202
3. In my opinion the reply to Captain Adam is that the sterling salaries provided for officers of the Malay States Guides are considered ample for the duties and quali- fications required, and, if the present dollar salaries with double compensation and all the other privileges attached to them are better than the sterling salaries, those who now enjoy those privileges need not give them up, in which case they will be better off than their successors in office.
I have, &c.,
F. A. SWETTENHAM.
203
and that the omission was unfortunately overlooked when the fair copies of both Schemes were eventually forwarded to me for transmission to you.
3. It was intended that these appointments should all be included in Class VI., and I have now, on the discovery of the error, directed that they should be entered, subject to your sanction, among the Miscellaneous Appointments in Appendix B of the Sterling Scheme, on the salary of Class VI., £350-£400 by two triennial increments of £25, with a note to the effect that they are open to, but not confined to, Cadets.
4. If you approve this proposal I would ask you to be so good as to cause the necessary additions to be made to the copies of the Sterling Scheme already forwarded
to you.
472
No. 119.
I have, &c..
F. A. SWETTENHAM.
FEDERATED MALAY STATES.
HIGH COMMISSIONER SIR F. A. SWETTENHAM to MR. CHAMBERLAIN.
(No. 484.) SIR,
(Received January 3, 1903.)
[Answered by No. 124.]
1
Government House, Singapore, December 10, 1902.
In reply to paragraph 2 of your despatch, No. 340, of the 31st October last,* on the subject of the accidental omission from the original draft of the sterling salary scheme of the three undermentioned police appointments in the Federated Malay States, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Taiping, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Selangor, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Negri Sembilan, I have the honour to inform you that I
propose, with
your sanction, to append a note to the scheme, stating that these appointments are open to cadets but are not confined to officers of the cadet service.
476
SIR,
No. 120.
I have, &c.,
F. A. SWETTENHAM.
FEDERATED MALAY STATES.
HIGH COMMISSIONER SIR F. A. SWETTENHAM to MR. CHAMBERLAIN.
(No. 488.)
(Received January 3, 1903.)
[Answered by No. 124.]
Government House, Singapore, December 11, 1902.
I HAVE the honour to inform you that in the Scheme for Sterling Salaries in the Federated Malay States, submitted in my despatch, No. 329, of the 4th September
last, no provision is made for the following posts:-
1. Assistant Treasurer, Larut, $2,100.
2. Assistant Auditor, Perak, $2,400.
3. Assistant Treasurer, Selangor, $2,100.
4. Assistant Auditor, Selangor, $2,100.
These appointments are at present held by officers who are not Cadets:-
1. By Mr. Bain (non-European),
2. By Mr. Mahoney (European).
3. By Mr. C. C. Thompson (European).
4. Mr. Krickenbeek (non-European).
2.
While the original Sterling Scheme submitted to you with my despatch of the 20th January last, was in course of preparation, I ordered these posts to be trans- ferred from the Cadet to the Professional Scheme, but I regret to say that those re- sponsible in the Federated Malay States omitted to carry out my instructions fully,
‡ No. 48.
• No. 109.
↑ No. 92.
481
SIR,
No. 121.
FEDERATED MALAY STATES.
HIGH COMMISSIONER SIR F. A. SWETTENHAM to MR. CHAMBERLAIN.
(No. 493.)
(Received January 3, 1903.)
[Answered by No. 123.]
Government House, Singapore, December 11, 1902.
IN reply to your despatch, No. 286, of the 24th September last,* on the sub- ject of the proposed Scheme of Sterling Salaries for the Forest Department of the Federated Malay States, I have the honour to forward, for your information, the enclosed copies of letters received from the Resident-General, dealing with the questions raised in your despatch.
2.
The note on three years deputation" was entered on the Scheme because those are the terms on which Mr. Burn-Murdoch is serving, and because it is under- stood that he will not remain here on his present salary after the expiration of that period. I fully recognise the objections to leaving so important an office as that of Conservator of Forests, to be filled by officers serving on deputation, and the advan- tages to be gained by the appointment of permanent officers. But the scale of salaries throughout every department in India is so extravagant compared with what is paid here for exactly the same class of men, that, while we cannot compete with that Govern- ment, it is evident that either India pays too much or we too little, and there can be no question that the former is the case. Having in view the salaries paid to officers in other departments I do not see how the Government of the Federated Malay States can offer more than £800 rising to £1,000 by two triennial increments of £100 each, and that salary should only be offered to an officer who is thoroughly competent, and pre- pared to remain in the service of the Federated Malay States.
