2-
27
4. We also consulted relevant papers on Files in the Colonial Sucretariat including the record of a meeting held in the Council Chamber on 2nd July, 1949, at which the subjects of Cost of Living Alloances and the method of their rovision were discussed by two non-official members of the Salaries Commission and certain officers with Professor F. Bonham, 0.B.L., Economic Adviser to H. M. Commissioner General, South-East sia, vhose advice on this subject had boon requested by Your Excellency; the Confidential Report of the Joint Committee on Cost of Living Allowances appointed by the Governors of the Federation or Malaya and the Colony of Singapore, dated 14th April, 1948, of which Professor Benham was the Chairman; and a letter on the subject of the Report of the Salaries Commission addressed to Your Excellency on the 18th February, 1948, by the Chairman of th. Council of the Associations of European Civil Servants.
5.
data:
6.
In addition to the above evidence wo studi od the following
(a) The Hong Kong Retail Price Index Figuros, for the
end of the second quarter of this year, calculated on the bases of January March 1939 and March 190.7.
(b) Data on future economic treada both in Hong Kong and
in the world gonorally.
(c) The Cost of I¿ving allowances paid by prominent
commercial Companies in Hong Kong to expatriate and to locally-recruited clerical staff.
(a) The comparative figures of revised basic rates of
pay in the Government Survicus of llong Kong and Singapore,
(e) The comparative figures relating to the porcentage
deductions from the basic rates of pay of members of the Goverment Services in Hong Kong and Singapore in respect of rent for quarters provided by the Goverments,
(f) Comparative costs of food stuffs in Hong Kong and
Singapore in the months of June and July, 1948.
We received verbal evidence from the Cound.esioner of Labour (the Honourable B. C. K. Hawkins, O.K.R.) at our second meeting on 25th August, 1948; from the Chairman of the Vages Sub-Committeo of the Hong Kong Guneral Chamber of Commerc. (Mr. G. Campbell and from the Secretary of the Chamber (Major J.B. Kite) at our fourth meeting, on 27th September, 1943; and from the Secretary of the Employers' Federation (Mr. 5. Persons) at our fifth meeting on 29th September, 1946.
7. We also took note of certain communications to the local press on the subject of Cost of Living Allowances, of relevant leading articles therein vnd of the results of a questionnaire published in the Hong kong Telugraph.
8.
We wish to record our dean gratitude to all those who assisted us in our tag! by affording v rbal and written evidence as described above.
Summary particulars of the vidence received are submitted in Appendix I of this Report.
C.
The advice of Trofessor F. Benham, C,B,E.
9.
Before proccoding to report our findings in the order of