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the School Vacation without certificate from the Colonial Surgeon. No master could fail to see that to apply for two months' vacation leave annually, in addition to the Departmental vacations, would be futile;
as the Head Master would not recommend nor the Governor approve such an application.
3. The custom in the School has always been that temporary departmental promotions follow in the absence of any master on leave. On two or three occasions, the services of outsiders have been procured for half pay, but this plan is not likely to be adopted again as the last experiment was very unsatisfactory. Under this system, whatever period is decided on, as the term for which masters on leave draw full pay is, (in one sense) immaterial to the procurement. No matter at what time a master commences to draw half pay, the remaining half will never lapse to the Treasury, but be absorbed in distribution among some of his juniors, each of whom receives half his own pay, and half that of his immediate senior. By this arrangement it will be seen, from the subjoined Table, that the Chinese Assistants will in all cases be the chief gainers, during the absence on leave of any of the European masters, and it must be borne in mind that, being natives of the country and living close to their homes, Chinese Assistants incur little or no expense in taking leave. On the contrary all European Masters junior to the 3rd draw absolutely no benefit whatever from the absence on leave of any of their seniors, and these have no opportunity in this Department of adding to their fixed salaries; any decrease therefore of the term for which they expected to receive full pay while on leave, will be a hardship, not even partially compensated (as in the case of other masters) by deriving extra benefit from the extra period of half pay.
Officer Own Salary Acting Salary Half Salary Half Pay Monthly Appoint Salary Available Head Master 200 100 100 Second Head Master 140 90+100 70 120 Land Third 170 30+60+70 85 130 10 Three others @ 120 60+60 60 120 Nil 5 others Thin Assistant 60 30+60 40 Chin Min 20+30 25 30 30 50 10 124+20 32½ * 124+122 23 Nat Jethr 20 5 15 Nil Total 760 7604. Public Officers in Hong Kong are in the habit of recruiting their health, between visits to Europe, by visits of 3 or 4 months to Japan or Australia. Masters of the Central School are absolutely precluded from enjoying these advantages, as a month at a time (in winter or summer) is barely sufficient for merely the sea voyage to Japan and back, the expense of which would be taken by few, unless with a view to a long visit to the country.
5. If then in addition to the difficulties of the heavy expense, at this distance, of the passage home
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