3. I concur with the Resident-General as regards the other points dealt with in his letters, and have to express my regret that owing to an oversight in my office the application to the Government of India for the appointment of two officers as Deputy Conservator and Assistant Conservator was not reported to you. The matter was one of some urgency, and it was for that reason that application was made direct to the Government of India. The posts have been filled by the appointment of two members of the Burma Forest Department--Mr. W. H. Craddock and Mr. W. R. French-to be respectively Deputy Conservator of Forests, and Assistant Conservator of Forests, Pahang.
I have, &c.,
Enclosure 1 in No. 121.
F. A. SWETTENHAM.
RESIDENT-GENERAL to HIGH COMMISSIONER.
(No. H.C. 7020/1902.)
SIR,
Resident-General's Office, Selangor, November 20, 1902. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of High Commissioner's Office letter, No. S. of S., 2288/02, of 29th October last, which, owing to various causes has
• No. 89.
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204
only just come to my notice. It relates to the Scheme of Sterling Salaries for the Federated Malay States Forest Department, and I beg to offer the following comments and replies to the points raised in the Secretary of State's despatch, No. 286, of the 24th September last.
2. (Paragraph 3.--In my letter to Your Excellency, confidential, No. 43, of 28th March, 1902, I said: "I concur with the Chief Forest Officer's objection to frequently changing the holder of this important post, because the conditions in the States differ considerably from those in Burma, and it takes some time for the new comer to acquire the necessary knowledge of the country, the language, the forests and the system, while there would also be the risk of new and zealous men being anxious to introduce new systems, whereas continuity of forest policy is, in my opinion, very desirable."
3. (Paragraph 5.) Mr. Burn-Murdoch is too ill to attend to duty, but I think it is certain that he would not consent to give up his career in the Indian Forest De- partment for a salary of £800 a year with no periodical increments, as set forth in the proposed Scheme.
His pay in Burmah, as a Third Grade Deputy Conservator, is at the rate of Rs. 650 per mensem with the usual Burmah allowance of Rs. 100 a month. Rs. 650 a month, plus exchange compensation allowance, is equal to £552: 10 per annum, and with the Burmah allowance of Rs. 100 per mensem, his total emoluments in Burmah amounted to £632: 10 per annum. We are paying him £750, plus his contribution to the Indian leave and pension fund, which amounts to about Rs. 2,700 or £180 per
annum.
He would have a prospect of rising in India to be:
A 1st Grade Conservator, Rs. 1,600 per mensem;
A 2nd Grade Conservator, Rs. 1,400 per mensem;
A 3rd Grade Conservator, Rs. 1,200 per mensem;
1st Grade Deputy Conservator, Rs. 900 per mensem;
A 2nd Grade Deputy Conservator, Rs. 800 per mensem.
Rs. 1,600, with Exchange Compensation, £1,360 per annum;
Rs. 1,400, with Exchange Compensation. £1,190 per annum;
Rs. 1,200, with Exchange Compensation, £1,020 per annum;
Rs. 900, with Exchange Compensation, £765 per annum;
Rs. 800, with Exchange Compensation, £680 per annum; With local allowance if employed in Burmah.
Mr. Burn-Murdoch was appointed to the Indian Imperial Forest Service in Janu- ary, 1891. The Ceylon Government some years ago obtained a permanent officer from India on £850 per annum.
Under these circumstances I still consider my original proposal to be reasonable, viz., to fix the salary for the Conservator Federated Malay States and Colony, at £780 (the rate for the State Engineers, Perak and Selangor) to £1,200 (the rate for Director Public Works) by seven triennial increments of £60. Supposing that the officer selected had ten years' service in India, he would have to complete 21 years' service in the States, and 31 years' service in all, before reaching the maximum.
The officer selected should, if possible, be on deputation or probation for 3 years, on £780, and then if retained come on the Pensionable Establishment at £840.
There are no local allowances here, but neither are there deductions from salary
for leave and pension, and our Pension Regulations are more favourable.
