THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1936.
HONGKONG GOVERNMENT'S CLERICAL STAFF
Employment of Local Citizens in Civil Service: HENRY HEATH
Hon. Mr. J. P. Braga Defends System
SOME LIGHT ON THE SUBJECT OF "OTHER" EMPLOYEES
"HOW CAN IT BE PROVED THAT THE PORTUGUESE ARE ROBBING
OTHER SECTION OF THE COMMUNITY?" Special to the "Telegraph"
ANY
M
By THE HON. MR. J. P. BRAGA.
UCI ignorance exists in respect of the staffing of the
crument clerical service in Hongkong.
Due in large part to this lack
dollars per annum for their salaries alone, and if the cast of home leave and other special privileges were included, the total expenditure would be very much higher,
break of a long leave for the main- tenance of a condition of health for the efficiency expected of them.
JUNIOR CLERICAL SERVICE Members of the Junior Clerical
Again, from the figures for the Service are all paid In dollars. average salary per antum the Euro- The standard establishment of the pean employees are puid more than highest grade is ten. It can, there 21⁄2 times per capita than the other fore, be considered that in this employees. Here also, if the cost of branch there are ten prize appoint-home leave, ete, were ascertainable ments, with emoluments attached the disproportion in the
average therely of $4,800 to $5,000 by $200 salaries would show up as being für annually,
more excessive, There a prevalent bellef that the Portuguese enjoy "most favour- ed" treatment as regards this grade.
Disillusionment must come with the indisputable assertion that they to the encroach on this grade extraordinary number of one only.
This is an employee who was seen At to be recommended for inclusion In the Birthday Honours List for 1935 for membership in the Imperial Service Order-a signol distinction reserved only for long, trustworthy and meritorious service.
This cm-
In the light of these disclosures an outstanding feature that cannot be Ignored 13 the fact that the "other" employees are in U great many cases themselves British subjects Owing allegiance 10 the Crown, and serving the Volunteer Defence Force of the Colony.
his
"LOCAL SECTION" SALARIES.
The Colonial Secretary in Speech in the Legislative Council on the Budget for 1033 remarked that "Government has from time to Ume
ployee was appointed in 1000-exnet-C
lind He is granted non dis books locally recruited Gov-ly 40 years ago.
knowledge, there has arisen
a certain measure of prejudice, which in turn has given way to hasty conclusions and unfounded accusations that might easily be avoided for a happier relationshipi of all concerned.
How an improved and saner understanding might be created it is just the purport of this article to seek to promote,
In the eulenvour, therefore, to remore partisan feelings that might dearlop into bitter estrangement, a delving into. official publications and statistics has been undertaken.
THE advocacy of the employment of local men is really
one prompted by economic considerations.
It is no new move. As long ago as October 20, 1930, it was urged in the course of the Budget debate that "there has been too great a tendency for the 'sons of the. soil' to be passed over in Hongkong.
allowances in any shape or form.
est 23.
officers who have fulfiled all the requirements desired, but something The standard establishment of better than the prospects of the ten is composed of one Portuguese, Junior Clerical Service, which is be-
ciglit one Indian, and
* Chinese coming
Untie unwieldy by its Their length of service aggregates weight of numbers, and consequent 32 slavs
promotion, is required to at- 320 years, or an average of years each. The longest period of tract and hold the right type of service is 10 years and the short-recruit. It is therefore proposed, subject to the approval of the Secretary of State before whom the scheme has been laid, to create a local section of the Senior Clerical & Accounting Staff, and to fill it with specially selceled. men of the type who now enter the Special Class of the Junior Clerlent Service, and un- fortunately leave it only too often Just when their promise is becoming clear.*
RACIAL COMPOSITION
The whole of the Civil List for 1930 has been gone into very care- fully, and from an analysis of the various components making up the Junior Clerical Staff the following figures are ar- rived at:-
personnel of the
Chinese In PortuguCSE British Eurasian
789
30
21
4
"This tendency ought to be checked, and a new policy have crept in which, however, would not be repeated, and instend inaugurated whereby qualified local men be afforded faci-port of best heat of being drawn to delds
RADIO BROADCAST
་་
Variety Concert From The Studio OZO AND HIS BOY FRIENDS From Z.B.W. on a wavelength of 355 metres (045 kilocycles);
4-7 p.m. Chinese Programine, 7-11 p.m. European Programme.
