of goods from England has not fallen in value, but it is
531
equally true that if in 1902 it was possible for an offi-
cer to devote 1/5th. of his salary to these purposes and
to make provision for the future it is not possible for
him to so devote any sum at the present time except by a
curtailment of local expenditure which becomes less and less
possible as local prices rise. I would add that though if
trade were flourishing and the chances of successful com-
petition with the European retail merchants enhanced this
should bring about a fall in the price of European goods
purchased locally, no such fall has practically taken place
at present.
4.
The strongest argument against payment of
sterling or exchange compensation salaries at any rate
other than the current one is that by the agreements which
officers have expressly or impliedly entered into they have
no legal claim to any other rate. Against this, however,
must be set the fact that it is impossible to expect a
satisfied civil service in which the spending power of
officers' salaries is constantly being reduced through no
fault of their own, and that with a dissatisfied civil ser-
vice the work of the Colony is not likely to be efficiently
performed while new recruits of the desired stamp will be
deterred from joining by the complaints of those who are
constantly
HET TAL-