Reference to
Saving Telegram
No. 10%
Fara 1.
jera. 2.
Para. 3.
Memorandum on Saving Telegram No. 1366
153 (14)
I entirely agree that it is necessary to revise the pay of the European Contingent of the Police and that the time has come to employ Chinese sub Inspectors of a good type, as well as Chinose rank and file of a much better type than has been recruited in the past.
2. The matter is urgent because a new police force must be built up now to deal with the existing situation. The recruit- ment of men of the old type would undoubtedly prejudice the future efficiency of the Force.
I agree with the Park Street salary scale. It may need some revision later but that can await the salaries Committee which will almost certainly be set up when the Civil Government
is reestablished.
2.
I agree that the rank of Suropean Sergeant should be abolished, and that the title of existing Sergeants should be ohanged to Sub-Inspector.
3. I do not agree that the establishment of the Inspectorate should be fixed immediately at 115 for the following reasons :
It is
(1) It appears to me to be harsh to abolish men of the former European Contingent who are worth retaining. obvious that men newly recruited by Col. Sansom on agreement cannot be immediately discharged except for mal- practice or inefficiency.
(11) I have not got Col. Sansom's distribution scheme but I am very doubtful whether 115 Europeans would be sufficient, in view of the difficult times ahead, and of the fact that the majority of the Chinese Sub-Inspectors will be untrained and inexperienced.
(iii) It may be possible in time to reduce the numbers of the European Inspectorate to 115. I certainly advocate sulotantial reduction within the next few years but would profer to make that reduction a gradual process by not replacing casualties.
The application of the new scale of salaries must be applied to serving officers and I agree that this should be announced in Hong Kong, and that it should be retrospective.
2. I recommend, in order to remove any grounds of complaint from the serving officers, that the new scale be retrospective the date that the first man of the new entry drew pay at
new rate.
3. If it is held by the Legal Advisers that agreements for service are (except in the case of first agreements) useless under the Police Force Ordinance, there will be no need for serving officers to enter into an Agreement otherwise, lien of the old European contingent who return to Hong Kong will need to sign a new Agreement for service which should, I think, be roughly similar to that signed by the New Entry.
It may have to differ a little from that signed by the Now Entry, na the latter is a first Agreement with provision for detemination of the engagement at three monthe notice (Clause 9 (1) ) and for non-renewal (Claume 13). If it is possible, such Agreement should be antedated to the date of drawing the new rate of salary.
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