CO885-11 — Page 325

323

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

PEC.O.882/11

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

2

20

Service are too high. This state of affais has come about owing to the fact that intense racial feeling has led the Ceylonese to insist that there shall be no seeming discrimina- tion between European and Ceylonese, and, in order to secure Ceylonese support for an adequate remuneration for the European, the Government has taken the line of least resistance and has conceded the point.

5. I am of opinion that this unnecessary extravagance cannot be permanently maintained, and that definite steps should forthwith be taken to put matters upon a stable economic basis. The Government is committed to the Ceylonisation of the Service in respect of all posts except certain ones of considerable seniority. The conditions of service in Ceylon are such that, on the one hand a number of European officers are anxious to find employment elsewhere, and on the other it is becoming increasingly difficult to recruit suitable men in England, the emoluments being barely sufficient to offset the disabilities. The treatment meted out to Europeans in the service of the Colombo Municipality has already brought it about that the Council cannot get European technical men for work for which there are no Ceylonese available, and there is a very real danger that an attempt will be made to oust Europeans from the Government service by the gradual whittling down of emoluments to a Ceylonese standard.

6.

I consider therefore that a definite differentiation in emoluments is necessary, in order to place the European and the Ceylonese upon a basis of actual equality, which differentiation should be effected by a general reduction of the Ceylonese emolu- ment in respect of the posts in the Senior Service, and partly by an increase in the emolument of certain European appointments.

7. I do not share Sir Hugh Clifford's views as to the expediency of making it the rule to send senior Ceylonese on leave to England at the public expense-a practice which, as far as I am aware, does not obtain in any other part of the world; nor do I think it to be the case that all Ceylonese, who can afford it, send their boys, and if possible their girls, to England to be educated. The Senior Secondary Schools and the University College hold large numbers of the sons and daughters of the leading Ceylonese families, and one of the main objects in founding a Ceylon University is the provision of a finishing education which will render it unnecessary for local students to go abroad.

4th September, 1927.

MEMORANDUM BY MR. TYRRELL.

HONOURABLE COLONIAL SECRETARY,

"

A. M. FLETCHER.

I REGARD the decision of Government in October last to oppose Mr. Tambi- muttu's resolution in favour of overseas allowances as a mistake, and I am unable to agree with the conclusions or the reasoning of Sir Hugh Clifford's despatch. It is ignoring facts to say that payment of an overseas allowance would mean that "the accident of birth would entitle the European officer to a higher remuneration than his Ceylonese colleague, as if the conditions and circumstances of the two classes of officers were the same. The fact is that the conditions of their service are widely and fundamentally different and that what is a fair and adequate salary to the Cey- Apart from the lonese officer is not an adequate salary for the European officer. important considerations of the cost of leave passages and the maintenance of a second home and the education of his children in England, which the European officer must necessarily incur, almost everything in Ceylon costs the European officer more than the Ceylonese. Like all foreigners the European in Ceylon is made to pay more than the permanent inhabitants. He has to pay more for servants, and for all local labour and articles other than imported goods. Even if he has no home ties or expenses he is not as well off as his Ceylonese fellow officer on the same salary.

2. This is a fact that is recognised by the Ceylonese themselves, and I entirely disagree with Sir Hugh Clifford's opinion that the payment of an overseas allowance would be resented by Ceylonese officers, or tend to disharmony in the public service. In my opinion they would accept it as just and fair, and Sir Hugh is, I consider, mis- taken in attributing to envy at the success of their fellows, the aggrieved surprise extravagant folly" of Govern- which the educated people of the country feel at the

ment in paying to their own young men the same salaries as are paid to overseas officers. There is a general recognition that the Ceylonese officer is far better off than the European officer on the same salary, and therefore if the latter is adequately paid it follows that the Ceylonese is over-paid.

++

21

3. The view that differentiation "by means of an overseas allowance, would tend to lower the dignity and standing of the Ceylonese officer is not justified. Pro- vided the salary of such post is fixed at an adequate sum for the local officer, i.e.. sufficient to enable him to maintain himself and his family in the position and manner hefitting a Government official of his standing, the payment of an overseas allowance to a European officer in consideration of the fact of his living in a foreign country in exile and having the expense of a home to maintain and children to educate in England and periodical leave passages, would in no way affect the prestige of the Ceylonese discrimination," which officer. No one reasonably could or would object to such

is merely a recognition of facts.

4. All that can be urged in favour of leave passages to European officers can be The facts justifying the allowance are the same. urged for overseas allowances. Leave passages, however, do not adequately meet all the necessities of the case of the European officer. They take no account of the continuing extra expenses of educational or family remittances which in his case are inevitable.

5. Overseas allowances are bound to come. The payment of the same salaries to local and overseas officers is illogical, and as the proportion of locally-recruited officers in the services increases, it will be realised that it is impossible to pay all The sooner these salaries on the scale necessary to attract officers from overseas.

It is, of course, impossible to reduce the salaries now facts are faced the better. paid to any local officer. Whatever scale is adopted the existing privileges of officers now in service must be secured. As a matter of fact no reduction in present salaries can be contemplated. There is no doubt that the salaries now paid to senior European officers are inadequate. It is essential that salaries should be fixed at a scale sufficiently high to enable local officers to maintain their position and keep out of debt and above temptation and that the overseas allowance should be sufficient to cover leave passages, and family remittances, and, in the case of officers with children, also educational remittances.

F. G. TYRRELL.

3rd September, 1927.

C. 53429/28 [No. 1].

No. 4.

LORD DONOUGHMORE to MR. AMERY. [Answered by No. 6.].

5, Chesterfield Gardens, W.1, 26th June, 1928. MY DEAR SECRETARY OF STATE,

THE Report* of the Ceylon Commission was signed at my house to-day, and I hasten to send you the original copy. As you will see, the Report is a unanimous one, and we feel happy to think that on so delicate and comprehensive a subject we have been able to reach agreed conclusions. We fully recognise that our proposals have taken a somewhat novel shape, and that the changes contemplated are far reaching, but we are convinced that radical alterations are necessary, and it is our earnest hope that our recommendations will commend themselves to His Majesty's Government.

We understand that copies of the Report are being sent to Ceylon this week by Secret despatch, and that the Report will be published simultaneously in Ceylon and in the United Kingdom on the 16th of July. Until that date, therefore, we shall continue to treat it as strictly confidential.

In conclusion I should like to assure you how grateful we all are at your having called us in to counsel you in this matter, thus affording us a very interesting and important experience.

* Cmd. 3131.

Believe me, &c..

DONOUGHMORE.