200
so attractive that as a matter of fact almost every local firm
of Engineers and Architects consists of ex-Government Officers.
These attractions have out-weighed pension prospects, and the
officers concerned have not hesitated to abandon the period
they had served towards pension. If the pension is in fact partially commuted by a duty pay, the already small hold which
Government has will be further weakened. (c). The graduated
duty pay will in the lower ranks become extremely small, say £10 per annum, but the officers who draw these lower salaries
are of two widely different classes:- (i) Young officers on a
commencing salary who have prospects of rising to higher grades
with higher duty pay and (ii) officers who have no such pros-
-pects and whose maximum represents the basis upon which their pension will be calculated. To the former it matters little
whether an appreciable part of their pay becomes duty pay, and if they do not intend to take much leave it is a financial gain. To the latter it matters very much and though comparatively few may as a fact attain to pension, the whole of them would
regard any deduction from pensionable salary as a very grave
matter.
I refrain from elaborating the further
difficulties.I may add that the Colonial Secretary has represent
-ed to me that he considers a Universal Duty Pay to be an un-
-workable scheme.
5.
I am of opinion therefore that Duty Pay
should be confined to cases such as those of Cadet and Public Works Department's Officers in which Duty Pay is given as an addition to existing salaries. In making any future proposals for increasing the salary of any appointment the question of whether the pensionable salary should be increased or a non- -pensionable allowance given in the form of Duty Pay will be carefully considered in each case.
6.
Upon the cognate though entirely
distinct question of whether a charge allowance should be given
to