Enclosure 3.
310
Chambers,
Supreme Court House, Hongkong,
26th. August, 1907.
1.
To His Excellency Sir Frederick Lugard, K.C.M.G.,
Governor of Hongkong.
Sir,
I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt
of Your Excellency's letter of the 16th. August in answer to
mine of the 14th., in which I requested Your Excellency to forward
certain information with regard to the salary of the Judge
of the Consular Court at Shanghai, for the information of the
Right Honourable the Secretary of State.
2.
In making the request I had no desire to
base any argument or suggestion upon the facts submitted, though
I thought they were germane to His Lordship's statement in the
despatch of 24th. August, 1906, to which I referred. I did read
that statement to imply that the scale of pay of Government
servants in Hongkong compares favourably with that of Government
servants who served the Empire in other parts of the world. But
the object I have in view would have been equally attained
without any reference to this despatch.
3.
That object is merely to lay information
before His Lordship shewing that the pay of a certain Judicial
Officer in the East is more advantageous than that of the Chief
Justice of Hongkong in three important particulars - house
allowance, outfit allowance, and travelling expenses. As is well
known it is expenditure in respect of these items which presses
very heavily on officers in this and other Colonies.
4.
I cannot help thinking that this information
may be of interest to the Secretary of State, if he is not
already in possession of it.
5.
Again emphasising my desire not to base any
argument or suggestion upon the facts submitted,
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your Excellency's obedient servant,