N°
159.
Sir,
C.O.
3
19569
REC
REG 79 14 14
GOVERNMENT HOUSE.
HONGKONG. 8th. May, 1914.
3796
With reference to your Despatch No. 21 of the
5th. of February, I have the honour to transmit a copy of a letter from Miss Gourley, who has since married and is Mrs. Kempthorne, regarding the rate at which her gratuity should be calculated, and I submit the point for your decision.
2.
Mra. Kemp tho me was entitled to exchange compene
-ation, leave pay and pension at the rate of 3 shillings to the dollar, but it has not hitherto been the practice in this Colony when calculating gratuities to give exchange compensation.
3.
Mrs. Kempthorne is remaining in the Colony and
as a gratuity is in fact in the nature of a pension, I consider that the same rule should be applied in this case as in the case of a pensioner entitled to draw his pension at a privileged rate in a gold standard country, namely, that when he is domiciled in a silver standard country he is only entitled to draw his pension at
the current rate of exchange.
4.
The alternative view is that Mrs. Keupthorne's salary was $1,080 at 3 shillings to the dollar, that is £162 a year, and that under the Pension Minute No. 1, clause 9, she is entitled
to that sun.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient, humble servant,
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
LEVIS HARCOURT. M.P.,
&c...
&LC..
&C..
.
Governor,&c..