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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

זי

lintulutulu

། ཀ ། \CO. 882

Reference:

6 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC. COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO

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States Government clerks were, with few exceptions, overpaid, for the indifferent qualifications which they possess. I agree with this opinion, but we find it very difficult to induce capable men of this class to exchange the life of the Colony for the comparative loneliness and hardships of the Malay States.

14. Without pretending to effectively criticise all the details of scheme No. I. (a scheme for which I could not prepare a complete substitute unless I were in the East), I submit the following remarks:-

STAFF APPOINTMENTS.

I have always understood that the posts held by the four Residents are Staff Ap- pointments, and not to be regarded as in the ordinary line of promotion. I am strongly of the opinion that this is the correct view, and I have always believed that it is the one held by the Colonial Office. The importance of these posts varies greatly, and it has always been my object to allot to each a salary somewhat in proportion to the duties and responsibilities of the office. It is quite a mistake to put the Residents of Selangor, Negri Sembilan, and Pahang on the same footing as regards salary, though there should not be the difference which now exists between the two last named. Even if the Residents of Negri Sembilan and Pahang receive the same salaries, the expenses and disagreeables of living in Pahang are so great that the Resident of that State would still be in a worse position than his neighbour in Negri Sembilan.

I notice that free furnished quarters, the values of which are to count for pension, are recommended for each of the four Residents in scheme No. I., and I imagine that this is the reason why no recommendation is made to increase the salary of the Resi- dent of Perak, or to provide any substantial increase in that of the other Residents. Many years ago the Secretary of State directed that this privilege was not to be enjoyed by officers promoted to these posts after the date of the Order, and, I believe, that every Resident is in that category. The rule about counting the value of quarters for pension applies to the whole service, and I have endeavoured to enforce it without partiality, but, for some reason with which I am not acquainted, I believe it has recently been waived in the case of some or all of the Residents. It is, of course, difficult to make exceptions of this kind, and enforce the rule in the case of officers holding less valuable appointments. As I do not know what led to the change of policy I cannot very well make a recommendation beyond saying that in a scheme for improving the position of officers in the Malay States the Residents probably deserve the first consideration, and I should recommend an increase in their salaries, free quarters as hitherto, the payment of a small percentage on the value of their furniture, also as hitherto, but not that the value of quarters should in their case be counted for a pension.

Generally speaking, when the Government pays a salary barely sufficient to meet necessities of life, and very much smaller than that granted under similar circumstances in other places, it cannot object to a good pension which will probably be the retired officer's only means of support. But where the salaries are good, and sufficient to enable an officer to live within his income, and perhaps save something, the retiring allowance will not be a matter of such supreme importance to him. Hitherto the officers in the Malay States have been poorly paid (as compared with some other places very poorly), but they have enjoyed some privileges not usually granted, and, owing to the question of exchange and the calculation of the dollar at a fictitious rate, they have been earning pensions at a higher rate than would be expected having regard to the actual value of their salaries.

CLASS I.

I see no reason for attempting to put a large number of appointments into this class. It cannot be expected that the ten posts in Class II. will be raised to the level of the five left in Class I., nor would it be reasonable to reduce the five in Class I. simply to make fifteen appointments in what would then be the first class. I agree with the Acting High Commissioner that the Secretary for Chinese Affairs ought to be placed in Class I., and I am prepared to recommend that the District Magistrate of Kinta be also included. That makes seven posts in Class I., after excluding all the Residents, and I have no objection to the proposed rate of salary, but I think that if we are to adopt the principle of periodical increments they should not be granted at periods of less than three years; otherwise we shall have again to deal with probably number of cases of officers who have reached the maximum of their grade, for whom

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there is no suitable promotion available, and who will complain of the number of years that have passed without any increase to their salaries.

I notice that in all cases the proposal speaks of an annual increment of so much after so many years in the class, but I do not know whether it is intended that the service in the class shall date from the Secretary of State's approval of the scheme, or from the date when each officer obtained the appointment which is now to be classified in the manner proposed. It is a difficult question. If the period for count ing the increase only begins with the sanction of the scheme, a good many officers would derive no immediate benefit therefrom, whereas, if calculated in the other way, an officer like Mr. Brewster, District Magistrate, Lower Perak, would at once draw two increments, and be well on the way to earn a third, besides which, the minimum salary allotted to Class II. being $5,400 would give him an immediate increase. That is to say, that in this case (which is no doubt a special one) Mr. Brewster would at once go from his present salary, $4,800, to the maximum salary of his class, which is $6,000.

It might, of course, be provided that where, by this scheme, an officer entered a class the minimum salary which gave him an increase, he should begin to count time for earning the first periodical increment from the date when the scheme came into force.

CLASS II.

In this class are included several appointments which do not appear to me to have very strong claims to the increase proposed, but, as it is not necessary to be strictly economical, I think they may remain.

I have no other remark to make if what I have already said above is borne in mind with reference to this and all other classes, and it is never forgotten that para- graphs 1-3 and 5-7 apply to the whole scheme.

CLASS III.

Here again there are several appointments such for instance as Secretary to the High Commissioner, Protector of Chinese, Perak, District Magistrate, Ulu Perak, the District Officers at Kuala Selangor, Ulu Langat and Pekan, with the Chief Assistant Magistrate, Kinta-which, I think, would at present be certainly overpaid with a salary of $4,800 and compensation, but I imagine they have been put in this class in order to try and divide the offices, and move them up from the lowest class to give a fairly constant stream of promotion. It is possible, but, I think, unlikely, that at the end of the next six years some of these appointments might be worth the salaries set down for them, but this appears to me to be a class where it would be comparatively easy to apply the sterling system which I advocate.

CLASS IV.

It is difficult to criticise these proposals when so many important points are in doubt. The questions I have asked with reference to the earning of the periodical increments would apply with much force in this class, and I should have no great objection to the proposal (except perhaps as regards the Magistrate of Larut and Kuala Lumpor) if I knew that it would take the present holders of these posts some time to earn the maximum salary of the class. The Magistrate, Seremban, should be in the same class with the Magistrates of Larut and Kuala Lumpor.

CLARS V.

Except as finding a post which would be promotion to a passed cadet, I doubt whether the Protector of Chinese, Selangor, should be in this class. The present holder of the post could not fairly expect a salary of $3,000 and the other advantages of the post. The same remarks, except as to present holder, apply to the post of Second Magistrate, Kuala Lumpor.

CLASS VI.

I am certainly in favour of having six classes, and there is no particular objection to the proposals for this class contained in the scheme.

F. A. S. December 26, 1900.

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