243
2nd Class Stoker
Boatman
Boatswain
Engineer-in-Chief
28
1st Class Engineer
2nd Class Engineer
20. Fire Brigade.-The Commission has,
$192-$12-$216
$144
$300
$480---$600
$360-$12-$420
$276.-$12-$300
think, not realised that Chinese
stokers and firemen have been receiving allowances for theatre duty which may be taken as equivalent to about $2 a month. I these men should be $216-$12-$240. As to the other ranks, I agree with the propose, therefore, that the pay of Commission.
The European firemen are members of the Police Force, who draw an allowance of $180 a year for this duty. There is no necessity to alter this figure.
21. Prisons. I have given considerable thought to the question of the desira bility or otherwise of continuing the present system whereby the Captain Superin. tendent of Police is also Superintendent of the Gaol, and have come to the con- clusion that it will be better to constitute a separate department. In the circum- stances existing at the moment, the objections to the present system are only of a minor character, but the time has come when it is essential to make new arrange- ments with regard to the housing of prisoners, since Victoria Gaol is already over- crowded, and is in a position where expansion is impossible. I am not yet prepared to put forward definite proposals for reorganisation, but it is, I think, clear that we must arrange for a separate prison, preferably on the mainland, where long sentence convicts can be properly instructed in handicrafts, for which there is no space in Victoria Gaol. It will be necessary to retain Victoria Gaol as a prison for short sentence prisoners, and I hope to make arrangements for a separate institution, more on the Borstal lines, for juveniles. When these reforms have been effected-and they should be introduced as early as possible-the officer who now has only to look after Victoria Gaol will have to be responsible for two or perhaps three institutions, and he ought then to be the head of a separate estab- lishment. It would be possible to maintain the present arrangement until the new establishments are ready for use, but I think it would be more satisfactory to make the change now, and incidentally to relieve the Captain Superintendent of Police of a certain amount of work. The present Assistant Superintendent of Victoria Gaol, Mr. J. W, Franke, is a good officer, with 20 years' service under the Home Office and this Government, and I would propose to appoint him Superintendent of Prisons with a salary of $6,000, rising by $250 annually to $9,000. He should also, as at present, receive free quarters at the Victoria Gaol.
As regards the subordinate European posts, I think that some increase on the Commission's figures is necessary, as it is desirable to bring the salaries into line with those of the Police.
I suggest :-
Chief Warder
Principal Warder... Warder
$4,000-$250 annually $4,500
$3,200-$100 annually $8,600 $1,600-$100 annually $2,400
22. In the case of the Indian Gaol Staff I propose to make the same arrange ment in regard to free rations as is proposed for the Indian Police, and would fix the salaries as follows:-
23.
Senior Warders
Warders
Assistant Warders
Guarda
Matron
Wardresses
8540-812-$600
$420-812-8480
$300-$12-$960
$240-$12-$270
$900-860-$1,140 $360--$60-$480
Audit Department.---I see no reason for departing from the present system under which the accounts of this Government are audited by the Colonial Andit Department, and therefore I suggest that the views of the Director of Colonial Audit should be ascertained before the salaries are finally settled. I think that the Auditor's salary should be in the neighbourhood of $10.000, and those of the Assistants in proportion.
24. Crown Solicitor's Office.I agree with Mr. Severn's proposals.
25 Harbour Office.-I am inclined to think that the salaries suggested by Mr. Severn are somewhat high, and that $8,000-$500-$10,000 would be sufficient for the Harbour Master, and $5,500-$250-$7,500 for the Assistant, but the
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posts are important, and if your Lordship prefers the scale suggested by Mr. Severn I raise no objection. I concur in Mr. Severn's views with regard to the subordinate European staff, and the Marine Surveyors and also as to the Lighthouse Keepers.
26. Royal Observatory. I should be disposed to pay the Director $6,000— $200-$8,000, as I think the maximum suggested by Mr. Severn is somewhat low. In regard to the other appointments, I concur in his suggestions.
27. Botanical and Forestry Department.-I agree with Mr. Severn's proposals. 28. Colonial Secretary's Office. I agree also in Mr. Severn's proposals with regard to the Chief Clerk and the First Clerk. A considerable amount of responsi- bility falls on these officers, and it is desirable to pay salaries which will make it possible to retain experienced men continuously in these posts.
29. Post Office I should be inclined to accept the figures proposed by the Commission in all the cases to which Mr. Severn refers.
30. Imports and Exports Department.—I think the salaries proposed by the Commission are adequate.
31. I agree with Mr. Severn that the salaries proposed by the Commission for Public Works Department Overseers, Land Bailiffs, Sanitary Inspectors and the Inspector of Stores, Public Works Department, may be accepted.
32. The observations contained in the preceding paragraphs cover the Com- mission's report down to the end of page 10. The remaining pages of the report deal with a large number of minor posts-Clerical and General. It seems clear that the scales to be adopted for these posts should be regulated primarily, as the Commission suggests, by the rates paid to the Clerical Service. On beginning to investigate the position of this service I have been struck by the necessity of a reorganisation as regards methods of recruiting and classification and in other respects, in order to put matters on a sound basis. In order to do this satisfactorily a considerable amount of investigation would be needed, and if I were to hold back this despatch until I was able to advise on this matter the settlement of the salaries of the other grades of the service would be delayed for a considerable further period, a result which would be most undesirable. I propose therefore that for the present the officers referred to in page 11 et seqq of the Commission's report should cou- tinue to draw their existing salaries with the 20 per cent, allowance now paid.
33. I suggest that the revised scales of salaries which are finally approved should in all cases take effect from the 1st of January, 1920.
34. I regret that I cannot place before you exact figures as to the additional cost entailed by my proposals, since so many matters of principle are involved that any estimate must be the merest guesswork until your Lordship has decided e.g. on such questions as the grant of passages and the system of continuous increments in the Cadet Service. The estimated personal emoluments charges for 1920, exclusive of the special allowances of various kinds which have been temporarily granted during the War, amount to some three and a quarter million dollars. The special allowances increase this sum by some $875,000, and my proposals in their entirety, after making liberal allowance for the cost of additions to the emoluments of the Chinese clerical and general subordinate staff, may bring the total increase to the neighbourhood of $1,000,000: representing an advance of nearly 30 per cent. on pre-war figures, and an increase of some 10 per cent. on present rates.
35.
I have endeavoured in framing my proposals to pay due regard to the general financial situation, but for reasons which I have indicated in my despatch forwarding the Estimates for 1920 I do not think it possible to quote any definite figures.
I have expressed my general views in that despatch, and I can only say that I do not consider that there is any reason to suppose that there will be any appre- ciable difficulty in raising from this wealthy Colony whatever revenue may he necessary to pay its public servants adequately without curtailing works of development.
I have, &c..
*72798: not printed.
R. E. STUBBS.
Governor, &c.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :--
TILICO. 882/10
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE. LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
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