7 p.m. The J. H. Squire Celeste Octet.
Operatica (Famous Operatic Melo- Venetian dies) (arr. Squire); A Barcarolle Serenade (arr. Willough- by),
7.17 p.m. Stuart Robertson (Bass- Baritone).
Yehudi Menuhin (Violin). 1. Concerto In G Major-Adagio (Mezart), Serenade and Tambourin (Sarasate)... Yehudi Menuhin; 2. Songs-When Dull Care (Lane Wil- son); When Lights 150 Rolling (Ireland). 7.30 pm: Closing Local Stocks Quotations.
3. Violin Solo Guitarre (Moszkowski-Sarasate); 4. Sonks Myself when young ("ina Persian Garden") (Lehmannn). Silent Noon (Vaughan Williams); 5, Violin Solos (a) Minstrels Debussy), (b) Flight of the Bumble- Bee (Rimsky-Korsakov).
7:47 p.m. Orchestre Raymonde, Electric Girl (Holmes); Romantique Waltz (arr. Walter); Love is my Hfe-Waltz (arr. Walter); Dance of the Merry Mascots (Albert Ketelbey). #p.m. Local: Time Signal, Weather Report and announcements.
8.03 p.m. From the Studio. A Jazz Recital by Ozo and his Boy Friends,
Programme.
The conclusion cannot be resisted that were the Government prepared to revise their scale of salaries to ensure more attraction, especially in The Junior Clerical Branch of the Civil Service, the
which experience Regarding these sectional totals !! should be stated that errors might has been the Government's fot as related in the foregoing quotation do
offering 1. Shine, 2. Plano Medley: I'm a numbers. However de- |
more encouraging outlook for ad- foal for lovin' you: Chinatown: These absolutely impossible 11 is to obtain
find better inducement in the servieeGet thee behind me Satan, 5. Piano perfect necuracy when nomes Arc
Solo-My Gol Sal, G. Someday adopted to confuse proper classifica of their election.
Sweetheart, 7. Vocal--Melody, from the Sky, B. I ain't got nobody.
8.25 p.m. The Regimental Band of HI, M. Grenadier Guards.
lities for advancement in the Colonial Service." (Hansard, stroble, it will be understood how vancement, its new recruits would foolish things, 3. Rose Room, 4. Vocal 1930, p. 212.)
William Peel, the then Governor, said: Replying, Sir "regarding local recruiting, it is a question that I have had under consideration ever since I came here, and I have not only asiced the Retrenchment Commission to consider it, but I have Instructed several departments to see how far it is possible to achieve something on these lines." (Ibid, 227})..
כי
tion.
Of the Chinese 71 are on probation and 7 on the temporary list. One
CONCLUSION.
HATS
for
MEN
in
New Styles
and
Colours
$14.50, $16.50, $23.50.
· Less 10% cash discount
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сал
AGENTS for HENRY HEATH
Easy
The Da Lures Ford is a comfortabla You com alt at the wheel for long foumeys without feeling undue fatigue. Why not fake a complate road test at our expanse? This will give you an opportually of studying the comfort
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"Ford cars and Fordson, trucks- proved by the past-improved for the future."
Driving
The radiator and bossman showing modern design.
