed were submitted, I have received despatch No. 236 of 26th November, 19c6, in the 4th paragraph of which Your Lordship regrets being unable to reconsider the decision that measures of relief were unjustifiable and unnecessary at the present time and goes on to state that in any case the fact that in spite of economy of Public Works the estimated revenue for 1907 barely covers the estimated expenditure is sufficient ranson against any general increase is salaries." In this connection I would point out that the Extimates were drawn up on the basis of, a 21. dollar and that the current rate is now over as
so that unless this rate falls appreciably or compansation is given for its high level, the amount that will be expended on sterling salaries in the year will fall considerably short of the estimate.
10. Subsequent to the above quoted des- patch understand that Your Lordship on the 8th January last asked of the Governor of the Straits Settlements what solution of the salaries question would be applicable to Hongkong as well as to the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay
9. Other schemes will doubtless suggest themselves to anyone considering this intricate bject, but they will probably only be varia bins of those I have set forth as possible dressed to me through the Colonial Secretary means of solving this problem. On the whole which, with mir or alterations to make it appli I am now disposed to consider the third cable to different departments, has been signed scheme by which, if the dollar goes above 3/;,
by practically all the European officers of the payments will be made at that rate and if it Medical, Sanitary and Public Works Depart gnes below at the average safe of the preced-ments. Slightly different petitions of which.States, Sir John Anderson: Bas been good
copies are annexed have been submitted by enough to favour me with the Masters of Queen's College, by the Euro pean members of the Harbour and Prison De partments and by the European contingent of The Police Force
the proportion of the income expended 2. In June, 1901, when the sterling salary scheme now generally in force was approved by Mr. Chamberlain the value of the do lat was 1/8. In June, i o6, salaries were puji at a rate of afif the dollar / The dollar value of the sterling and exchange comingas.tion salaries has thus fallen in 4 years tu 83/101 or to just over 4ths of its former valec.
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ing month is the the which offers the most per manent and equitable solution.
H
copy of the dea
patch he wrote in reply-No. 63 dated the 31st January, 19.7,-the ith paragraph of which | suggesis that salaries in Hongkong should be paid at the rate of the day so long as it does not exceed 2/1 and that the rate exceeds 2/2 the salary should have a percentage added to equivalent to 1/48th of the excess of the rate over 2/
2. It will be seen that except in the Post
For simplicity it is suggested that in place Office and in the Education Department, of the above an additional cent should be whose members have recently received in given on every dollar for every td., that the ciency of emoluments in the existing circum the pound sterling, or the dollar at rather more creases in salary, the complaint of the insuffi | dollar rises above 2/-. With nine dollars to stances of exchan e is universal throughout | than 1/2jd; as at present, Sir John Anderson's the European officers of the Hongkong Govern | scheme would mean an immediate addition of ment.
5% salaries. This would not remove present grounds of complaint.
3. The first of the memorials referred: 16 above, embodies some inaccuracies, Experi- ence has not shown that "the dollar has risen
1. Your Lordship's selegram of the 19th, May debais me from making any recommen. slation in this matter, but I have nevertheless though it advisable to write fully with regard
Two letters, one dated the 24th December in it, and I shall be greatly obliged, if I could and the other the a th February, both forward be urnished with an expression of Youred at the request of Sir Francis Piggott forrit
the last enclosures to this despatch. Lordship's views that. I can put before the Legislative Council of the Colony. I would add that the subj'et was brought before the meeting of the Executive Council on the 16th May last, when Sir, Paul Chater, the Senior Uneficini Member, asked me to appoint a Committee to inquire into it, a course which did not appear to me to be advisable. To n question as to whether the Government woald consider the advisability of granting relief to those Civil Servants who were drawing their pay on a sterling basis, pul by Mr. H E. Pollock, K.C, representative of the rate-plyers in teegislative Council, their meeting an the 17th May, I replied that I had commu It is true that in some instances salaries cared with Your Lordship in the master. 3. have been raised beyond the amount approved In Me Chaberinin, despatch, No. 1 of the Mr E A. Hewell, the minber representing the Chamber of Commerce, has also asked 1th June, 1902, but this, has been on account
questions ou the subject which he has in- of increased work or responsibility and nat on
limated to me he proposes to bring up again account of decline in the local value of the sterling antary or exchange compensation, then tire Estimates are under consideration in is also true that the value of so much of the September next,—I have, cic, salary as is sent home by officers on account of insurance palicis, maintenance of sedatives or education of children in England, or purchase of goods from England has not fillen in value, but it is equally true that if in 101 it was pos sible for an officer to evnte 1/5th of his salary to these purposes and to make provision for the future it is not possible for him-40'50 levote Buy sum at the present time except by a cur tailment of Ifical expenditure which becomes less, and less possible as land prices rise. would add that, though if frade were flourishing and the chances of successful competition with the European retail merchants enhanced this should bring about a fall in the price of Euro- peas goods purchased locally no such fall has practically taken place at present.
