1 Ethi
Mr Gent,
I sun the pp on to you
7
This evening
20/3
With reference to my minute on 72768/30 HKong
I would point out that the scale of £450-£50-£700
proposed by the Salaries Commission for the 3rd
Assistant Auditor means a worsening of the position
of this officer as compared with cadet officers.
The Unpassed Cadet used to get £350 and £375 and
the Class II Cadet officers £400-825-£450-£50-£200.
In 1929 the salary of the Unpassed Cadet became
£375 and £400 and the Class II officer £440-£40-
£800-£50-£1200. The 3rd Assistant Auditor got
£400-£25-£450-£50-£600.
The salaries Commission
now propose that the Unpassed Cadet should get
£450 and £475 and the Class II officer £525-£50-£675
£75-£750-£100-£850-£50-£1400 as compared with
£450-£50-£700 for the 3rd Assistant Auditor.
From this point of view I consider that the
latter's scale should be £500-£50-£700.
I do not consider, however, that Hong Kong
is a Colony to which it is normally advisable to
appoint an Assistant Auditor who has had no previous
experience in Audit work. The Supervising Staff
(4 in all) is small for so important a Colony;
and it would be a distinct handicap for the Hong
Kong Audit Office to have to carry for a time
and train a new Assistant Auditor. If an Assistant
Auditor were appointed on the proposed minimum
£450 or even on the £500 which I suggest as the
minimum of the scale, his financial position would
compare unfavourably with the Fiji Assistant
Auditor who starts on £450, or with the West African
Assistant Auditor who starts on £400 + free quarters
and leave passages, if regard is had to the high
cost