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more varied nature than in any other Colony where officials of the Colonial Audit Department are serving.
21.
We humbly submit that we have not attempted to
support our memorial with details of the high cost of
living as we assume that these must have already been
laid before you by His Excellency the Governor to justify
the large increases to other oflicers. But we take this
opportunity to most respectiully inioru you that the
cost of living instead of going down, during the past
two years since His Excellency the Governor's recom-
mendations, has on the contrary risen, probably on account of the dollar having depreciated from over 5/-
in the Spring of 1920 to 2/9 at the present time, as
almost all commodities are imported and therefore now
cost the importer more in dollars, naturally the prices
have risen on the local market.
22.
Further we humbly bring to your notice that since
His Excellency the Governor submitted the salary scheme
of 1920 for your sanction, he has made further recom-
mendations for increases to the salaries of the whole
Public Works Department engineering staff. These officers
maximum salary was recommended and sanctioned at £850 per
annum. It is now proposed to raise them, we understand,
to 2950 + 2100 duty pay. Since 1920 the salaries of the
Land Surveyors, Police, Schoolmasters and the Marine
Surveyor have been revised, and we further understand that
a committee is now sitting in connection with the Survey
Department which we assume may make further recommenda-
tions for the benefit of the officers of that department.