11. A more acceptable sch me would be if an additional cent were given on every dollar utarost concession a few tradesmen have made With the dollar at a/at the addition would then more than 6d. in 18 months" nor that "the for every 3d that the doller rises above al is a reduction of 5 per cent.. in their prices." he 10% If it went to a6 the addition would be The sterling equivalent of the del'at has not 74% which might be laid down as a maximum been below 1/10 since the 11th October, 1904, instead of the 1% suggested by Sir John and has never risen to 3/4, Several important
nderion. The actual effect of the scheme is firms have reduced their prices between so and practically to pay salaries at a fictitious rate of 79 per cent, since that date. The statement
henta/- the dullar. On the whole the scheme sug-
M. NATHAN,
The Right Honourable
THE EARL OF ELGIN, K.C.,
&c, N., &c. ...
[From Secretary of State to Governor.) Hongkong.
Confidential.
Downing Street,
24th August, 1906. Sir, I have the honour in acknowledge the receipt of your confidential desus ch of the 13th ukimo in which you offer various sug gestions for meeting the effect of the rise in silver on the sterling salaries of Government scivants.
4 The strongest argument against payment of sterling or exchange compensation salaries I have carefully considered your observa at any rate other than the current one is that tians, and I regret that I am unable to satisly by the agreements which officers have express myself that measures of reliel are necessary of ly or impliedly entered into they have no legal justifiable at the present time. In the matter claim to any other fate Against this, however, of remisiances to this country the Government must be set the fact that it is impossible to ex-
servants in question are no longer affected by pect a satisfied Civil civice in which the the rate of exchange, and a reduction in the spending power of officers' salaries is constant dollar value of Imported articles must pic ly being reduced through no fault of their own, sumably be only a matter of time if exchange and that with a dissatisfied Civil Servire the continues to rule high. Moreover I would te- work of the Colony is not likely to be efficient mind you of the statement in your despatch ly performed, while new recruits of the desired No. 71 of the 29th Marchi that "house rent slamp will be deterred from joining by the the chief, if not the only, expense of living complaints of those who are constantly realize which is not lower in this Colony than in most where Customs are levied and conditions under which they are now serving, where wages are higher." Lam bound to add The fact that the Colony raises its revenue and that in my opinion the scale of pay of Govern frames its estimate of expenditure in dollars ment servants in Hongkong compares favour- and so apparently saves at the expense of its ably with that obtaining in most other parts of servants when the dollar goes above the rate of the Empire,
I exchange at which the anonal estimates are 3. would observe, with reference to the made adds to the dissatisfaction arising from suggestions made in your despatch under the present condition of affairs.
