79
HONG KONG DAILY PRESS. SATURDAY, JUNE 21, 1930.
WEATHER REPORT.
Yesterday's weather report, fore- cast and remarks, issued by the Royal Observatory at 5.10 p.m., stated:-
Pressure remains highest in the neighbourhood of the Bonins. The depression over China has deepen- ed slightly.
Loval Forecast:-S.W. winds moderate; cloudy; showery.
BIRTH. PEREIRA.-On June 13, at Shang- hai, to Mr. and Mrs. J. M. ROZA PEREIRA, a son.
DEATHS.
GUNN-On June 15, at Shanghai, as the result of an accident, DAVID GUNN, aged 28.
POLTAVSKY. On June 15, at Shang- hai, FFODOR NEMIOVICH POLIAV
SKY, aged 32,
Editorial and Business Offices: 11,
Ice House Street. Tel. 30851. Night Editor (Wanchai Office):
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E.C. 4.
The Daily Press.
HONG KONE, JUNE 21, 1930.
ADEQUATE SALARIES.
No Concern With Economics,
out-
on a
until Hong Kong becomes recog-
The constitution of the Legis-nised quite definitely as "the" lative Council, with its permanent most lightly taxed place in the unoficial minority, makes it inevit-world, this should be done. The able that, ahru the Government
fact that direct taxation works out. really desires measure to beat only $7 per head-as compared passed, approved it certainly will with £15 in Great Britain-is no be. The "Opposition" is by force of circumstances definitely numbered, and cannot force an issue with any hope of success division, but it can give public ex- pression to opinions which to some extent reflect the ideas formed on current affairs by those members of the community who are in no way associated with the Administration. That such spreches can influence the Government to any great extent, once its mind is made up, is not to be expected, but.opportunity is
was
given for non-official opinion to be Voiced, and possibly enlighten the official mind as to the viewpoint taken by the ordinary citizen. In the course of a most interesting address on Thursday Mr. OWEN HUGHES quoted a statement attri- buted to the late Chief Justice which appears to give the key to the official outlook on the position. As Chairman of the Salaries Com- mission, Sir HENRY GOLLAN said it not a question of economics which they had to consider, but the adequacy of salaries. In other words, the remuneration to be paid to Civil Servants was regarded as a matter quite outside the scope and influence of economic ditions. Sir HENRY's view of the situation apparently was that he and his colleagues were to decide Civil Servants, disregarding such fair living wage for
relatively unimportant details as to how and where the money was to be obtained to pay the salaries re-
what is ¿
commended.
Cutting Coats to the Cloth.
con
Since when has it been possible to consider questions of wage pay- ments without considering the sur- rounding economic factors? From what source comes the money for these salaries-dors it fall upon the ground as the gentle dew from heaven, or is it drawn from some reservoir the rise and fall of whose
answer to suspicions and even allegations that the public service. is over-staffed and, in certain in- stances, over-paid. If it is possible to reduce that trifling "burden of $7 by a dollar without affecting the efficiency of the public service, why not do it? Whether such a reduction is possible is another matter. The belief in some quar- ters that the Civil Service is over- staffed and, in cases, over-paid has to be investigated; such assertions cannot be accepted without evidence, in support, and that evidence must be carefully examined before being accepted. Some of the figures sub- mitted by Mr. OWEN HUGHES to the Legislative Council are amazing, and certainly call for close inves- tigation. According to these statis- tics, many persons in Government service will be receiving salaries almost, if not actually, double those paid by private employers for similar services. Can such a dis- crepancy be justified? The Coming Reaction.
The problem with which the Colony is now faced is not solved by the simple process of raising an additional 16 lakhs of revenue. There is no doubt that in Hong Kong taxation is too light to be called a burden, and there are many untapped sources of revenue which
seriously reacting upon the general could be drawn upon without very
cost of living. But if a steno- grapher in a Government Depart- ment is to receive $447 a month for work which a woman in a business- office does for $150, if a Chinese draughtsman in the public service is to get $233 for work similar to
that done elsewhere for $100; if Government clerks are to receive $767 for work which is paid for elsewhere at $405, and men in the
paid 8703 for services which can Public Works Department are to be
389-if all these larger salaries are be engaged by private employers at
Ar a moment when the one topic of local interest is the cost of public services, it is very interesting to recall that exactly eighty-eight years ago to-day England was ablaze with indignation at the im-
position by Sir ROBERT PEEL of a tax on incomes. Says a well-known historian: It is hardly possible for us to realise the general horror in which this hated impost was then enveloped. The fact of BROUGHAM procuring the destruction of all the public books and papers in which its odious accounts were recorded level depends upon the economic merely "adequate," as Sir HENRY | prosperity of the Colony? It is as illustrates the intensity of the com-
absurd to pretend that the mon sentiment.
