) (
444
1st. Class P. C. 75 cents per month,
2nd. Do. Do. 55
Do.
DO.
DO.
3rd. Do. Do. 45 Do.
2. In the Report of the Commission which sat
in 1889 on the question of an increase to the salaries of
Public Officers it is stated that between 1879 and 1889 the
cost of living for Chinese had increased 10 per cent, while
the rent of Chinese houses had increased 100 per cent.
Nevertheless in 1894 I urged on the Retrench -
ment Committee the recommendation for the abolition of the
quinquennial bonuses to Chinese which had already received
the sanction of the Secretary of State, and the bonuses were
accordingly abolished.
Since the Retrenchment Committee sat, however
the European and Indian Police have had their pay increased
by the grant of the privilege of Exchange Compensation where-
as, as mentioned above the Chinese Police have had their pay
reduced.
This is a subject which I had intended call-
ing attention to before the Wa Lane gambling scandal became
known.
3. But since the Retrenchment Committee sat
in 1894 the cost of living in the Colony for all classes
has risen enormously.
I noticed it the day I landed from leave of
absence in October 1896, for I was unable to procure chair
coolies