COPY
24th December. 1930.
225
Dear Sir,
I am directed to invite your assistance in an examination
which the Chamber of Commerce is making of the recently issued Report
of the Salaries Commission, 1929.
The Government has requested the Chamber of Commerce to
furnish any observations or representations which it may be desired
to make thereon, and a Special Committee has therefore been appointed
to consider the report in detail: this Committee consists of the
Hon. Mr. W.E.L.Shenton (Chairman), Mr. M.T. Johnson, and Mr. A. Ritchie
of Messrs. Lowe, Bingham & Matthews.
Some months ago the Government appointed a Labour Advisory
Board under the chairmanship of the Secretary for Chinese Affairs and
comprising Naval and Military representatives, a representative of the Public Works Department and three members representative of large
employers of labour nominated by the Chamber of Commerce. This body
has been considering the labour aspects of the Salaries Commission
Report, but the Special Com ittee of the Chamber of Commerce, above
referred to, has had submitted to it the Report as a whole, including
the labour aspects. The Committee may possibly adopt the findings of
the Labour Advisory Board as regards artisan employment, but will
welcome any observations you may be disposed to make thereon. The
report of the Labur Advisory Board was to the followin, effect:-
"The Board does not concur in the recommendations made by the Salaries Commission as far as they affect labour; that the pre- sent rate of pay of Government employees in this category compare favourably with the present rates paid by commercial and industrial undertakings and that the proposed increase is not justified, and in the opinion of the Board if put into effect would lead to serious dislocation of wages throughout the
Colony. The rates of pay proposed for office coolies were considered reasonable".
The Special Committee will be interested to learn whether
or not you agree to this finding.