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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :--

C.O. 882

6 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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

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of the 20th January last* and that is that the salaries of the Colonial Secretary and the Resident Councillor at Penang be fixed at £1,800 and £1,500 respectively. Hav- ing regard to the salary which you have now decided should be granted to the Chief Justice, and to the favourable terms on which the Judges serve for pension, I do not think it would be unreasonable to grant the salaries I have named to these two im- portant posts. The Colonial Secretary must often act for short periods as the Governor's Deputy, and while the Resident Councillor, Penang, holds an important and responsible post it has been suggested to me that if his Sterling Salary were raised to £1,500 a year it would induce any [? many] of the senior officers in the Service to join the Sterling Scheme. It has also been remarked to me that these two posts are almost the only ones where the Sterling Rate is less than the dollar rate converted at 3s. I would further urge that as the Colonial Secretary and the Resident Council- lors of Penang and Malacca have to use their houses for purposes of public entertain- ment, it will be sufficient if they pay the usual rent on their furniture without calling upon them to pay house rent.

8. I have made the necessary alterations as regards the salaries of Passed Cadets and also as regards the Judicial appointments. I agree that the salary of the At- torney-General should be fixed at £1,500 a year if the private practice is ever taken away, and I have entered the salary of the post of Solicitor-General at £900 a year as suggested. This last was accidentally omitted.

9. As regards the Director of Gardens I did not in my despatch enter into particulars as to the reduction of the salary of this post because I thought that the reasons would be understood from other recent correspondence. The Colony has, in conjunction with the Federated Malay States, just appointed a trained Forest Officer on £750 a year, and as this appointment must relieve the Director of the Gardens of all Forest work, it appeared to me only natural that the opportunity should be taken to reduce the salary on the occurrence of the next vacancy. I confess that this is still my opinion, and I hope that the salary of £480 rising to £600 will be sufficient to secure a Director of Gardens with scientific attainments.

10. I have noted the alterations suggested in paragraph 17 of your despatch,† and the scheme will be amended accordingly. I agree that the salaries of European School Masters may properly be raised if the present offer of £200 fails to attract suit- able men, but until this has been tried I consider there is no need to increase the initial salary of 3rd Grade Masters. The post of Sub-Inspector of Schools, Malacca, will be put on the same scale as 1st Grade Masters (£420-£480), and included in Class V. of the Cadet Service.

11. I have addressed you separately on the question of the rate at which Sterling Salaries should be converted into dollars, and the leave pay of subordinate officers while in non-Asiatic Countries.

12. I will now act on your authority, and publish the scheme as soon as possible. I have already taken the opportunity of my presence in Penang to explain the pro- posals to the members of the Government Service in this Settlement,

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I have, &c.,

F. A. SWETTENHAM.

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Enclosure in No. 85.

The Right Honourable JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN, M.P., His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies, Downing Street, London.

The humble Memorial of the undersigned Members of the Subordinate Branch of the Civil Service of the Straits Settlements Most respectfully sheweth,

1.

That your Memorialists having read the last part of paragraph 13 of your despatch, No. 243, dated 2nd August, 1901, relating to leave-salary being paid at the current rate of exchange to nou-European Members whose pensionable dollar salaries have been increased, desire respectfully to solicit from you, Sir, a recon- sideration of the proviso therein contained. -

2. Your Memorialists have, for some time now, been in consultation with their brother officers in the other Settlements on this subject, and viewing the matter in all its bearings, they have come to the conclusion that the treatment proposed to be accorded them affects seriously and materially any prospect of their visiting Europe. Therefore a representation setting forth their case, your Memorialists firmly believe, will meet with your favourable consideration.

3. Your Memorialists fully recognise the principle underlying the decision in the despatch referred to above. adds to charges for leave pay and pension in Europe, and therefore the latter might An increase to pensionable salaries necessarily be regulated with due regard to the "financial prospects of the future," and with- out adding to the already "abnormal charges" in that direction.

4. The increase, however, to the salaries of your Memorialists, as sanctioned, amounted on an average to only about 15 per cent. in the senior grades it was less. These increases have only enabled them to meet the increased cost of living to a certain degree: they have in no other way benefitted your Memorialists.

5. The increase granted to your Memorialists is small compared with the pecuniary benefits they are to lose in case the privileged rate of exchange is taken away from them on their proceeding to Europe (nearly 50 per cent.).

6.

Your Memorialists would also submit that leave pay and pension based on the small increases lately given cannot reasonably be considered as falling unduly heavily on the finances of the Colony, even if given at the privileged rate of exchange. 7. Your Memorialists would point out that they have enjoyed the privileged rate of exchange since 1867.

8. Very few in the position of your Memorialists are able to visit Europe on leave or reside there on retirement. There have been only ten persons who have enjoyed the privilege since 1867, when existing conditions were more propitious, and of these only one has been residing in England after retirement.

9. Your Memorialists respectfully submit that a visit to Europe would be a means of enlarging their ideas, and offer them a wider scope for gaining such know- ledge and information as they would not have the opportunity of obtaining here. As Government servants these acquirements would in a great measure be conducive to the interests of the Service.

10. In conclusion your Memorialists beg that you, Sir, will be pleased to re- consider the matter, and allow them the continuance of the privilege hitherto enjoyed in regard to their leave pay and pension.

Singapore, July 31, 1902.

C. VINCENT INNIS (and 72 others).

No. 85.

STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.

GOVERNOR SIR F. A. SWETTENHAM to MR. CHAMBERLAIN.

(No. 332.) SIR,

(Received September 1, 1902.) [Answered by No. 87.]

Government House, Singapore, August 7, 1902.

I HAVE the honour to forward the enclosed memorial addressed to you by certain members of the subordinate branch of the Civil Service of this Colony, asking for the continuance of the privileged rates of exchange hitherto allowed to them when resident in a gold-standard country on leave or pension.

2. In view of the correspondence§ noted in the margin, the memorial appears Secretary of State, No. 183. June 13, 1902. to require no comment. Governor, No. 317, July 23, 1902.

I have, &c.,

F. A. SWETTENHAM.

• No. 48.

↑ No. 67.

Nos. 83 and 85.

Nos. 69 and 81.

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SIR.

No. 86.

FEDERATED MALAY STATES.

HIGH COMMISSIONER SIR F. A. SWETTENHAM to MR. CHAMBERLAIN. (Received September 8, 1902.) [Answered by No. 89.]

(Federated Malay States. No. 295.)

Government House, Singapore, August 12, 1902. despatch, No. 196, of the 24th May last,* I have now approval, the enclosed copies of a scheme of salaries

IN continuation of my the honour to forward, for your

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• No. 72.

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