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3.
The separate voyage system presents for this Colony difficulties in other directions. For apart from the numerous routes by which the United Kingdom can be reached from Hong Kong and the very different periods required for the journeys, some Hong Kong officers are domiciled in Australia and others prefer to take their furlough in Canada. After careful consideration of all
! possible alternatives the conclusion has been reached that the only simple and satisfactory system will be to fix a standard period for the voyage to and from each country. In the case of the United Kingdom this period will be that of the scheduled time of the Peninsular and Oriental all-sea
Officers service to London, i.e. thirty-five days. travelling via Siberia, or by the fast Italian lines will be able to arrive in England in ten to fifteen days less
than the standard period and even passengers by the ordinary Marseilles overland route will obtain through their voyage allowances an appreciable addition to their time in England. But every other system was found to be fraught with so many difficulties of practical application as to outweigh these
drawbacks.
4. The rates of accumulation for leave for European
officers, 1/7th of resident service in the earlier years of
service and 2/11ths in the later are more favourable than
the minimum ratio of the Unification Scheme and are designed
to give the officer approximately seven months leave
(exclusive of voyages) after four-and three-year tours of
service respectively.
5.
Provision has been made for the grant of more than
the former five months maximum leave prior to retirement but
it has not been possible to authorize the grant of all leave
earned
E