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POLICE DEPARTMENT.
The labours of the Commissioners as regards the Police
Department were considerably lightened by the helpful attitude
of the Inspector General of Police, who came before them with
a comprehensive scheme of retrenchment which showed a saving of
about 2 lakhs. It is largely this scheme, with the important
addition dealt with in the next paragraph, which the
Commissioners recommend.
2. The approved establishment of posts in the executive
branch is ten posts. A reduction of two should be made. The
Hong Kong Police Force has proportionately to Asiatics a very
large number of Europeans. It does not therefore require the
same proportion of European commissioned officers as do other
Crown colonies, where the European contingent are comparatively
small.
3. The main feature of the Inspector General's retrenchment
scheme is the replacement of thirty British police by an
equal number of Russians This accounts for a saving of nearly
& lakh in personal emoluments, to which must be added a not
inconsiderable saving in passages, pensions, etc. The police
to be replaced are those performing the duties of section
V lease
sergeants; the lease responsible work of the European
ΤΟ
contingent, and performed by the most junior officers.
employ on it highly paid Europeans is extravagant, but neither
Indians nor Chinese would, according to the Inspector General
of Police, be satisfactory. On the other hand, Russians,
being domiciled in China, are cheap, and experience with them
as anti-piracy guards has shown that they would be eminently
Only men with a knowledge of English would be
suitable.
employed. The higher posts of inspector, sub inspector,
and Crown sergeant in the European contingent would be reserved
for British officers.
The Russian police would be recruited