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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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willing to give up the privilege of leave pay at 48. to the dollar (when the market rate is 19. 10d.) and pension at 3s. 8d.
11. You know that my view is that the system of payment in dollars with these indefensible (as it seems to me) privileges attached to it, should be got rid of as soon as possible. The difficulties in the way of doing this at once are insurmountable, but it remains to be decided whether the change is to be brought in rapidly or very slowly.
If you hold that of the alternatives suggested in paragraph 5 ante (1) is inadmis- sible and (2) is barred by the terms of your despatch, No. 243, of 2nd August last while (3) may be granted, the decision will benefit a number of Cadets (and perhaps some few others) already in the service of the Colony, but in this case I trust that very careful consideration may be given to the concluding sentence in paragraph 7 ante.
12. If this course should be adopted I may say that no hardship would, so far as I can see, be inflicted if the line were drawn at 1st July, 1897, when the special rate of exchange was fixed at 3s. for leave and pension purposes.
13. Further, I am strongly of opinion that every new appointment created since the grant of double compensation, say, since 1st August, 1901, should be in sterling only, whether held by an officer who was then in the Service or not. If put in dollars, with the knowledge that all the old exchange privileges would be attached to it, I should have recommended a dollar salary exactly equivalent to the sterling salary on the sterling scheme already submitted to you. This applies, for instance, to the posts of Commissioner, Court of Requests, and Deputy Public Prosecutor.
14. Finally, I recommend that where there can be no question of hardship, or of promises given or implied, sterling salaries only should be offered in cases of promo- tion or increase of salary made since 1st August, 1901, where the officers concerned have been warned that the question of salary was in abeyance pending your decision. For instance, I have already recommended that Mr. Wise, Secretary to the Resident- General, be given an increased sterling salary, and I recommend that Mr. Merewether, not previously in the Malay States, be granted the sterling salary allotted to the Resident of Selangor. If you approve the sterling salary I have suggested for the Resident-General, I recommend that Mr. Treacher be allowed to draw it. I have already recommended that Messrs. Caulfeild and Spooner draw sterling salaries in their new appointments.
I have, &c.,
7918
SIR,
No. 53.
STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.
F. A. SWETTENHAM.
GOVERNOR SIR F. A. SWETTENHAM to MR. CHAMBERLAIN.
(No. 49.)
(Received February 25, 1902.)
[Answered by Nos. 54 and 55.]
Government House, Singapore, January 31, 1902. SUBJECT to your decision upon the various points raised in my despatch, No. 47, of this date, † I have the honour to enclose a list of promotions which I recommend for your approval.
2. If it were possible to do so without great inconvenience or expense, I should be glad to hear, by telegram, what is your decision in reference to the question of promotion in the case of officers in the Service on the 1st August last. It is only necessary to say whether they are to have a claim to promotion on the existing rates of dollar salaries, with double compensation, a 4s. rate of leave pay, and pension at the exchange of 38. 8d., or whatever other special rate they are now entitled to claim.
I have, &c.,
F. A. SWETTENHAM.
7918
127
No. 54.
STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.
MR. CHAMBERLAIN to GOVERNOR SIR F. A. SWETTENHAM.
(Sent 12.20 p.m., March 8, 1902.)
TELEGRAM.
In reply to your despatch, No. 49, January 31,* paragraph 2, answer in the affirmative, but in reply to your despatch, No. 37, January 23,† paragraph 3, note fourth and seventh paragraphs of my despatch, No. 341, November 1.
Despatch follows by mail.
7918
No. 55.
STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.
MR. CHAMBERLAIN to GOVERNOR SIR F. A. SWETTENHAM. (No. 73.)
SIR,
Downing Street, March 10, 1902. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch, No. 49, of the 31st January last, in which you ask for a notification by telegraph of my decision on the question raised in your despatches, No. 37, of the 23rd ultimo, and No. 47, of the 31st ultimo,§ viz., whether officers appointed to the Government service before 2nd August last are to be regarded as having a claim to promotion on the existing rates of dollar salaries, and at the same time to retain the privileged rates of exchange which they now enjoy in regard to leave pay and pension.
2. While I fully agree with you as to the desirability of bringing the sterling salaries scheme into operation at the earliest possible moment, I am not, as I have already stated, disposed to put pressure upon officers who were in the service on the 1st August last, with a view to ensuring their acceptance of the scheme.
3. It appears to me that it will on the whole be both fairer and simpler to draw the line as sharply as possible between officers who were in the service on the 1st August last, and all appointed after that date. The former class will be allowed a fixed period after the publication of the scheme, when it has been approved by me, during which they may, if they choose, declare their intention of coming under the sterling scheme. They will in that event be on the same footing in every way as officers appointed after 1st August last.
4. Such of these officers as prefer to remain on dollar salaries will be treated exactly as if there were no sterling scheme in existence. So far as they are concerned, the salaries of all appointments to which they are promoted will continue to be fixed in dollars. While in the Colony, they will receive exchange compensation (if they are entitled to that allowance) on the whole of their salaries; when on leave or on pension they will continue to enjoy the privileged rates of exchange subject to the rules laid down in the Colonial Secretary's Departmental Circular No. 7 of the 11th June, 1897. 5. On the other hand, the rights of the Government will remain absolutely unaltered as regards these officers and their appointments. Government will be quite free, in future as in the past, to reduce the pay of an appointment or to abolish it, and to alter the duties attached to a post. This should be clearly understood by every member of the Government service before he makes his election between the dollar and the sterling rates of pay. No plea hereafter for compensation on the ground of reduction of prospective salaries or abolition of appointments will be entertained.
6. It goes without saying that Government will have the same rights in respect of posts included in the new sterling scheme, as in the case of existing appointments. Officers who elect to come under the scheme will have no more cause for complaint than at present if Government, in the exercise of its discretion, should see fit to reduce the salary of a post, or to abolish it altogether.
• No. 24.
↑ No. 52.
• No. 53.
† No. 51,
↑ No. 37.
Nos. 51 and 52,