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grievances would be reviewed by a Salaries Commission.
Later he confirmed in
writing that "it is the intention of Government to arrange if possible for the
rates of pay recommended by the Salaries Commission to be introduced with
retrospective effect, so that the increases may be paid to all employees who have
been in service from October 1st, 1946, with effect from that dete". Again in
March, 1947, all members of the staff of the Mcdical Department Dispensaries tendered
their resignations, and were induced to withdraw them only by a promise in similar
tems made by the Director of Medical Services. I would also refer to Sir Mark
Young's confidential despatch of the 18th August, 1946, in which a strike of the
Fire Brigade staff was mentioned. It appo..rs that the then Commissioner of Police
on the 22nd July induced the floating stuff to return to duty by informing them
that although it would not be possible at once to revise their salarics, because
of possible repercussions on the floating staff of other departments, any subsequent
revision of salaries and allowances would be effective as from the following day,
July 23rd, provided they resumed duty on that day. In view of these undertakings, I
an bound to urge that the recommendations of the Commission should be made effective
as from the 1st October, 1946, rather than the 1st January, 1947, and I feel that
additional grounds for this more generous treatment are to be found in the fact that
the recommendations of the committee appointed to consider the grant of Temporary
Additional Allowances (your telegram No. 1279 of 20th November, 1946) were imple-
mented with effect from the 1st October, 1946,,and certain promotions from the renks
of the Chinese Nursing Staff and Chinese Health Inspectorate to vacancies, in the
so called European establishment of Nursing Sisters and Health Inspectors, were
mado with effect from the same date. I might add that it is possible that the slight
increase, in the immediate benefit which will accrue to those drawing a larger sum
in back pay by reason of this proposal, may to some extent allay the disappointment
which is sure to result when the modest proposals of the Commission are made known.
17.
The Commission's scheme for conversion from the old to the now rates
of pay seems reasonable on the whole, and any less favourable rules would hardly
produce sufficient immediate benefit to officers. I understand that, though the
suggested rules are stated in general terms, the Commission gave considerable study
to their practical application in specific grades, with a view to ascertaining
whether any marked anomalies would result and that it concluded that the rules
would be workable. It is here, of course, that the most difficult immediate task
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