149 370.
N°
(
HONGKONG.
IREC
52887
Pro 4 NO.6
GOVERNMENT HOUSE.
216
22nd September, 1916.
Sir,
33638
I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of
your Despatch No. 141 of the 6th June last transmitting corres-
-pondence with the General Post Office, London, on the subject
of the pensions of certain officers employed in the British
Postal Agencies in China, and after consulting the Postmaster General I submit the following proposals,
2.
The general principle that officers now employ-
-ed in the Agencies who were formerly in the service of this
Government should still be regarded as members of that service
is open to no objection; so also the proposal by the Secretary
General Post Office for the payment of pensions and gratuities as modified by the suggestions in Colonial Office letter No.
23538/16 of the 2nd June, 1916.
3.
The proposal, however, that such officers should
continue to be paid by this Goverment, subject to reimburse-
-ment by the Imperial Government appears to be cumbersome and
unnecessary. It would entail the keeping of separate pay-lists, and, what is more important, it would make reference to this
Government necessary whenever any question of discipline, pro-
-motion etc., arose in connection with these officers. Such
officers being seconded for service with the Imperial Govern- -ment, it seems only reasonable that they should draw their
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
ANDREW BONAR LAW, M.P.,
&c.,
&c.,
&c...
pay