PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O. 882
9
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
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23. The salaries of the Sanitary Officers seem to me to be rather low, in view of the importance of obtaining and keeping the services of well-qualified and ex- perienced men for this work; and I would suggest that at any rate the sterling rates might be not less than the existing dollar salaries converted at 3s. the dollar.
24. I do not see any objection to the other salaries proposed by Sir Henry Blake, 25. It is of importance that the introduction of the sterling scheme should not be delayed; and I shall, therefore, be glad if any representations that you wish to make with a view to the reconsideration of any part of the proposals contained in this de- spatch can be made at the earliest possible date. If, however, you are of opinion that the scheme may be accepted, with the amendments which I have proposed, I would suggest that the scheme, as amended, should be published forthwith; and that officers who are now serving on dollar salaries should be given a period of six months, during which they may elect to ceme under its provisions. This period should be extended in the case of officers on leave by so much time as is necessary to permit of the scheme being communicated to them from the Colonial Secretary's Office. I have, &c.,
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No. 67.
STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.
J. CHAMBERLAIN.
MR. CHAMBERLAIN to GOVERNOR SIR F. A. SWETTENHAM.
(No. 181.) SIR,
[Answered by Nos. 74 and 84.]
Downing Street, June 13, 1902.
I HAVE the honour to inform you that I have given most careful consideration to your despatch, No. 27, of the 20th January last,* in which you submitted a scheme of sterling salaries for the Straits Settlements.
2. In my despatch, No. 73, of the 10th March,† and in previous despatches, I have explained my views regarding the manner in which officers who entered the service before last August will be affected by the introduction of the sterling scheme. The decision which I have laid down may be summed up by saying that within a fixed period after the publication of the sterling scheme othcers will be allowed a free and final choice between coming under the scheme and continuing to receive, during the rest of their service, salaries fixed in dollars, as at present, with the addition of double exchange compensation. I am inclined, however, to modify the finality or this choice in the case of officers who may be transferred from the Straits Settlements to the Federated Malay States or Hong Kong. In such cases I think an officer who has elected to remain on a dollar salary in the Straits Settlements might be allowed the option of coming under the sterling scheme on transfer.
3. I propose, before passing to consider the details of the scheme, to deal with certain general questions arising out of the earlier part of your despatch. I agree with your suggestion that an officer's promotion should depend upon the satisfactory nature of his service, and not be governed entirely by considerations of seniority. I am, indeed, inclined to go further, and to suggest the adoption of the rule which has been for some time in force in some Colonies and in the Home Civil Service, viz., that the payment of the increments attached to a post shall depend, not merely upon service for the requisite period, but also upon the production of a statement signed by the Head of the Department, certifying to the proper discharge of his duties by the officer concerned.
4. I note that you propose that continued service in one class shall not count towards the earning of an increment in the class above; but think that the opposite course is more satisfactory in cases where the maximum salary of one class is the same as the minimum salary of the class above it. It might perhaps be well to make a compromise in such cases, by which continued service on the maximum should be counted towards an officer's first increment on his promotion, but not counted in full.
• No. 48.
† No. 55.
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5. It will be more in accordance with the principle of absolute severance between the dollar and the sterling systems of salary if the rule as to acting salaries be as follows:-
When an officer who has chosen to remain on the dollar scale is acting for an officer who is on a sterling salary, he should receive half the (dollar) salary of his substantive appointment, and half the now existing dollar salary of the post in which he is acting. Similarly, when an officer on a sterling salary is acting for an officer on a dollar salary, he should draw half the sterling pay of his substantive post, and half the initial rate of salary attached, in the sterling scheme, to the post in which he is acting.
This arrangement may in some cases involve the Government in expenditure over and above the salary provided, for the post on the estimates; but this extra cost must be met out of the vote for exchange compensation.
6. Ia paragraph 11 of my despatch, No. 77, of the 1st March, 1901,* I laid down that an acting officer should draw half the initial pay of the post in which he is acting. This decision must be qualified so as to ensure that the acting officer shall suffer no loss by the arrangement, as would be the case, e.g., if the Superintendent of Police at Malacca, drawing the maximum sterling pay of his post, were to act for the Superintendent of Police at Penang.
7. Turning to the sterling scheme itself, I observe that the average rate of salary appears to be somewhat above the scale of existing dollar salaries, converted at 3s. the dollar. As existing officers are now drawing their salaries in the Colony at 3s., since the grant of double exchange compensation, it would, perhaps, have been difficult to adopt a scale, the average of which would be below the 3s. rate.
8. You calculate that the average increase on the present rates of salary including double exchange compensation will be about $62,500 a year. This is a substantial increase, although it is not quite one per cent. of the total revenue of the Colony; and I have felt some hesitation, in view of the increasing liabilities of the Colonial reve- nues, in making up my mind whether or not to suggest a general reduction in the salaries which you propose.
9.
I have, however, already fixed a scale of remuneration for unpassed and passed cadets, which, though liberal in comparison with their former salaries, even when converted at 3s. the dollar, does not seem to me, considering the class of man it is desired to attract, to be calculated at too high a rate.
It is, moreover, very desirable that young men, when weighing the prospects of the Straits Settlements service in comparison with those of other services and employ- ments, should have before them a carefully graded scheme, the salaries in which would bear a proper relation to the salaries offered to cadets; and which would be so framed as to modify, by a reasonable scale of increments, the unequal chances of promotion.
I may add that the difficulty which has been experienced of late in obtaining suitable candidates for professional and technical posts has impressed me with the necessity of increasing the salaries of some of these appointments.
10. I have, moreover, not failed to bear in mind that the cost of this scheme will be to some extent reduced by the gradual disappearance of the privilege of receiving leave pay and pension at artificially enhanced dollar rates.
11. I am, therefore, prepared to approve the scheme as a whole, subject to the detailed considerations which follow.
12. I agree to the salary of the Colonial Secretary being fixed at £1,600 per annum, but I consider that in accordance with the proposal made in paragraph 2 of my despatch, No. 382, of the 13th December last,t officers appointed in future to this post, and to that of Resident Councillor at Penang or Malacca, should be required to pay a moderate rent for the Government houses occupied by them.
13. I agree to the salaries proposed for the rest of the cadet service. I have to point out, however, that it was decided in August last that a passed cadet who remained three years without a substantive appointment should, at the end of that time, at once have his salary raised to £350 a year; not, as you suggest, by two triennial increments of £25.
This will go some way towards meeting the recommendations of the Unofficial Members of the Legislative Council that the minimum half salary of a passed cadet on leave after six years' service shall be £200.
• No, 12.
† Not printed.
DECOBA mezia T