333
334
38
(b) "salary" means the sterling salary of an officer's permanent appoint- ment together with any pensionable personal allowance which may be granted, converted into dollars at the rate of $10 to the pound. (c) "tenement" means a separate house or self-contained flat of two or
more rooms,
(2) Ordinarily only a married officer or an officer who has completed 20 years service will be allotted Government quarters for sole occupancy, or be allowed a rent allowance as the sole tenant of a rented tenement.
(3) (a) In officer occupying Government quarters shall, unless entitled to free quarters, pay rent at the rate of 6% of salary for unfurnished quar- ters and 7% for furnished quarters, provided that an officer not entitled to free quarters residing with an officer entitled to free quarters in such quarters shall pay rent at the rate of 3% of salary, whether such free quarters are furnished or unfurnished.
(b) When more than one officer occupies Government quarters the rental charged will be 6% for unfurnished quarters, or 7% for furnished quarters, of the salary of the highest paid officer only.
(e) Officers entitled to free quarters (unless furniture is specially included in the conditions of their service) will pay 1% of salary if occupy- ing furnished quarters. If the quarters are occupied conjointly by more than one officer entitled to free quarters, the charge will be made on the salary of the highest paid officer only.
(4) (a) Except with the permission of the Colonial Secretary, no person other than an officer and the members of the officer's household shall regularly occupy Government quarters.
(b) An officer who refuses to occupy Government quarters when allotted to him will forfeit his claim to Rent Allowance or Lodging Allow-
ance.
(5) An officer who with permission of the Colonial Secretary rents or owns a tenement either for sole occupancy or for occupancy jointly with one or more other officers shall receive a rent allowance as follows:-viz., an amount equal to the difference between 6% of the salary of the highest pail officer and the sum paid (when the tenement is rented) or assessed (when the tenement is not rented) in respect of rent unfurnished, to- gether with the taxes paid for such tenement provided that such sum. including taxes, shall not exceed the following maxima :---
(a) In the case of an officer whose salary exceeds £1,200 per annum
$250 per mensem.
(b) In the case of an officer whose salary exceeds £900 but does not exceed
£1,200 per annum, $200 per mensem.
(c) In the case of an officer whose salary exceeds £600 but does not exceed
£900 per annum, $175 per mensem.
(d) In the case of an officer chose salary does not exceed £600 per annum
$150 per mensem.
(6) Only one rent allowance shall be payable in respect of any tenement.
We consider that these regulations furnish a fair and adequate basis for the payment of rent for Government Quarters and for the grant of Rent Allowances in ordinary circumstances. We suggest, however, that with the addition of 15% to all sterling salaries, the salary limits in paragraph 5 of the General Order should be amended by substituting £1,400 for £1,200 in sub-paragraph (a), £1,100 for £900 in (b) and £700 for £600 in (c) and (d).
In the case of outlying districts, however, such as Taipo, the ordinary assessment rule is, in our opinion, inapplicable. The cost of building a house in a remote place is not lessened because the rateable value is likely to be low, nor is the benefit to Government
39
by the saving of a house diminished. On the other hand, the cost of building obviously cannot wholly be the basis of an allowance, because this might commit Government to too great an allowance. We consider that, where the market value of a house is not ascertainable by ordinary methods, it is fair to assess the rental at 6% of the gross cost of the land and building.
We think that in applying this rule it should be limited as usual by the condition as to allowances for rented tenements being based upon salaries set out in (a) (b) (c) and (d) of paragraph 5 of General Order No. 109.
175. General Order No. 109 (7) deals with Lodging Allowances and reads as follows:--
"An officer who with permission of the Colonial Secretary does not reside either in Government quarters or in a tenement in respect of which a rent allow- ance is payable under paragraph 5, shall receive a lodging allowance follows:-
as
(a) Married officers 15% of salary subject to maximum of $100 per
month.
(b) Other officers 74% of salary subject to maximum of $50 per month. We consider that this rule should be limited to officers having a salary not exceed- ing £1,200 per annum. We base this recommendation on the hypothesis that officers drawing a larger salary would probably obtain Government quarters, if they desired to do so, and, in any case, should have no difficulty in renting a tenement.
176. General Order No. 109 (8)—–—(12). reads as follows :---
(8) An unmarried mistress in the Education Department on sterling salary is granted, while in the Colony, free partially furnished quarters, if avail- able, or a rent allowance in lieu thereof of $50 a month.
(9) An Unpassed Cadet or Police Probationer is granted free partially-furnish- ed quarters or such rent allowance as the Government may in each case prescribe.
(10) Officers of the Police, Prison and Medical Departments, who are not entitled to free quarters under the terms of their engagement may never- theless be exempted from payment of quarters-rent when required to occupy quarters within or close to the institutions to which they are attached but if Government furniture is supplied in such quarters rent thereon at the rate of 1% of salary will be payable by the occupier in all
cases.
(11) The immediately preceding regulation will apply also to executive officers
of the Railway in respect of the Railway quarters at Hung Hom. (12) During temporary absences, when there is a reasonable necessity that the officer paying rent or drawing an allowance should retain his accommoda- tion, the rent payable in respect of Government Quarters may be remitted or reduced and rent and lodging allowances may be continued.
We agree with all these regulations with the inclusion of Confidential Assistants and Stenographers in paragraph (8)-
177. General Order No. 109 (A). reads as follows:-
"Officers of the Senior Clerical and Accounting Staff on sterling salaries are eligible for the privileges in respect of quarters described in General Order No. 109 subject to the proviso that no Officer below Class I may receive an allowance exceeding the amounts set out in General Order No. 110 ̊ (2).