(3)
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intention in view of the recent appointments to
this Department.
General Order No.12 of the Hong Kong
Government states that no officer over 35 years
of age may be engaged without special authority.
of the six officers, Keasrs. Church,
Garland, Jones, Hamilton, Hunter and Stiff who
were recruited at Home and have arrived in the
Colony within the last two years, four are over
the maximum permissible age given above, and five
of the six are married, three with fa ilies of one,
two and three children respectively. These officers
have come to the Colony on salaries, namely₤460 per annum, similar to those advertised in "The Eng- ineer" and "Engineering" for appointments in the
Public Works Department of this Colony, where it
was specifically stated that the positions were
for unmarried men only. The married officers of
this Department are thus attempting to live on
salaries which the Government apparently consider
sufficient for single men. Under the proposed
scale there is no improvement in the relative
position, and little in the actual dollar value,
and the assumption made by these officers on
appointment, that the salary then offered would
be commensurate with the standing which the
appointment called for, has not in actual experience
been realised.
An analysis of the Report of the
Salaries Commission relative to the salaries
regarded as suitable for a Senior Officer on
marriage/