30217
5
"The cost of hotel accommodation for a single
person varies from $140 to $250 a month, not inclusive
of drinko, electric fans, and fires.
Boarding House accommodation for a single person
may be put at $125 to $200 a month.
Wages of Native servants vary from $12 to $30 a
month".
Other expenses would include laundry (say $10 a month) transport (say $15 a month), and holidays spent
outside the Colony.
16
The entrance fees to the best social club in Hong
Kong, a good golf club and the best cricket club amount
in all to about $150, Club subscriptions to about $20 a
month. But it must be borne in mind that attendant
expenses, especially in the case of golf, are likely to
involve a considerable addition to this sum. Other
clubs such as the yacht club and the polo club, are cheap
of their kind, but must be regarded as expensive luxuries
There is at present no income Tax in the Colony and
there are no rates or taxes in the usual English sanse.
On the whole it may be said that an unmarried Sur-
veyor during his probationary term of 3 years can save money, if he wishes to do so, and still live on a scale
which would content him at home.
But it would be extremely difficult for a married
Surveyor to live on the salary offered during the first few years of service in Hong Kong, and it is for that
reason considered advisable that officers selected should
be unmarried and should remain so until they are placed
on the pensionable establishment.
Colonial Office.
December, 1927.