COPY)
Sir,
C O.
27600
RECE
29 JUL 06
390
Sanitary Board Office,
Hongkong, 28th. March, 1908.
I have the honour to inform you that, at a meeting of
Civil servants held at the City Hall on the 22nd. instant, the follow-
ing resolution was unanimously adopted:-
"That in view of the wording of paragraph 76 of the
"Colonial Office Regulations, the Chairman be directed to obtain, if
"possible, the consent of His excellency the Governor and the Secretary.
"of State for the Colonies, to the colonial civil servants of hongkong
"participating in the establishment of a co-operative store, on the
"lines of the co-operative stores in England".
Sir Francis Piggott, Chief Justice, informed the meeting that a very flourishing civil service co-operative store had existed
in Mauritius for some years past, under officia) sanction.
The meeting resolved in the meantime, to proceed with
Scheme E as described in the accompanying circular, as this does not
involve any trading on the part of those participating therein, but
merely a temporary agreement on the part of a number of people to
take their custom to the same shops, in return for a reasonable dis-
count off their monthly accounts. The ouestion has become one of con-
siderable importance to the European civil servants of this Colony
owing to the marked increase in the value of silver which has resulted
in a reduction in the number of dollars drawn in resogct of salaries
to the extent of about 30 per cent since the Spring of 1909 and of
about 21 per cent since the corresponding period of 1904, while many
of the local tradesman have made no corresponding reduction in the
retail price of goods which they obtain from gold-using countries,
though a few of them are now granting a discount of 5 per cent to cos-
pensate for the present, high value of the dollar.
He Honourable
The Colonial Secretary.
I bave, etc.
So.
F. W. Clark
Chairn of the meeting.