From 1842 to muneration of Civil Servants has 1874 the question of the income-tax nothing to do with economics as it was the vexing enigma of public is to pretend that the dollar can be finance." We take leave of this stabilised at any figure we like to interesting aspect of English history name, regardless of economic con- by recalling that in 1860 Mr. GLAD-ditions. Economics may be briefly STONE expressed the hope that the but accurately defined as the prac- state of the nation's finances would soon make it possible to abolish the income-tax. That day has not yet arrived, nor is it likely to come. Rocm For Retrenchment.
or
re-
later
revenue,
GOLLAN calls them, how are
the
Now that it has been recognised by smaller figures to be described?
the Government that the recommen- dations of the Salaries Commission are justified, and that a general
is warranted in order that they may rise in the salaries of Civil Servants
tical science of the production and for their services, we may expect receive an equitable remuneration distribution of wealth, and while to see a general demand for in- all branches of the Civil Service creased salaries among persons em- may not be directly concerned with ployed by private firms. the production of wealth, they are ernment is able to meet the extra The Gov- The Hong Kong community, how- all very vitally interested in the expense by raising new ever, is naturally much more con-
distribution of it. And since that The private employer-to quote Mr. cerned about what Sir WILLIAM wealth has to be produced before it OWEN HUGHES-must cut his coati PEEL said to the Legislative Council can be distributed, it is surely according to his cloth; he cannot on June 19, 1930, than in Sir ROBERT obvious that the question of Civil follow Sir HENRY GOLLAN'S line of PEEL's apologetics on June 21, 1842. Service salaries sooner The Governor of Hong Kong has must be regarded from the stand-economics. Hence the fears express- action and ignore the question of said-and none will disagree with point of economics. Sir HENRY him that the payment of fair and GOLLAN's view of the matter seems the reaction upon private business ed by the Unofficial Members as to adequate salaries is one of the first quite different. He is not concern-enterprises of the increased salaries commitments of an employer, for ed with the quantity of cloth paid to Government servants. a contented and adequate staff is available for the making of a looks as though we are on the eve an essential part of any under- proposed coat-that is a question of of very considerable changes in taking. Sir WILLIAM proceeded to economics, He confines himself to conditions. make another statement on which estimating what in his opinion is a will be, and how and when they What those changes there will not be such unanimity of fair amount of material from which will come about, none can say, but opinion. His Excellency, speaking an adequak garment can be made.
it is obvious that men and women with the proper reserve of one who That his fancy paints a picture of two-thirds or even one-half of those in receipt of salaries which are only realises he is not yet fully familiar a coat which requires four yards recognised by the Government as with the facts, said he could not of material, when only three yarde adequate, equitable, and just, will help feeling" that we are somewhat are available, is a question of of affairs as the proper and natura! not be content to accept this state overloaded in the matter of per economics with which he says he has order of things. sonnel, and that, further, there is no concern. It is for others to room for retrenchment in other arrange the economic details of how directions." For this reason Sir the necessary amount of cloth is to WILLIAM PEEL adopted the sugges- be procured.
tion made by Mr. OWEN HUGHES Efficiency and Economy.
It
Local
Before Mr. R. E. Lindsell yester-
that a Retrenchment Committee be The point as to whether or not appointed to ascertain whether, this Colony is in fact very lightly where, and how money can be saved taxed compared with the burden day, a Chinese messenger, employ- in administering the affairs of the imposed upon other communities ed at the Colonial Secretary's Colony. We await with interest has no bearing whatever upon the Office, was charged with the theft. details of the names of those ap-question whether our public services of a pair of trousers. He told the pointed on this Committee, and its combine economy with efficiency of Court that he took the trousers terms of reference, for on the working. It may be probably is- away from the complainant's pro- personnel and on the actual scope perfectly true that Hong Kong is perty because the latter owed him of their inquiry very much depends. one of the most lightly taxed places $2. The police, however, stated One of the criticisms levelled in the world, but that is no reason that when he was questioned ear- against the recent Currency Com- why the money raised by taxation lier, the defendant had told a dif- mission was that it was not should not be expended with the ferent tale. His Worship remand- sufficiently comprehensive in its utmost regard for economy. If it ed the defendant until this morn- composition-and it may be remem- is possible, by skilful retrenchment ing and, in doing so, warned him bered that subsequently the fault which does not impair efficiency, to that if he still persisted in lying, was at least partially remedied. reduce that relatively light burden i he would be sent to goal.