15
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O. 882
6 ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
SIR,
Enclosure 5 in No. 3.
The ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY to the RESIDENT COUNCILLOR, Malacca.
(Malacca 4986/00.)
Colonial Secretary's Office, Singapore, June 23, 1900. REFERRING to your letter, No. 1747, of the 18th instant. forwarding a Memorial from subordinate officers of the Civil Service for an increase of pay, I am directed to state that the figures published in the daily newspapers do not justify the contention in the fourth paragraph of the Memorial that rice has increased in price since 1897.
[In similar terms to last paragraph of Enclosure 4.]
I have, &c..
W. EGERTON,
Acting Colonial Secretary,
Enclosure 6 in No. 3.
Straits Settlements.
EXTRACT from Minute of the Executive Council.
18th October, 1900.
The question of an increase of pay to the Subordinate Establishment of the Colony is also considered, and the Council advise that sums not exceeding 15 per cent. of present salaries be allocated to the three Settlements, and that a Committee in each Settlement report how this money should be apportioned among existing appoint-
ments.
Enclosure 7 in No. 3.
Memorandum by the ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY on improvement of position of Clerical Service.
1. General petitions have been received recently from the clerks in each of the three Settlements asking for increased pay. The first was from Penang, and asked for a further increase of ten per cent. to their salaries. (Penang 4441/00). The second from Malacca, asked for a similar increase (Malacca 4986/00), and the third from Singapore, asked for a further increment of 20 per cent. (Misc. 5109/1900).
2. The Penang and Malacca petitions were refused. No reply has as yet been sent to the Singapore petitioners.
3. The clerical services of Penang and Singapore have hitherto been worked almost as distinct services. It is only in the most senior appointments that it is usual to promote from one Settlement to the other, and, indeed, such promotion would generally be refused by juniors, owing to the extra expense of living in a strange Settle- ment, and the breakage of family ties a transfer would entail.Frequent transfers would also be very expensive to Government, besides the inconvenience caused by the time taken in travelling from one Settlement to the other. I am of opinion, therefore, that the separation of the Singapore and Penang branches of the Clerical Service should contínue, but that steps should be taken to ensure approximately equally rapid promotion in each Settlement.
4. In order to ensure this the proportion of the total number of appointments in each in each Settlement should be as far as possible equalised,
grade
5. The slowness of promotion in Penang is clearly shown in table "A" annexed.
6. The average service of clerks in the two Settlements in
The 420 dollars grale is ...
In Penang.
In Singapore.
4 years.
3 years.
The 540
11
is nearly
13
***
11
The 780
18...
11
The 840
is ...
+
131,
19
81
"
17
11
111
11
No less than 29.2 per cent. of the appointments in Penang are in the $420 grade. From table "B" the percentage in each Class in each Settlement can be seen.
7.
A good clerk in a mercantile office rapidly rises to the enjoyment of a high salary. In the Civil Service it is not possible to promote entirely by merit as is the practice in smail mercantile offices, where all the clerks are known personally to the heads of the firm. Promotion must be largely by seniority until the highest grades are reached. To make the Clerical Service sufficiently attractive the number of appoint- ments in the highest grades ($1,020 and upwards) should be increased." per cent. of the appointments in Singapore are in those grades and 18.3 per cent. in Penang. The percentage in the highest grades must be greater in Singapore than in Penang, as the most important positions are in the Southern Settlement.
29.4
8. I should, however, like to see the percentage in Penang increased to about
22.5 of the total.
་་
9. Table "C" shows a re-classification of the Clerical Service of Singapore and Penang designed to quicken promotion, especially in Penang where at present a clerk serves as much as 12 years before obtaining $540 per annum.
If table "C" is adopted the increased cost will be:-
in Singapore, $1,880.
in Penang, $5,700.
On approval of the table a schedule of the appointments to be raised can be prepared.
10. In 1898, when the 10 per cent. allowance was consolidated with clerical salaries, the number of the classes in the Clerical Service was decreased. This was done with a view to lessening the frequency with which clerks have to be changed from one department to another, but it has, of course, also made the intervals between promotions longer. am in favour of improving the position of clerks by granting annual increments after each year in a class. These increments might be of $60 per annum in class $840, and those below it, and of $120, in the other classes. The highest salary in one grade should not exceed the lowest in the next above it. The highest grade of $1,980 should receive no increment. If this proposal is approved, I recommend şervice in a grade prior to 1st January, 1900, should not count towards an increment.
