(35) / 63632 (2)
2. In my telegram No.418, I informed you that the immediate appointment of salaries Commission was the only alternative to îmmediate all round increases in cost of living allowances. I 205 most disappointing to have to report that the appointment of Salaries Commission and the knowledge that this Commission was already sitting and receiving representations has not ended the resignations of experienced local staff. This is attributed by my advisers and by the Commission to press of financial distress amongst the grades above described, whereby pensionable officers with long service are compelled to consider abandoning their permanent posts and pension prospects in favour of the greater immediate remuneration offered in comme rce.
30 After full and careful consideration of the Commission's views, I have come to the conclusion that additional relief of the kind suggested ia unavoidable if the financial difficulties of certain grades of officers are not to occasion further resignations and dislocation in many branches of the Government. The grades of officers concerned are unmarried officers earning up to $500 (sterling) or its dollar equivalent and married officers earning up to £1,200 or its dollar equivalent. I therefore recommend that relief should take the form of a 50% increase in cost of living allowances tapering above £500 (in the cases of officers with dependent wives or children above £1,200) to coincião wì th existing allowances at £640 (sterling) and £1,251 respectively; and extension of temporary additional allowances to include the following grades. Begins.
Chinese Dental Inspectore; Interpreters and Assistants (Medical); Health Inspectors; Probationary Health Inspectors; Dispensors and Probationery Dispensers; Malaria Inspectors Radiographer assistante; Schoolmasters (Prison); Probationary Officers (male and female); Probationer Dressers and Probationer Nurses. Ends,
Estimated monthly cost.
00012250
Increase of cost of living allowances: Hong Kong $300,000 = £225,000 Additional temporary allowances;
Hong Kong : 12.000. p.an.
-£9.000
Executive Council concurs in this recommendation.
5. should be most grateful if your decision on these proposals,
which would take offset from 1st April befor the end of this month.
could be conveyed to me
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