The presentation of the foregoing out of the 30 Indians is on probation. facts and figures will not have been In truth, there are only ten Portu-in vain if it should help to promote gurse on the fixed establishment; a better understanding of the condi-
Pomp and Circumstance March No. there are five employees on probation and one is temporarily employed. Government Civil Service,
Forest (Eilenberg), March of the For convenience sake the remain- Finally, it
It is hoped, it may achieve Mountain Gnomes (Ellenberg), Selec-
of drawing forth the tion-The Beggar's Opera (Goy- India have been grouped with the
Silver kindly
Trumpets-Grand "Portuguese, since the number of tlie gen
generous sympathy of the various (Vivani), Old former is negligible for all practical communities making up the cosmo-Priest home arc (Vin) purposes and need not, therefore, bepolitan citizenship of this Colony (Roberts). classifed separately. Of the five, two who, should and room and oppor- 9 p.m. News and are sons of men who have been longtunities enough, if only there be from London. resident in llongkong and with whom the outlayville live and let live!"
residents are familiar
tions in the "local section" of the 1 (Elgar) The Mill in the Black WALLACE HARPER & CO., LTD.
these remarks in an earlier £725, 4 £700, 2 £640, 1 £600. ng five, who are from Portuguese the purpose mutual respect, and Austin),
i
There is a forceful point in recommendation of the Salaries Commission in Shanghai report- ing on the question of the salaries to the Shanghai Muni-
Council's Staff, "both": cipal foreign and Chinese. The Com-. mission recorded that: "In view of the high cost of obtaining and maintaining foreign employees in the Council's service, including benefits, the Commission is of the residents, opinion that local foreigners domiciled in China, and Chinese, should be appointed where- ever possible, provided that they pussess the necessary qualifications and experience for the position to be occupied, thus reducing the heavy costs of appointments from abroad." This recommendation has been given effect to this year.
2 at £1,050, 1 £1,030. 2 £825,
£360, 2 £500 £460, 2 £450, 3 £445, 1430. 3 £415. 2 £400, ort 1378, 2 £340, 2 £325, 2 £310, 2 £295, 3 £280, and 2 £265.
The average salary per employee per annum is one of £509, to which niust be added the cost to the Colony of home leave pay and
travelling allowances to them and
their families.
Two lady stenographers are classi-
most Kowloon
for their courtesy and attention on daily duty in one of the important uillity services of the Colony. All
the five enjoy worthy sponsorship in CORONER ON WAR
passages, long leave and other the fille of Confidential Assistant and belong to a very small, peaceful and
fed in the same grade, but carrying Stemgrapher, one at £450 and the other at £300 per annum.
SILENCING FACTOR'
BABIES “MENTALITY
WRONG"
SEEMS
the Governinent Service for their qualifications and efficiency. They
industrious community, and, If it should be permissible to introduce sentiment into the present discussion, they belong to a race whose country It should be a silencing factor lof of origin provides a picturesque re- the clamouring voice for a hundred minder of Portugal's oldest Alliance SUICIDE OF GIRL WHO per cent, undiluted British Service with England. when it is learnt that 12 lady steno-
All the nine British employees in WAS TO BE MARRIED graphers, all British, draw salaries the junior grade are on the fixed ranging from £260 to £300 per estabilshment. There are an equal annum exch, in the following bro- number of Eurashuns on the fixed as portions: 2 at $3,600, G $2,800, on the probationary departments of
the grade, namely, two each. 3 at $2.600, and 1 at $2,400. CIVIL SERVICE COSTS
Indmits of no dispute whether the
COMPARATIVE COST From time to time the question of merit of domicillary qualification the increased administrative expend can be successfully established in the
1900.
casc of every one of the 61 employees
'This article would not be complete
The opinion that a girl who hanged herself when about to be married hud been affected in childhood by the war was expressed by the East Riding coroner, Mr. T. Holtby, at an inquest at Bridlington recently,
announcements
0.20 p.m. "Sea Songs and Shanties" by The Portsmouth Royal Naval- Singers.
9.30 p.m. From the Studio.