11. The approximate increased expenditure involved in 1901 by adopting this proposal would be for-
Singapore, $7,500 Penang, $8,000
approximate.
12. For convenience in accounting I suggest that increments should commence from the first day of the quarter following that in which the year's service in a grade
is completed. Thus two clerks in the $420 grade promoted, say, on the 2nd January and 27th March, 1900, would each receive their first increment on the 1st April, 1901. 13. I do not recommend a general increase of 10 per cent. or any other percentage to the whole service.
14. The suggestions put forward above are made-
13t. To render the Government Service sufficiently attractive to induce enough candidates to come forward to fill vacancies. Not only has the class of clerks deterior- ated, but in Singapore it is increasingly difficult to fill vacancies. There is no compe- tition. As soon as a boy qualifies an appointment is found for him.
In Penang matters are worse, for there unqualified candidates have to be employed and kept in appointments until they can pass the entrance examination or until qualified boys present themselves.
2nd. To do away with the diacontent which now exists, and to prevent clerks leaving the Service, and seeking employment elsewhere.
No less than 25 clerks in Penang have resigned their appointments during the last five years.
Fourteen of these were Chinese. (See table in 5912/00 attached.) Chinese make excellent clerks, but very few now enter the Government Service.
15. If the scheme of incrementa put forward in paragraph 10 is approved, it would be well to abolish the $840 grade and the $540 grade. This would very con siderably lessen the frequency of transfers from one office to another. Clerks on entering either of these grades would then steadily rise to the salary of the grade above by annual increments of $60. No increment in any grade should be given without a written certificate from the Head of the Department in which the clerk is serving, that his conduct and work has been thoroughly satisfactory during the past year.
16. Clerks in the $540 grade should also receive no increment beyond $660 until they have qualified for senior grade appointments.
Paragraph 9 Paragraph 10
16
17. From table "D" attached it will be seen that the existing total of the Clerical Establishment in Singapore and Penang is $192,180.
18. My proposals involve additional expenditure in 1901 as follows:-
August 16, 1900.
Total
$7,500
13,500 (approximate)
$20,560
In 1902 and subsequent years there will be a further increase, but it is impossible to calculate accurately what it will amount to; I should say probably another $20,000 by the end of 1904.
B.
TABLE showing the percentage of the total number of appointments in each grade of the Clerical Service.
1
W. EGERTON.
Singapore.
Penang.
Grade,
Number of appoint-
mantar.
Percentage of total.
Number of appoint-
Percentage of
ments.
total.
300 dollars per annum
23
16.8
420
20
14-6
12
540
23
16.8
"
780
14
10.2
"
*
840
18
13.1
៦៥ ៦៩ ន
22
18:4
35
29-2
18
15.0
13
10.8
10
8.3
"
"
1,020
14
10.2
7
5.8
M
19
1,320
12
8.8
7.5
19
*
1,680
9
6.5
4
3.3
**
1,980
4
3.9
2
1.7
"
Total
137
120
C.
TABLE SHOWING THE AVERAGE SERVICE OF CLERKS IN EACH GRADE OF THE CLERICAL SERVICE.
IN SINGAPORE (Black) and PENANG (RED)
TABLE showing proposed percentage of the total number of appointments in each grade of the
Clerical Service.
Singapore.
Panang.
Grade.
Appoint- ments.
Per cent.
Appoint
Per cent.
menta.
300 dollars...
420
222323
16-791
20
16.67
20
14.60
20
16.67
"
540
20
14-60 69-35
11
780
17
12-41
"
840
15
10-95
**
25
20-82 81.66
18
15:00
15
12-50
13
1,020
15
10-95
7
5.83 1
"
1,320
14
10.22
7
5.83
11
30.66
18-33
1,680
9
6.57
6
5.00
M
1,980
4
2.92
2
1-67
11
Total
137
120
Increased annual cost
Involved :-
Singapore, Penang
Dollars. 1,860
5,700
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.