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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
C.O.
Reference :—
882 /10
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE. LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC.-
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European officers I recommend that there should be two classes, and that promotion from one class to another should not be made merely by seniority, but strictly in accordance with personal merit and attainments. The standard required by the University is fairly high, and it is very desirable that for the posts in Class I. a really good type of master should be secured. I would propose to fill vacancies in Class I. by men recruited in England, if there were no suitable officers in Class II., and this fact would be clearly indicated in the rules regulating appointments in the Education Department. I do not know why the Headmaster of Ellis Kadoorie School has been given a special rate of salary by the Commissioners. It is an ordinary district school on the same footing as Salyingpun, Yaumati, and Wanchai schools, but the present Headmaster happens to be a senior officer who was specially appointed when the school was taken over by the Government. For Class I. I recommend a salary of £650, rising to £750 by triennial increments of £50, and for Class II. a salary of £400, rising by annual increments of £20 to £600. Most of the masters in Class II. would probably never obtain promotion to Class I., and I do not therefore consider £600 too high as a maximum.
I am unable to estimate what salaries would attract Mistresses of the standard required. The present rate of pay is obviously too low, and the salaries recom- mended by the Commissioners do not appear excessive. In addition, I would oon- tinue the allowance of $50 a month now paid to all unmarried mistresses unless it should become possible to provide them with quarters.
5. Public Works Department.
Despatches:
1917.*
To Secretary of State,"Confidential, 19th May,
From Secretary of State, Confidential, 11th
September, 1917.t
As regards the Director of Public Works, I would refer to the correspondence noted in the margin. The post is one of the first importance, and I would propose to defer consideration of the salary to be allotted to it until after the arrival of the Governor. I would retain the posts of First and Second Assistants and would propose a salary of £900, rising to £1,100, for the former, and of £800, rising to £1,000, for the latter, in both cases by increments of £25 annually.
To Secretary of State, Confidential, 27th
September, 1917.
As regards the other officers of the department, I think it is desirable to retain the present ranks of Executive Engineers, First and Second Grade, and Assistant Engineers, and I would make the salaries as follows :--
Executive Engineers, First Grade, £700 to £800 by annual increments of £20. Executive Engineers, Second Grade, £600 to £700 by annual increments of £20. Assistant Engineers, £400 to £600 by annual increments of £20. Electrician to be graded as Assistant Engineer.
Principal Land Surveyor, £600 to £800 by annual increments of £25. Land Surveyors, £400 to £600 by annual increments of £20.
6. In the three departments dealt with it should be possible to provide posts for graduates of the University in the three faculties of medicine, arts, and engineering, and in both the Education Department and the Public Works Depart- ment I am of opinion that it should be the policy of the Government to reduce the number of European officers. The salaries proposed by me are large enough to attract officers of a good stamp, and I feel sure that under their supervision selected Chinese graduates would be able to perform much of the work at present performed by the junior European schoolmasters and junior engineers and surveyors. Most of the ordinary surveying could undoubtedly be done by qualified Chinese, who show a peculiar aptitude for the work. I would like to go into the question with the Governor, and will, therefore, write no more on the subject at present.
7. Railway Department.-In my opinion this department is over-staffed. There is no need for a Manager and an Engineer. There should be an officer com. hining both these offices on a salary of £900, rising to £1,100 by annual increments of £25. I would, therefore, allow the present Manager, who will shortly reach his maximum, to continue to draw increments of £25 un to £1,100. I would place the Engineer on the salary proposed for a First Grade Executive Engineer, namely. £700, rising to £800 by annual increments of £20, and in consideration of his long and efficient service in the post I would allow him to draw £800 from the 1st January, 1920. The Manager will be fifty-two years of age on the 6th January 1920 His health is not very good, and I think it would be desirable and economical to allow him to retire at the end of the year 1920 on the maximum salary of the
+48561 not printed. 19016 not printed.