A Variety Programme by Audrey Steel (Vocal); G. F. d'Aquino (Vocal) G. larvey Ash (Humorous), Programme-1. Seng-Don't count your kisses before you're kissed.....
a
sin (Audrey Steel); 2. Song-It's to tell a lie. (G. F. d'Aquino): 3. Humorous Frightfully Freddy. (G. Harvey Ash); 4. Song-I'm fool for loving you... (Audrey Steel): 5. Song-Song of the Cello. (G. F. d'Aquino); 0. Humorous (G. Harvey Ash); -Silly Ass. 7. Song-Goody Goody..... (Audrey Steel); 1. Song-Why Stars come out at Night. ... (G. E. d'Aquino). 10 p.m. Big Ben from London.
Dance Music.
11 p.m. Close down, DAVENTRY PROGRAMMES
The following wave-lengths and frequeneles
A verdict are sherred by Daventry.
The inquiry was Into the death of ture of Hongkong has been pressed to justify their sterling salaries, for without a summary of the compara-Alice Malton, 25, of Queensgute. upon the attention of Government, if a close scrutiny is made into the of the Hongkong Civil Service. The in a garage by her fiance.
tive cost of the clerical establishment Bridlington, who was found hanging and at no time was this pressure fell merits of cach case it is doubted if statistics disclose the following sull of suicide while of unsound mind to be more fnslatent than recently satisfactory claim with the accentuation of the prolong-stantiated in respect of each
ed trade depression which has affect-every one of them.
ed the Colony so seriously and which i
and
he sub-cnl facts:- can
47
For the most part a large partibn
of their expenditure is incurred in the)
is responsible for the Colony's uncurrency of the Colony, quite a few balticed Budget for 1030.
With
a
view to removing con- Jectures and surmises and discovering what the true fucts are regarding the composition of the personnel of the Clerical Branch of the Civil Service. let there be a probe into available
sources
of the employees being sons and daughters of residents in Hongkong.
"LOCAL SECTION"
To what extent can the objections against the employment of Portuguese in the Government service be sus- reliable information, tained? It need only be stated there There are two very excellent annual are only two Portuguese in the Senior publications regularly issued by the Clerical and Accounting branch. To Government, which furaish a com- sharpen the distinction this Grade plete guide to the administrative ser- is designated the "Local Section." vices of this Colony. They are, firstly, the Civil Service List, in book form, for 1038; and, secondly, the Blue Book for 1935.
For the purpose of this article in- vestigations have been limited to the Staff and that other branch of the Service denominated by the Govern- ment as the Junior Clerical Staff,"
STERLING PERSONNEL
The personnel of the Senior Clerical Staff on a sterling barls in composed entirely of Belilah em- ployees.
How can it be proved that the Portuguese are robbing any other section of the community of em- ployment which, it is claimed, should belong to one section exclusively, is pertinent question that challenges dispute. Both the Portuguese out of a fotal of 63 graded in the Senjor Clerical Staff belong to Class II, 1.c. "Local Section.". One of them is paid $1,650 and the other $1,200 per annum.
The oppointments to this class ore defined as prize appointments, with a commencing salary of $1,200 per annum, rising to $4,500 per annum as a maximum, by $150 annually: ' On the basis of the annual incre ments it will be seen that before the elder of these two Portuguese mem- his maximum In the Civil Service List there bers can attain to eppear the names of 47 such offleers, salary of $4,500 a year he had
serve 18 years more, and the younger
That much is an established fact; there can be no disputing it
to
Employees of the Senior Clerical and Accounting Staff draw
a combined salary, per annum, of
2 Confidential Assistants
and Stenographers
E
was returned.
Frequency Wavelength
metres meles
1.286 k.c. 31.30 rires
instree
Hist
GRA
481
6.500 kt. 49.59 1510 kat. 31.36
8.10
Frank Pashley, who cut himself when breaking a window to enter the garage, and appeared in court with his hands bondaged, 23,955 and Miss Malton had arranged to be married shortly. They had taken n house,
GBC
G80
11,750
C9E
GAF
sald he
GAO
IDEAS 17,708
k.t. 13,863 k.c.
k.c
30.53 16.18
metres
19.87 metres
..
16,80 metres
GSI
21,47 .c.
