Enclosure
Public Works Department,
Hongkong, 20th January, 1919.
My Lord,
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RE HONGKONG DESPATOH NO. 59 OF 21.2.1911.
COLONIAL OFFICE
19 91 17
6.4.1911.
156
:
Adverting to above, I have the honour to report that I Am still unpromoted, and would beg to apply for the second imoremont in my Pensionable Personal Allowance. As arranged in these despatches, I applied for the increment in 1914 through the Director of Public Works, who requested authority to make the necessary provision in the 1915 Estimates. Sir F. Lugard having left the Colony, the matter was considered by Sir H. May, who opposed the increase in the following minute which was officially sent to me to note:- "(a). The "maximum salary of an Executive Engineer of the 1st Grade is "£630 pensionable salary, and £60 non-pensionable duty pay. "Mr. Wood is therefore better off than the three first grade "engineers, and (b). Very much better off than any one else "in the Clerical Branch of the Service. (o). I regard Mr. "Wood's emoluments as more than sufficient for the duties of "the post he holds, and I regret that I cannot support his "application for a further increase of salary or allowance". Although the Director of Public Works replied pointing out that "the further increase in personal allowance was regarded "aspending solely upon whether any promotion had occurred "during the 3-years' period", I learnt on my subsequent arrival in England, that Sir H. May had not altered his decision, which in the meantime had received the acquiescence of the Secretary of State, to whom I appealed against the decision. In this appeal, I was very much handicapped on account of the absence in Hongkong of important official documentary references in support thereof, and I had in consequence to run the risk of presenting a very incomplete case.
2. Paragraph 20 of my original application considered by Sir F. Lugard in 1911 reads:- "I respectfully submit that the "time has now arrived when as a matter of equity my position "should be placed on a scale of remuneration at least equal "to that now given to the Senior Engineer (Ur. Tooker) which "in sterling is equal to £670 rising to £720 per annum". At the time of writing, Mr. Tooker occupied one of the three Executive Engineers posts which together with my om were bracketed by the Secretary of Statë at paragraph 10 of his despatch No. 171 of 13th June, 1902, at the same maximum salary of £600 per annum, but, presumably on account of long service, he was being paid the higher rate referred to.
I
3. In paragraph 21 of that application, I asked for the same consideration, viz. "£670 rising to £720 per annum". asked the inorease as an addition to the salary of the post, but it was decided not to increase the existing rate of pay for the post, but to grant instead a pensionable personal allowance, for which it was recognized a "strong oase, based on "special circumstances" individual to myself, had been made out.
RIGHT HONOURABLE VISCOUNT MILNER, P.C., G.0.B.,
HIS MAJESTY'S PRINCIPAL SECRETARY OF
STATE FOR THE COLONIES,
LONDON, S.W.
&0..
4.