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Sir Michael Sicks. Reach's despatch No. 100 to the British Secretary of State of 27 Feb 1879.
I am obliged to refer to this case, but as the rule according to which it has been decided is at present followed under similar circumstances in other Colonies, I do not at present think it desirable to depart from it.
The addition of 5 years in the computation of pensions is now made to the actual service of officers in most of the intertropical Colonies and has been regarded not as an amelioration in the general scale of pensions. Pensions, being in the nature of deferred salary, should, I think, bear a definite ratio to salary; and as it may be assumed that the scale of salaries assigned to Coloured officers is generally less liberal than that assigned to Europeans, there will be a distinction in their Pensions as well as in their Salaries, although the ratio of Pension to Salary is the same in both cases.
Such a change of practice as before indicated should now be decided on, involving the exclusion from the 5 years' bonus of all the non-Europeans, it could not, I think, be made without injustice if made retroactive to the present holders of Office. Indeed, I do not feel sure that the change can fairly be made unless an option be given to the existing Chinese officers of a pension gratuity on retirement.
Ms Boden's despatch No. 6 of this month raises an objection to granting such an option.
13. In reference to this point I would however, observe in passing, that gratuities on this proposed plan may sometimes be...
Dec.