*84004 not printed.
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Fost, and to appoint the present Engineer to be Manager and Engineer from the 1st January, 1921, on the minimum salary I have proposed. An Assistant Engineer on a salary of £400 to £600 could then be appointed.
I would also abolish the post of Assistant Locomotive Superintendent and give the Locomotive Superintendent the salary proposed for a Second Grade Executive Engineer, namely, £600, rising to £700 by annual increments of £20, with free
quarters.
Some reduction in the other railway officers is, I think, also possible, but I would prefer that the Governor should consider the matter, and I will make no recom- mendations at present.
8 The Commissioners have placed a number of very different posts under the heading "Clerical Staff." Whatever meaning the word "clerical
in their
in mercantile offices, it is not used by the Government to describe most of the posts may have so designated by the Commissioners, and I think it preferable to deal with them
9. Police departments.
Department.--The Commissioners placed the posts of Deputy Superintendent of Police, Assistant Superintendent of Police, and Second Assistant Superintendent of Police in the second, third, and fourth classes of the senior service respectively. These appointments are practically confined to Police Probationers, and the salaries allotted to them will, no doubt, be settled in conjunc- tion with posts of a similar standing in the other Eastern Colonies and Depen- dencies. Having regard to their relative importance and responsibility, I would suggest the following rates of pay :-
Deputy Superintendent, £900 to £1,000 by £20 annually. Assistant Superintendent, £700 to £800 by £20 annually.
Second Assistant Superintendent, £500 to £600 by £20 annually.
In view of the abolition of certain allowances with which I am in favour, I
think the pay proposed for other ranks of the Police Force is fair.
The Station Engineer's duties will be increased in importance and responsi- bility by the building of the fire station in Kowloon, and I consider that his salary might be £350, rising to £450 by annual increments of £10.
Such an
10. I am opposed to the continuance of the present system whereby the Captain Superintendent of Police is also Superintendent of the Gaol. arrangement has manifest disadvantages and does not exist, so far as I am aware, in any Crown Colony of the first-class. I would, therefore, create a Prisons Depart- ment, and a new post with the title of Superintendent of Prisons (as a separate convict establishment will probably be required before long). The salary might be £600, rising by annual increments of £20 to £800, and the post of Assistant Super- intendent could be abolished.
For the subordinate posts I would propose small changes in the salaries recom- mended by the Commissioners, as follows:-
Chief Warder, £400 to £480 by £10 annually. Principal Warder, £250 to £350 by £10 annually. Warder, £140 to £220 by £10 annually.
11. Audit Department.—I am not clear as to why the arrangements for the audit of public accounts in this Colony have remained under the Colonial Audit Department, and I would submit for Your Lordship's consideration that the oppor- tunity might now be taken to establish a separate Audit Office as in the other Eastern Colonies. In the present circumstances I hesitate to suggest any revision of the salaries of the Auditor and his Assistants, as the matter would appear to be one for the consideration of the Director of Colonial Audit.
12. Crown Solicitor's Office.-I recommend that the salary of the Crown Solicitor should be £1,000 rising by annual increments of £25 to £1,200, and that of the Assistant Crown Solicitor £600, rising by annual increments of £25 to £800 13. Harbour Office.-The post of Harbour Master is one requiring great experience and tact. Besides the ordinary duties pertaining to such a post, it has been found convenient in this Colony to place under the Harbour Master certain duties connected with the Water Police, the Fire Floats, and the establishment on Signal Hill for the hoisting of the weather signals. I consider that the salary should be £900, rising by annual increments of £25 to £1,100. For the Assistant Harbour Master I recommend a salary of £600, rising by annual increments of £20 to £800. For the subordinate European staff I recommend the following rates of pay :---
Senior Boarding Officer, £400 to £500 by £20 annually. Second Boarding Officer, £320 to £380 by £10 annually. Inspector of Junks, £350 to £450 by £10 annually.