PUBLIC RECORD
OFFICE
Reference :-
PIC.O. 882
וייייייייי
9
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-| COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO ||
146
to his grade, on the rate of increments assigned to them in the scheme, and I shall be glad to be informed why these appointments have not been included in Class VI. of The cadet service.
8. I agree to the salaries proposed for the Judicial Commissioner, and the Malay States Guides; but I do not understand why the Medical Officer of the Regiment is not given increments; and I would suggest that unless there is any special reason to the contrary, he should be given the same rate of pay as a District Surgeon.
9. The salary suggested for the Director of Public Works scems adequate. I am inclined to think that it would be simpler, and fairer, in view of the salaries given in other departments, to reduce the five grades of executive engineers which are contemplated by the scheme to two. It appears to me, too, that it is doubtful economy to try to obtain engineers from this country at so small a salary as £300 a year, as the class of man attracted by so low initial pay is not likely to be well qualified and fit for subsequent promotion.
I would therefore suggest that the department might be graded as follows:-
...
Minimum.
Maximum.
Triennial Increment.
*
£
£
Assistant Engineers
300
40
40
Second Grade Executive Engineers
***
540
G60
40
First Grade Executive Engineers and two
State Engineers,
660
780
GO
Two State Engineers
760
900
60
If you accept my view I shall be glad to receive a revised classification of the department on these lines.
I will ask you, in the light of the above, to consider the case of Mr. R. Anderson, which is referred to in your despatch of 15th February,* and that of Mr. E. H. Wallich, from whom I have received the memorial of which I enclose a copy."
I do not understand why you propose to pay the Architectural Assistant so much more than is given to the holder of the same post in the Colony. To the rates sug- gested for the remaining posts in the departments I see no objection.
10. In your despatch of 20th January,† paragraph 18, you suggest that as most of the Surgeons in the Colony and the Veterinary Surgeons are to be paid £360 to £480 per annum, it may be desirable to pay the same amount to District Surgeons in the Federated Malay States. I think that the salaries of the medical department in the Federated Malay States should be assimilated as far as possible to those in the Colony; and I agree to your informing the District Surgeons that, subject to the understanding embodied in the same paragraph in regard to the right of private practice, a scale of salary at the rate of £360 to £480 per annum will be adopted instead of £360 to £420 per annum, on which latter scale you will have observed that the District Surgeons lately sent out have been appointed.
11. I am arranging, on the lines suggested by you in another despatch, in regard to the post of Director of the Institute of Medical Research; and as you will learn from the reply to that despatch, the authorities of the London School of Tropical Medicine have agreed to the appointment of Dr. Daniels, the Superintendent of the School, for a term of rather under three years.
You have already been informed of my decision that the Assistants at the Insti- tute shall be appointed on the same salary as District Surgeons.
12.
As regards the Mining appointments, I have decided, with a view to obtain- ing suitable candidates for the Inspectorships, to adopt the higher rate (£300 per annum) suggested in your despatch, No. 316, of the 17th September last,* with a sub- sequent increase to £330 if and when the officers are placed on the permanent estab lishment at the end of three years, and a further increment of £30 after another three
years.
13. Pending the final decision as to placing the Revenue Survey under the Chief Surveyor, Federated Malay States, I agree provisionally to your proposals as regards the two Survey Departments.
• Not printed.
† No. 49.
147
14. I accept the salary proposed for the General Manager of the Railways, and the rates proposed for the other high posts in that department, but I have grave doubts as to whether an annual salary of £300 is enough for Assistant Engineers sent out from this country; and perhaps it would be well to place these officers on the scale which I have suggested above for Assistant Engineers in the Public Works Depart-
ment.
15. It would, I fear, be difficult to obtain foremen platelayers on the terms which you propose, viz., £180, rising to £240 per annum by two triennial increments of £30. A foreman platelayer was recently sent out, as you are aware, on a salary of £200 per annum, with £30 good-conduct pay, to rise to £210, with the same good-conduct pay, after three years, and I think that these rates must certainly not be reduced.
16.
I have to refer you to my despatch, No. 71, of the 17th March last,* in regard to the engagement of European engine drivers. The decision embodied in para- graph 6 of that despatch, that engine drivers should be placed on the pensionable establishment at the end of three years, if it is desired to retain their services, should, in my opinion, be applied, generally speaking, to all other railway officers, such as foremen platelayers, who are engaged in England in preference to the present system of extending agreements from time to time. It is difficult to induce men to go out without some reasonable prospect of permanent employment.
17. As to the Inspectors of Telegraphs, I would refer you to my despatch, No. 85, of the 27th of March last, from which you will have learned that a candidate has been engaged at a salary of £225 a year, in accordance with your previous suggestion.
18. I have finally to suggest that if you accept the various alterations proposed in this despatch the same procedure should be followed in regard to the publication of the amended scheme as is proposed in the case of the Colony, in paragraph 21 of my despatch of even date.t
23137
SIR,
No. 69.
I have, &c..
J. CHAMBERLAIN.
STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.
MR. CHAMBERLAIN to GOVERNOR SIR F. A. SWETTENHAM. [Auswered by No. 81.]
(No. 183.)
Downing Street, June 13, 1902. WITH reference to my telegram of the 5th instant, and to your telegram of the 10th instant, § I have the honour to forward, for your information, copy of a letter § which I have caused to be addressed to Messrs. Coveney, Lesslar and Zehnder, three members of the Straits Settlements Volunteer Contingent, on the subject of their leave salary.