reply, that sterling salaries were introduced in 5 The suggestion embodied in my telegram order to get rid of the system of making pay. of the 14th May was based on a conviction that ments in dollars at fictitious rates of exchange, some action in the mailer was necessary. The and even if i were convinced of the necessity practical effect of the suggestion if it had been of taking steps in the direction which you Carried out to make half the stealing salaries advocale, I could not agree to any arrange and half exchange compensation payable at aments whereby that system would be, revived. fixed rate rather lower than thai current at the
that "so far as European tradesmen are con cerned the price of goods b for long been at the rate of one dollar to one shilling charged In Englan" is not applicable to all goods nor is it correct to lay down that Customs duties in other Colonies" at most add 1 per cent to the price." Though 52 a a month my be the mean rent of houses on the Peak for officials in the position of the signatories of the first memorial (of whom, one, however, is provided with Government quartera) it is certainly not the average rent of house occupied by Govern ment officers. The statement that “landiurdı do not find house property, a profitable. invest- meat" put forward to show that "it is hardly possible to anticipate any reduction of rent" is incredible; I am informed alio that there has during the last year been a tendency of repa of houses in the Peak and Upper. Levels of Victoria to fall slightly. The statement that servants' wages are "roughly no less than Sico a mouth, including 4 chuir coalies" does cer tainly not apply, as it is said to do, to all classes of officers." Subordinate officers do ance of $15 to $40 is given to officers whose notcep & chair coolies and convevance allow duties require them to make use of rickshas' or chairs.
In spite of these inaccuracies which it has been my duty to point out there is much in the memorial worthy of Your Lordship's roa. siderating and I would draw special attention 10 is rith paragraph.
cested in pa sgraph 7 of my confidential des patch of the agih July, 1(ċ6, appears simpler.
12. I regret the delay, due to my recent ill- ness and abse ce and to the complicated nature of the question, in fo warding the memorials and petitors submitted to me in October and November of last year, and I would urge on Your Lordship the necessity for some carly action being taken in the matter with which they deal. I have, etc.,
M. NATHAN.
The Ri ht Honourable
THE EARL OF ELGIN, K.C..
&c, &c, &c;
[Bec try of State to Governor.]
Downing Street,
28th March, 1937. Sir,With reference to paragraph 4 of my despatch Ne, 236 of November 26th fast, 1 have the honour to inform you that I have now given further consideration to the question of the dollar on the emoluments of those officers the effect of the increased exchange value of
of the Covernment service, whose salaries are fixed in sterling or, being paid at the rate of to the dollar, are practically on a sterling basis.
..
[Secretary of State to Governor,}
Downing Street,
16th April, 1907. Sir-l'have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch No. 37 of the 8th of Match forwarding memorials of Government officers with regard to the salaries of the Hong value of the dollar. Long Service as affected by the high exchange
2, 1 propose to defer replying to your des patch until I have had the opportunity of dis cussing the matter with you on your arrival here. I have, &c.,
ELOIN.
EXCHANGE COMPENSATION RETROSPECTIVE. {Secretary of State to Officer administers ing the Governmens.} Hongkong.
No. 122.
Downing Street.
With June, 1907. Sir-1 have the honour to acknowledge the recept of your telegram of the 1st of May, in which you informed me that the proposals made in my despatch No.57 of the 18th of March for the grant of a local allowance would, not satisfy the Service, and added that the pro posed to defer action in anticipation of my reply to the Governor's despatch No. 37 of the 8th of March. I had already: replied to that despatch to the effect that I would discuss the matter with Sir M. Nathan on his arrival in 2. I have now ascertained Sir M. Nathan's Legislative Council, I am prepared to approve views. and, subject to the consent of the the following arrangement
this country
Officers drawing sterling salaries, or dollar salaries with double exchange compen- sation, will be paid their salaries, when in the Colony, at the rate of 1 to the dallar, so long as the exchange value of the dollar is at or above that figure, When the exchange value of the dollar ik below 2/- these salaries will be paid, as at present, at a rate of exchange fixed monthly by the Government and based the average exchange value of the dollar during the preceding month. Officers whose salaries are fixed in sterling will draw leave pay and pension on the basis of the fixed sterling salary. Officers drawing double exchange com..
pensation will continue to draw leave pay and pension on the basis of their nominal dollar salaries at the privileged rates of exchange to which they are en
on
titled.
