COPY.
No. 10.
Sir.
147
Audit Department,
Hongkong, 13th. June, 1917.
Honourable
I have the honour to inform you that I have been in recent communication with the Director of Colonial Audit with regard to the salaries paid to certain officiola of the Audit Department in this blony and he has directed me that, if I am still of opinion that the emoluments attached to the appointment of Assistant Auditor are inadequate, I should put forward representations locally with the view of obtaining an ndition to the present scale of lary.
2.
Under these circumstances, therefore, I beg to request that you will be good enough to bring the matter to the notice of His Excellency the Governor and would be grate- -ful for your favourable recommendation. This matter has been the subject of considerable correspondence during recent years, but perhaps it would be more convenient if I were now to recapitulate a few of the arguments in favour of on increase of the emolumenta.
3.
In 1909-10 an interdepartmental committee of the Colonial Office and the Exchequer and Audit Department was appointed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies for the consideration of the reorganisation of the system of colonial audit, then controlled by the Comptroller and Auditor General. This Committee which consisted of prominent offici-
-ale on the permanent establishment of the Home Civil Service
under the chairmanship of Mr. G. V. Fiddes, C.B., C.M.G.,
(now Sir G. V. Fides, K.C.M.G., C.B.) recommended in the
thirteenth paragraph of their report that:- "the Local Audit-
-ors and Assistant Auditors will be appointed by the
Secretary
The Colonial Secretary,
Hongkong.