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12.
tone and quality of a man's work. A respectable commencing
salary will enhance an employee's self-respect and impress
upon him the responsibility of his position. This will result
in more responsible work and a better civil servant.
دوی
(a) Further, the cost of living in Hong Kong has steadily
increased from year to year. The steady decline in the
exchange value of the local dollar has made imported
foreign goods gradually dearer, especially wearing apparel.
This decline in the value of the dollar is not likely to
be retarded in the near future owing to the continuance
of the Sino-Japanese hostilities. House rent has also
increased from 20% to 50% since the outbreak of these
(b)
hostilities.
Though it is often said that a Chinese can live on
very little, this remark is not very helpful in as much
as any class of persons, forced by necessity, can live on
the barest minimum.
Another equally important factor is that the standard of
living of your petitioners as a whole has gone up. This
is inevitable, since it is part of a process of improvement
in their outlook on life. A salary which only provides
for bare existence and leaves nothing for recreation and
self-culture is no longer tolerable and is likely to sow
the seeds of discontent.
Conscious as they are of "face-saving" and the fact
that their position of trust entitles them to a better
social position and better remuneration, your petitioners
earnestly pray that reasonable encouragement will be
extended to their efforts to enhance their self-respect
and improve the tone and quality of the Service.
In the end increased efficiency will result from the
reasonable increase of remuneration as recommended herein.
For purpose of comparison your petitioners beg to give