live on my salary with a wife and family, and it is absolutely impossible to save a cent. When the dollar went down below we were allowed to draw half our pay at 3/- and subsequently in 1902, the whole of it. In July 1902 my pay was $1214.46 a month. It gradually decreased until October 31st 1906 when I received $950.94. If I go home on leave for a year I got £170 a month for 4 months and £70 a month for 8 months (less income tax). So that at the present time when in England on leave my pay is as nearly as good as when I am in Hongkong at work. I entered the service on January 1864 so I trust that if the memorial results in any advantage to the Hongkong Civil Service that I shall share in it. Although it may seem, in theory, a rise in exchange ought to affect the purchasing power of the dollar, in practice it does not.
I have the honour to be Your most obedient servant Alfred Wintle Puisne Judge.
Duplicate Enclosure 4 528 6.0. 12193 NECE REGA(6 APR 07)
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Public Works Department, Hong Kong. November, 1906. To the Honourable The Colonial Secretary,
To the undersigned officers of the Public Works Department of Hong Kong beg most respectfully to forward for the consideration of His Excellency the Governor this petition and trust that His Excellency will give it his earnest recommendation and cable it to the Secretary of State for the Colonies:
We are aware that a petition from the Heads of all Departments, stating our grievances, has already been submitted; since that one was prepared in 1904, the purchasing power of our salaries has further decreased and we would urge that it is now vital that some steps should be taken to relieve a situation which has become almost unbearable.
We do not wish to suggest what form the relief should take we only desire to emphasise strongly the sufferings which are proved to exist in the petition referred to. We do not even consider it necessary to bring forward any figures to prove what everyone in the Colony feels, men in or outside the Government Service are aware of, viz., that whilst the bulk of the professional men in the Colony have to struggle to maintain their families and make their expenditure meet their income it has been impossible for the lower paid officials to do even this.
Professional married men have to live in good ...