20
37
and reiso families.
66.
One incidental difficulty ought to bo mentioned. In a Chinese family many who would be
otteluded by any British dofinition of the torm freely share the family resources. Honce cvon in a period of relatively high unemployment is is possible to maintain vngo ratus at what an observur would think to be a completely uneconomic level: the unemployed share fully in the columents of the employed moiberg of the family group. In Hong Kong, in a wage earning economy this characteristic of a rur:1 co-muunity though woakering is still dominant. Le or、 of the opinion that the Government amst in its servicos accept the pattern of a modern industrial economy. Our proposals, following the example set in recent income to legislation, aro adjusted to the narrower conception of the fenly.
of
67.
We proud the opinion that rssistance to Government servants with children che:ld be part of a general coc.al service seleno dosigod to benefit the community as a whole and not merely what small section of the community which is employed by Government itself. To wore impressed by representations from mombers of the Junior (levicol Service and others regarding the heavy cost of education. We cannot, course, recommend special privileges for the children of Goverment servants in this connexion, but, although such a recommenda „ion is not strictly within our terms of referonco, wo sugrost that Government should e hematşkan unda provision of froe primary education for the children of (11 porquent Hong Kong residents and of generous assistance towards the secondary education of such children.
66.
e
lea
While we pro unable to recommend say family or children's allowance as part of the permanent cmoluments of public officcre, wo have attempted to moot the immediato problems of officors with chiläron by suggesting a differentiation in the rates of temporary high cost of living allowance. Our proposals are set out in greater detail in Chapter X, but my be sunrised as proscribing 100, of the rates suggestca for married officors with children, 80, for marricù officers and 60,) for unmarried officers.
Specialist Allowances.
.69.
It is in tlu public interest that, with proper safeguardy, the specialist nowledge or cortai numbers of the Medical Department should be at the call of private practitioners: it sochs reasonable to us that Government has a claim to Toes carned for their work. The present arrangement by which tirano Nude m shared between the Government and the specialist seoms to us to be open to abuso by any man who wishes materially to supple lent his income. Nevertheless such consultative world appears to us to be outside the functions for which the specialist was appointed and that he reasonably might ask that he should receive some ronruncration for the exercise on his skill. To obviate the possibility of abuse, and to give a man some roward for extra-conte etual work. wo would propose that the Goverment should consider the alternative of