F 6.
or no incentive for all to/
101
give their best since a feeling of
uncertainty exists. To offset this a revision of salary, which will
restore or rather banish the unhappy feeling, is essential.
However, such a revision has to be one which can be fairly applied to
existing and prospective conditions.
We feel that notice should be taken of the public
expressions and we quote from the "public pulse", the Leader and
contributed articles in the local press.
Their first and foremost attribution is that the Police
Force, the guardians of the public, the corner stone of peace and
security, are underpaid, also that an inference is cast where the
underpaid, by corruption, make ends meet. This may not be
entirely the truth, for the Police Force as a body has not yet been
This is a reflection and a most damning.
convicted for corruption.
♦bstacle to honest economy.
Nevertheless, public opinion is
one to be carefully studied and it more or less demands that its
Police Force receive a remuneration which will lift its name, and the
name of the Colony, out of the rut in which it now reposes.
•
During internment, the public in general got a chance to
see its Police Force in another light, especially the non-gazetted
ranks who by their endeavours made life in the camp really bearable.
Tasks, no matter how hard, were overcome by their work, so much so,
when liberties of gatherings were permitted, we had many leading
members of the HONG KONG Business and Social communities in their
lectures, talks and addresses, praise the Police Force and made
promises that they would be failing in their duties if they did not
see to the welfare of the Police Officers when hostilities ceased.
Today, they repeat those sentiments and are aghast at the idea that
after 16 months of freedom the Pre-war officer is still on a Pre-War
pay as compared with newly recruited men drawing much larger salaries
and who have no local experience.
Those who have heard of the
proposed new scale of salaries and seniority roll, and how it affects
the Pre-War Officers are left with amazement.
Their murmurings are unprintable.
•