3. I have, therefore, to request that you will place these proposals before the Legislative | Council: If the Council approves the suggested arrangement, you are authorised to put it in force at nace with effect from the 1st of January Inst. I have, &c,'
ELGIN, The Officer Administering the Government of Hongkong.
ANOTHER ANGLO JAPANESH COMPANÝ.
*"COATES'S COTTON" TO DE MADE
IN JAPAN.
BUILDING CONTRACT
FURTHER ARGUMENTS, ***
His Honour the Chief Justice presided in Orginal Jurisdiction That Tuesday at the Supreme Court to bear further arguments in the matter of the arbitration between the executrixes and executors of Choy Chao, deceased, and Toang King, contractor. Mr. M. W. Slade, instructed by Mr. A. C. Holbarow, of Messrs. Deacon, Looker and Deacon, appeared, for the plaintifs, and Sir Henry E Morrell, Berkeley, K., Instructed by Mr. G. Crown solicitar, of Miss Dennys and Bowley, represented the defendant,
· AD:
It will be remembered that in this care the late Choy Chap called the defendant and arranged with him for the building of so Chinese houses, for shops and dwelling houses, and also for the pulling down and re-building of another
exten 15 Chinese bouses, the work, after
fan of time, to be completed by April 15, 1904. Under the first contract it was agreed by and between the parties that if the work WAS not completed by contract date the defend. Ant was to forfeit to plaintiffs ar liquidated damages $75 per diem in the case of the 30 houses and $20 in the case of the' 15 houses, for every day the work remained uncompleted: after the said 15th April, 1934. The defendant did not complete the work, and on June and, 1905, the work was taken out of his hands. The work was to be done under the supervision of Mr. W. Danby, architect and engineer, who satisfaction, and all disputes were to be, sub- was to certify that it was completed to his mitted..to him for arbitration. By a later. agreement it was arranged between the parties that instead of 575 and 520 respec- tively to be paid at penalties, the defendant was to pay $3,000 for the first month and $6,000 for the second mouth which the work remained uncompleted.
Sir Henry said that the point, they had to consider was what was in the minds of the parties when, they agreed that the defendant should compensate plaintifs in the sums of $3,005 for the first month, and $6,000 for the sec and for which the work was uncompleted. and said it was clear that the intention was that the two large suras were to be paid as în full discharge of all liabilities, compensation in and nothing more. It was liquidated damages and not a penalty.
His Honour: But it seems to me that they got sick of waiting, and said if the work was not completed within the extended time they would not be satisfied with $75 a day but would take a lump sum of $3,000 for the first $6,000 for the second month's delay.
J
and
Sir Henry: But there was no pasity i it was. liquidated damages, and when the agreement was made it was nevar contemplated that the delay wou'd extend over, the first month, and the compensation was doubled for the reason that in the second month there was greater probability of loss of tenants than in the first month.
Sir Heary then quoted authorities at con. siderable length in support of his arglement thai the liquidated damages were not a penalty. After hearing further authorities from Sir Heary, his Honour said he need not call upon Mr. Slade to reply ai nothing had been said, and no authorities quoted sufficiently to the point to cause him to alter the decision pre- viously arrived at, and that decision would
JAPAN AND KOREA.
THE ASSASSINATION PLOT IN SEOUL.”
According to farther, particulars to band of Pak Yong-ho in Seoul, it appears that, there the incident at the reception given to Prince wera 'scorca' of members of the anti-Japanese.. party present at the reception who were parties to the plot to assassinate Prince Pak, p
Mr. Murai Kichibel, who, as is well known, amassed a large fortune in the tobacco and cigarette business before the Government Meland. nopoly was established, has agreed to form a company with a joint stock of Y3,000,000 with. the well known frm of cotton-spioneri, Messrs.