(81
GSJ GBL
30.260 k.co 21.840 .. 4,110 k.e. Transmission 1
.13,97 strem 10.44 meira 19,00
tire
mitrea
"A little dimeulty had arisen be- 24,705 tween us--something which might have been misunderstood," he added. "It was that when I got married I could not assist as much as I had done.
S 360,845 31,800
The Treasurer has Oxed The rate of the "con- ventiona! dollar” for the current quarter at
12 Girl Stenographers
"I explained that dimculties had arlsen which would take some of my G1 Drillah employees are
capital, and we should have to begin pald ............... § 305,345 ilfe together rather carefully. My or an average of $6,481
p.a. each. The aggre gate annual salaries of the Junior Clerical Ser- vice, consisting of 862 employees la
Total Clerical Esta-
blishment
1,225,480.
girl did not resent it in any way.
"We talked about it and were perfectly good friends. I am now afraid this worried her."
Miss Dr. T. Ritchie sold that Malton was dead-when he saw her. She had a broken neck. If she had $1,020,825 not broken her neck she would have
died from strangulation.
The Individual average salary p.. of the junior clerk is $1,422.
-The Coroner, saying that he was per annumız sure the girl was not in a normal state mind, continued:
All-British employee.
.$0.481.00
(G.S.D., G.9.0.)
2,15 p.m. Bir Sen. "Empire Mancine,"
No. 4.
2.40 p.m. "A Countryman's Diary,"
1 p.m. The Cafe Colette Orchesten. 2.60 p.m. A Recital by May Busby (5-
prano). 3.65 p.m. The News and Annuancements, Greenwich Time Signal at 4 pm.
Transmission 2
(0.5.G., G.8.H.) 7.2.
Big Ben Harold Ramasy, at the Organ of the Regs Clam. Kingston-in-Thames,
EBI. 7.30 p.m. A Heeltal by Kennelk
(Dajitone). 1.45 p.m. A Countryman's Diary,"
3 p... Beventeenth-Century Contempotarien, «
Greenwich Time Signal at 9 p.m.
1 р.п. The News and Announcementa.
0.20 p.m. Gelger and his Ovekenton,
Transmission 3
(G.B.G.. G.B.F., G.R.JL)
10. p.m. l en. The Bt. Leger,
Bournemouth Municipal 10.16 pant. The
Orchesten. 11.45 p.m. Two Amerkans from England:
Leon Himberly and Helen Page. 11,43 p.m. The News and Announcements. Greenwich Time Signat at 12 D. 13.56. The D.B.C. Dance Orchestr
averare
"It is a coincidence. I have just Non-British employee.
been reading a discussion by some-. average
1,422.00 one who talks about children who Higher All-British Cost
were born or who went through the average
5.059.00 war, It atated that the war had an effect on young people of to-day From accessible sources of infor- born about the war years, when their these total emoturnents do not include more. Before both these men can
of ascertaining the total cost of home | strain.
years-have, to put it vulgarly, the home
lenve, passages and other attain to their maxima they will have leave and all other special privileges
"It may be that there was lack of gute which the young people had privileges enjoyed by the Sterling reached the ages of 44 and 40 years, not included in the salaries of the discipline, but there is no doubt it 50 or 60 years ago.
"It seems that this girl had nothing paid officers. The salaries in in-
respectively.
61 employees in the special category. did affect the young people of to- 'dividual cases vary from £265 per Be it noted that, singular as 毙 It will be seen from the above. day. In my opinion this is one of really to worry about. She had ar- ahrium drawn
ranged to get married to a nice young lowest by the
Lo may appear, they are called upon to
however, that 01 British employees | those cases. £1,050 per annum drawn by the corry on steadily from year end cost the taxpayers of the Colpay"-do-not-think that the young fellow and had everything in her highest. The details are as follows: to year's end without so much as a more than ane third of a million people of to-day-those that were Invour.".
drawing a total salary of £23,955; of the two men has to serve 20 years mution there appears to be no means Rathers and mothers were under great born or brought up during the war
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Nathan Road, Kowloon.
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“AGUNIVERSAL PICTURE