2.
31
(9)
A) (4
contained in my telegram No.74 of the 25th April, 1933,
that the limit should be raised from £800 to £825. I would
also invite comparison of the facts regarding the family
assistance granted under the Hong Kong rules and that granted
by the other Colonies mentioned in the petition. Hong Kong
grants passages not only to wives but also to sons up to the
age of 16 and unmarried dependent daughters of any age.
This last is a valuable and costly concession which enables
parents to bring their daughters back to the Colony after
completing their education at home, the Colony footing the
bill. Malaya limits its grants for officers of the class
now in question to children under 10. In the African
Colonies assistance appears to be of the slenderest amount.
As regards Ceylon I have no up-to-date information except
that the legislature is pressing for curtailment of passage
privileges.
The cost to this Colony during the past three
years of passages provided for sterling paid officers and
their dependents has averaged approximately $575,000 a year.
This is a very high figure having regard to the revenue of
the Colony, and I am of opinion that if further privileges
were to be granted by way of 1st class passages in such a
case as that of the petitioners or that of the 3rd Assistant
Auditor, which is dealt with in my despatch No.392 of the
13th July, 1933, some compensating curtailment of existing
privileges in respect of the passages of dependents would
have to be made.
3.
It should be explained with reference to
paragraph 7 of the petition that choice between the old and
new rules was limited to officers already confirmed to the