and P. Contes, of Scotland, for the manu facture of cotton thread in Japan. The style of the company is the Teikoku Seishi Kaisha. On the rst instant, the inauguration meeting was elected Chairman of the Board of Directors; Mr. held in Tokyo, and Mr. Mural Kichib i was
Sakata Koraburo, Managing Director, and Murinosuke, Coales, Wenyan (? and other foreign gentleman, directors, while Mesars Tamura Takeji and Watt were appointed audi- tors. Mr. Mural contributes his thread factory at Yao, near Oneke, and the Murai spinning mill in Kyoto at the prices of Y155,000 and ¥380,000 respectively in part towards the capital of the company. The factories are to be largely extended, adopting machinery of the most modern type. The formation of the company was to be registered with the authorities yesterday, says the Japan Chrext che al sth ina!.
..
2. As you are aware, I have previously not seen my way to allow any concession on this account, mainly on the ground that, if exchange 4. The second memorial puss the case of continues to rule high a reduction in local officers on the whole moderately and correctly.
Pinte must presumably be only a matter of intended to show that a head of a junior I understand, however, that the adjustment department requires to live reasonably 59,924 of prices, which might be expected, has not yet or, say at $9 in the 6. 41,000 per annum and taken place and, in the circumstances, I am junior offices $4,200. or say 6475 per annum willing to modify any previous opinion and to does, as seems in have been anticipated by consent to some additional payment, as a tein- the mem
memorialists in para 8 of the document, pornzy 'measure to officers paid on a sterling prove somewhat too much. But I am satisfied ·|·basis, who under present conditions find, it as to the general accuracy of the statements difficult to live with fair comfort on their and figures in Tables B and C and that it is not would, therefore, propose that, if you oversisting the case to say. that the cost in dollars of those items of living which are paid and the Legislative Council agree, a local allow. Farewell Cup was held at the Happy Valley The monthly competition for the Robertson for on a silver basis has gone up at least 10ance should be paid to these officers (within from the Igih-10-8th July, 1907. The follow. per cent, since 1903 when the Sterling Salary, the limitations mentioned hereafter) for thresing cards were banded in: Scheme was introduced and during which year year from January 11, 1907, subject to the
conditions
4. In answer la thè toth paragraph of your the average gold value of the dollar was 1/8. fallowance will be at the rate of 5% per ¦
date of the Secretary of State's despatch of the despatch I have to say that i have no objection: A factor which has undoubtedly contributed to 20lb July, 1901-1/8 instead 1/81 and half at to your communicating the present despatch to the average rate of the preceding month. In the Unofficial Members of the Legislative other words sterling salatios and
half a compensation become halla dola exchange Council. I have, &c.,
Sir M, NATHAN; KEINO, *&C.,
starling emolument. By the permanent adop Governor tion of the arrangement when the dollar was abovo 1/8 the Government's gain and officers' * fors, and when it was below that amount the officers' gain and Government's loss, would-be „one half what it is with existing arrangements,
Taking a concreto cass of a salary of £500 and assuming possible in the future a fincium- tion of the gold vatos of the dollar to be about (as much as it has been in the last 30 years, fr., between 4/- and 1/6, the fluctuation of the sa- fary in dollars would Be from $4,150 to 16,333 for about half its lowest amount. 216. Adother scheme would be to fix a range within which sterling salarios and exchange compensation would be paid at the average ots of auchange of the preceding month and beyond which they would be paid at the rate of the limits of the range. Thus if the range
&C,
ELOIN.
[Paragraph iz of Desfalch of gik October,
1906, to the Secretary of State.]
annum on the officer's salary, so long as the exchange value of the dollar is a/ad or
the
more.
this rise is the increasing wealth of the com munity, as evidenced by the growib in the re
• of venue the Colony, from $4,901,074 in 1972 to an amount estimated at $6,448,025 for 1907, no If the dollar rines to 2/id. or more the allow. fresh taxation having been imposed
ance will be at the rate of joy. If the dollar to account for this increase of about 30 per cent.
