44
! with their Colay Jouring to the
2. These officers state that before accepting their present forts they enquired from this Dept what Allowance they would receive as House Allowance and now hold that the matter could be dealt with better in the Colony. You add in the latter part of your despatch that "the applicants state that their expectations with regard to salary in Hongkong have not been realised and that they understood from officials in the Colonial Office that their position would be better than they found it to be."
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3. It appears from the correspondence that passed with the Colonial Office and Messrs. Martin and Savage at the time when the offer of their present appointments was made and accepted that they were not given any assurance on behalf of the Govt that they would receive free quarters or an allowance in lieu thereof.
4. I am unable on enquiry to accept the contention that anything that was said to them in the course of their interviews at this Office could be construed as any assurance that free quarters or a house allowance would be given to them.