2. I desire to explain that the proposal contained in my telegram of the 5th instant was not intended chiefly to apply to these officers, but also to all other sub- ordinate officers who were in the Service at the date when the new rule was pro- mulgated as to subordinate officers drawing their leave pay and pension at the current rate of exchange,
3. Having regard to the scrupulous care that has been shown to respect the vested interests of the higher officers of the Service, in respect to their pay and other privileges, I am inclined to think that it would be hardly fair to apply the new rule to subordinate officers already in the Service, even though they receive increases of salary, such increases being, in most cases, of moderate amount.
4. As such officers rarely come to Europe on leave or on retirement, the expense involved would not be great, and it seems hardly worth while, for the sake of a small saving, to enforce a ruling which may cause a general feeling of discontent amongst the officers concerned.
5. For the above reasons I am still disposed to think that it would be expedient to reconsider the decision contained in the 13th paragraph of my despatch, No. 243, of the 2nd August last, and to apply the current rate of exchange for leave and
23137 not printed. | No. 24.
• Not printed.
† No. 67.
12160
21688: not printed.
T2
Page 360Page 361
148
pension purposes only to newly appointed subordinate officers, and I shall be glad to hear whether, after reading this despatch, you concur in this view.
*
6. As regards the meaning of the phrase "the current rate," in this connection, you will observe from paragraph 19 of my despatch, No. 181, of the 13th instant that I had intended that the rate to be adopted should not be the current bank rate of the day for payment of leave salary, but should be the same rate as that adopted from time to time for the payment of sterling salaries in the Colony.
I have, &c.,
23166
No. 70.
FEDERATED MALAY STATES.
J. CHAMBERLAIN.
MR. CHAMBERLAIN to HIGH COMMISSIONER SIR F. A. SWETTENHAM.
[Answered by No. 80.]
(No. 182.) SIR,
Downing Street, June 20, 1902. I HAVE the honour to forward, for your consideration, a copy of a letter† which has been received from Mr. C. Wilson, Locomotive Foreman, Selangor, appeal- ing against the decision that he is not entitled to receive exchange compensation on the whole of his salary.
2. I am inclined to think that the wording of his agreement ("salary at the rate of $2,400 per annum with exchange compensation allowance thereon ") is distinctly in favour of Mr. Wilson's claim. I have, however, addressed you in my despatch, No. 175, of the 6th instant, on the subject of the grant of increased exchange compensation to officers serving on agreements; and Mr. Wilson has been informed that the question is under consideration, and that he will receive a further answer on the receipt of your reply to that despatch.
3. I gather from your despatch, No. 99, of the 21st March last,§ that Mr. Wilson, who appears to have served on agreement for eleven years, will now be placed on the pensionable establishment.
25409
SIR,
149
No. 72.
FEDERATED MALAY STATES.
HIGH COMMISSIONER SIR F. A. SWETTENHAM to MR. CHAMBERLAIN. (Received June 23, 1902.)
(No. 196.)
Government House, Singapore, May 24, 1902. WITH reference to paragraph 2 of your Straits Settlements despatch, No. 117, of the 11th April,* I have the honour to inform you that the sterling proposals for the Staff of the Forest Depart:nent had to await the arrival of Mr. A. M. Burn-Mur- doch, the newly appointed Chief Forest Officer. The proposals are still under consid- eration, as Mr. Burn-Murdoch recommends the payment of much higher salaries than I had thought necessary.
25150
SIR,
I have, &c.,
F. A. SWETTENHAM.
No. 72A.
HONG KONG.
MR. CHAMBERLAIN to ACTING GOVERNOR SIR W. J. GASCOIGNE. (No. 192.)
Downing Street, July 3, 1902.
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch, No. 214, of the 22nd May last,† on the subject of the calculation of the rate of exchange for the local payment of sterling salaries; and to refer you to paragraph 4 of my despatch, No. 171, of the 13th of June.t
I have, &c..
J. CHAMBERLAIN.
I have, &c.,
J. CHAMBERLAIN.
27470
No. 73.
25150
No. 71.
HONG-KONG.
ACTING GOVERNOR SIR W. J. GASCOIGNE to MR. CHAMBERLAIN. (Received June 23, 1902.) [Answered No. 72A.]
(No. 214.)
SIR,
Government House, Hong-Kong, May 22, 1902. WITH reference to the proposed scheme for sterling salaries, which was trans- mitted to you under cover of my despatch of the 11th December last || (which need no longer be treated as confidential), I have the honour to inform you that it is proposed, on the recommendation of the Colonial Treasurer, to calculate the rate of exchange for sterling salaries on the average ruling from 1st July to 30th June, and to adopt one-fourth of a penny as the minimum amount involved in the calculation of the dollar equivalent of sterling salaries, as it is in calculating exchange compensation.
2. I shall be glad to know in due course whether these proposals meet with your approval.
I have, &c.,
W. J. GASCOIGNE,
Major-General, Administering the Government.
SIR,
STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.
GOVERNOR SIR F. A. SWETTENHAM to MR. CHAMBERLAIN.
(No. 268.)
(Received July 7, 1902.) [Answered by No. 76.]
Government House, Singapore, June 12, 1902.
I BELIEVE that there is a despatch on its way giving your decision with reference
to my despatch on sterling salaries, and, under ordinary circumstances, I should not trouble you further in the matter until I had had the opportunity of reading it.
2. I have, however, received a petition from members of the European Police Contingent in Singapore (copy of which I enclose), making certain special representa- tions, and asking for relief in the shape of clerical assistance, larger allowances, and increased salary.
3. The petition is supported by the Acting Inspector-General of Police, who recommends that:-
Inspectors of the first class should receive
Inspectors of the second class should receive Inspectors of the third class should receive...
£252
£216
£180
4. I need not trouble you with any point except that of salary, and, as I had given special attention to the case of the European members of the Police Force, and. after consulting the unofficial Members of Council, had recommended to you a scale
• No. 67.
† No. 65.
‡ No. 64.
§ Not printed.
| No. 46.