~falls below 2/jd; no allowance-will-bo-paidinim The remaining politions call for little These allowances will, not be pensionable comment. That submitted by the Medica) and will not be paid while an officer is on leave Department does not gala force by be of absence. ing signed by the entire staff of nursing 4 Ar at present advised. I am not satisfied' sisters to whom much that is contained in it | that there are sufficient grounds for gråcting does not apply. Though the Police are un- these allowances to officers, whose salarios'ex- 12. There are two other matters which were doubtedly prejudicially affected by receiving a ceed £1,000 a year. It can scarcely be argued “discussed in the meeting of Council held on smaller number of dollars pow than they did that such officers find it difficult to live with fale. 27th September to which I may here briefly formerly it must be borne in mind that they comfort on their salaries and it must be remem. refer. The Hon. Mr. Hewell in the course of gal considerable extra silver allowances, and hered that their local expenditure (which alone some remarks on the subject suggested that I | free quarters, fuel, light, uniform and passagen - in affected by the ring in the exchange value- of should appoint a small Committee to consider home and out again for themselves and ferol; the dollar), is less in proportion to their income the whole question of the salaries of Civil lies; they are thus better off than other Eure than that offer highly paid offcere. Li,how Servants: 1 Informed the Council, that was pean public officer in the Colony, a not prepared to adopt this suggetion but that. 6. From a consideration of the memorials I would place the Hon. Members remarks and petitions and of such other information before Your Lordship, 747
! bearing on the matter as I have been able to:
dver, you' take a different view: 1. sball: bezalad, to receive and confider your obsesilbas on the point and in the imeantime (alll defor coming to a final decisión upon li~] may edi)
CLUB.
When the Prince received his invitation to the reception someone gave him, secret infor metion that his apponent bad ploted against his life. In consequence of this warn ing the Prince entered the Kasje Hospital' the night before the reception was to take place, under the pretence, of illness, and seat his representative to the reception in his stead, with the result stated in our columns yesterday. says the Japan Chronicl
The would-be assay in was a leader of the Self-Help Society, a Conservative Association fored early last year. About last autumn the. THE ROYAL HONGKONG GOLF Young Men's Christian Association became
sociated with the Conservative Society against. the Japanese. Some of the members obtained
dency over the Ilchin Ho, a pro-japanese and at one time the Society had some secan Important positions in the Government service,
party. Upon the formation of the present Cabinet, however, the Society Jost power, and began
to entertala hatred and animosity against the Il-chin lol. By his self-murder, the would- be assassin has exposed the feeling of the Society, it is stated that he was the head of
Chemulpo branch. The wounded man died at the Red Cross- evening of Hospital in the av
of the same day Unday) From a letter which was found quy him it is evident that belli 99. framed plot to murder, the leaders of the Il chin Hoi and of the pro-Japanese parties.
ROBERTION FÄRKWELL CUP.
• MẸ KO Hachiwon a termi Mr. M. A. Moray min. 85- 3-80 Mr. H. W. SladBus.inj. 93–12-21 Lt. C. J. Satterthwaite ... 92– 8-81 Mr. F. W. Watte.. 88 -83.
Grist... Mr. E
84101, =84 V.D. Fart ME Mr. C. W. Mayu
976-84
Mr. H. Pinckney........................ 94-- 8m85 Mr. E. F. Mackay ji... 92– 3-89 130) (24 entries),
POOLS "Mr-R, O. Hutchison*
Lt. C. J. Saiterthwaita! Mr. F.W Warren Mr. A. Morfey... Mr E. J.Grística
Mr. D. B. MamaY ...«
Wlaner of Cup and Pool.
̧the
In this letter he had declared Parties going to die an honourable death for the she of his country, and set a good example to hir fellow countrymen. Those who misted the country should be killed at a blow. Il be fall. ed in his attempt he would shoot himself with £ resolver, it was against the truth of heaven for one, to murder pibere, and jive; therefore he would marder all the disloyal, and then die himself. The dead body of
powerful. If ten pa riota, sacrificed their lives for the ogantry, the Korean anionotay á 3. restored.” He died, no, honour l ́others should follow his wxam)
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