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من ما
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20.4.
(Acko 2. Lubenito obcon
obcons)
At (1) the Governor submitted a proposal
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The
to the effect that members of the Hong Kong
Volunteer Defence Corps should be paid on
mobilization a uniform rate applicable to all
sections of volunteers irrespective of race.
known view of the War Office was already made to the
local authorities, viz. that there should be a
differentiation in the scales of pay accorded to
European and non-European volunteers on mobilization
in accordance with the rates of pay in force in the
regular army.
The War Office still maintain their view
that rates of pay for volunteer forces should
correspond as closely as possible to those of the
regular army, on the grounds that difficulties may
arise where individuals paid at different rates are
employed on similar duties.
I think the War Office rather tended to
underestimate the importance of the considerations
set out in paragraph 4 (ii) and (iii) of 1; and
differentiation in rates of pay on a racial basis
seems to me hardly justifiable when the Chinese and
Indian volunteers of the Hong Kong Defence Corps
belong to a much more educated class than Chinese
sappers and gunners of the regular army.
The War Office, however, are not pressing
their objection on the understanding that the matter
may be reconsidered if the repercussions they fear
do in fact materialise. In any case the matter is
one for the discretion of the Governor in Council
under