The irreducible minimum to secure a good man would be, I think, £725 to £1,205, by 8 triennial increments of £60.
4. (Paragraph 7.)-It is not proposed to increase Mr. Burn-Murdoch's salary from £750 to £800 a year, unless he would accept the permanent appointment, which he almost certainly will not do.
5. (Paragraph 9.)-It is not intended to raise Mr. Hudson's salary from £360 to £420 until he has served three years in the Straits Settlements and the Federated Malay States together. He arrived in the Straits Settlements on 22nd of April, 1901.
6. (Paragraph 10.) I see no reason for placing the Superintendent of the Experimental Plantations, Selangor, and of the Governments Gardens, Perak, under the Forest Department. The Conservator has as much work as he can manage in supervising Forest Work proper, including the care of Palaquium, in the Federated Malay States (26,300 square miles) and in the Colony (1,520 square miles).
I trust that this duty will not be imposed on the Conservator, who has to organiso a Forest Department in the large State of Pahang.
205
The Superintendents referred to by the Secretary of State are provided for in the Sterling Scheme for Professional and Miscellaneous Appointments.
7. (Paragraph 11.)-The appointment of Deputy Conservator of Forests. Pahang, recently filled by the appointment of Mr. Craddock, is a new post in so far as that it has now been filled for the first time. In the supplementary Pahang Estimates, 1902, provision was made for a Forest Officer on £500, and an Assistant Forest Officer on £360. These correspond to the posts of Deputy Conservator and Assistant Conserva- tor in the Sterling Scheme for the Forest Department.
8. (Paragraph 12.)-I am not able to consult Mr. Burn-Murdoch, on account of the state of his health, but I advise that the question of adding a third increment in the lower grades be deferred until we have had a little longer experience of the working of the newly reorganised Forest-Department.
I have, &c.,
His Excellency
The High Commissioner,
Federated Malay States, Singapore.
SIR,
(No. 7020/1902.)
W. H. TREACHER,
Resident-General,
Enclosure 2 in No. 121.
Federated Malay States.
RESIDENT-GENERAL to HIGH COMMISSIONER
Resident-General's Office, Selangor, November 28, 1902.
REFERRING to my letter, No. 7020, of the 20th November current, on the sub- ject of the Forest Department and its proposed Sterling Scheme of Salaries, I have the honour to inform Your Excellency that I have now been able to see Mr. Burn- Murdoch, and have shown to him a copy of the said letter.
2. As a result of my interview I have the honour to submit the following remarks:-
(1.) I was wrong in implying (paragraph 3 of my letter) that in the Indian Forest Service deductions from salary are made on account of leave and pension. No such deductions are made in that Department, and the salaries are subject only to deductions for income tax, which is at the rate of Rupees 2 Annas 9 Pies 8, per Rs. 100.
Mr. Burn-Murdoch, therefore, gains nothing by our contribution to the Indian Government which will be as follows:-Rs. 212: 8 annas a month for January, Febru- ary, and March, and Rs. 225 a month for April to December, 1903, or Rs. 2,662: 8 annas for the 12 months, and not Rs. 2,700 as stated in paragraph 3 of my letter.
(2.) With reference to the same paragraph 3 it would be well, perhaps, to show Your Excellency Mr. Burn-Murdoch's salary converted into Rupees for comparison with his Burma pay.
He drew in Burma;-
Rs. 650, plus allowance 100, with Exchange Compensation on the salary,
Rs. 790.
He drew here in October:-
$740-74 at Exchange 123, Rs. 911: 11.
(3.) Mr. Burn-Murdoch expresses his conviction that an efficient officer of, say, 10 years' standing would not leave the Indian Forest Department for the irreducible minimum referred to in paragraph 3 of my letter-£725 to £1,205. His opinion is that the irreducible minimum is £780 to £1,200, as mentioned in the first part of that paragraph.
(4.) With reference to Your Excellency's pencil remark against paragraph 5 of the Secretary of State's despatch, "I understand that Mr. Burn-Murdoch says he will not remain," Mr. Burn-Murdoch wishes it to be pointed out that he can only say definitely that it would be impossible for him to sever his connection with the Indian Department for a salary of £800 a year, without periodical increments or prospects of promotion.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.