9.
426
They have not the guarantee which they
believed they possessed that their sterling
salaries would be inviolate, they have not the
guarantee that another and even more disadvantageous
rate of exchange may not be fixed, and they have not
even the guarantee that the dollar will not fall
to a lower rate of exchange than that at which it
now stands.
Every officer loses now more than sixpence
on every dollar which he receives for one half of
his salary the loss may be greater and the
-
officer's living expenses will most assuredly be
higher as the months pass.
Not having been given even that notice to
which the employee of a commercial concern would
be entitled before his contractual rights could
be altered, we have had no opportunity to lay
before your Lordship any statement of our case.
20. Your Petitioners have not been taken into
the confidence of the Government and therefore
can only surmise what reasons have been urged
up on Your Lordship for the purpose of influencing
your decision in this matter.
We would therefore crave leave to mention two
suggestions which have been urged in the Press of
the Colony as reasons for the reduction of our
salaries.
21. The first of such suggestions is that the Civil Servant should in times of commercial depression be prepared to accept an abatement of his salary.
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