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The agreements of 19 Chinese expire before the end of the year, other 6 are on probation, there are certain to be at least 10 vacancies in the force before the end of the year, which makes in all 35 vacancies before the end of the year.
I would propose, if the scheme is adopted and my suggestion that it should take effect from the 1st of January, 1994 be approved - a suggestion I beg now to make - that the remaining 32 whom it is desired to get rid of be offered the bonuses which they would have earned at the end of their 5 years service (the bonus equals 3 months pay or, in the case of the men I would offer it to, $21 each) and allowed to retire from the force.
I feel sure that a sufficient number would be found willing to accept these terms.
10. My proposal that the scheme should take effect from the 1st of January 1894 entails, of course, the provision of funds this year to meet the nett cost of the new pinnaces. This I would propose might be done by special vote in the Legislative Council.
My reasons for advocating this course are that two of the boats I wish to abolish are pronounced to be now unserviceable - indeed it was the necessity of replacing them that first drew my attention to the subject of this letter. These boats might be made to last another 6 months but not more.
The longer the scheme, if approved at all, is kept in abeyance, as it would be if provision were made for