CO885-6 — Page 286

Subject.

Page.

CORRESPONDENCE

RELATING TO THE

Co

126

To Governor Sir F.

Struits

January 16

A. Swettenham.

Settle-

inents,

18.

127

To Governor Sir II.

A. Blake.

Hong Kong, 16.

January 16

128

High Commissioner Federated

Sir F. A. Swetten-

Malay ham.

States. 18.

January 20 (Rec. Feb. 16.)

120

To High Commis- Federated February 27

Bioner Sir F. A. Swettenhum.

Mulay States,

71.

Agrees to the posts referred to in No. 112 | 208

being included in the scheme and approves the salaries proposed.

Deals with certain questions of principle 209

arising out of the grant of increased allowances to officers and the sterling scheme.

Sends for approval copies of the revised sterling scheme as finally revised and approved, and copies of a letter from the Resident-General, and a memoran- dum from his Acting-Secretary fully explaining the alterations made.

211

Approves the alterations and additions 215

made to the sterling scheme as stated in the correspondence transmitted in No. 128.

Transmits copy of the sterling salary 215

scheme for the Forest Department as finally revised.

INTRODUCTION OF A SYSTEM OF STERLING SALARIES

INTO

HONG KONG, THE STRAITS SETTLEMENTS, AND THE FEDERATED MALAY STATES.

31790

། ། ། ། །

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

سانسينيليا

Reference :-

C.O. 882

No. 1.

STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.

ACTING-GOVERNOR SIR J. A. SWETTENHAM to MR. CHAMBERLAIN.

(Received September 29, 1900.)

[Answered by No. 2.]

Government House, Singapore, August 27, 1900.

I HAVE the honour to transmit a memorial addressed to you from the Members of the (Cadet) Civil Service of this Colony, and to make the following observations thereon.

130

High Commissioner Federated

Malay Bir F. A. Swetten- ham.

States, 154,

March 19 (Rec. Apr. 13.)

131

Governor Sir H. A.

Blake.

Hong

Kong, 165.

March 31 (Rec. May 7.)

Sends, in reply to No. 115, schedule 218

showing what further applications are likely to be received and the cost of putting the applicants on the sterling scheme.

(No. 306.)

SIR,

132

To Governor Sir H.

A. Blake.

Hong Kong, 191.

May 21

States, in reply to No. 131, that the application of Mr. Masters to come under the sterling scheme should be granted, and that Messrs. Taylor and Johnson are entitled to come under the scheme if they wish.

220

133

Governor Sir H. A.

Blake.

Hong Kong, 204.

April 17 (Rec. May 23.)

Notes instructions in No. 127, and forwards list of non-clerical posts with salaries exceeding $1,200 per annum, together with list of new posts, for addition to the scheme; offers general remarks and submits certain altera- tions.

134

To Governor Sir H.

A. Blake.

Hong Kong. 241.

June 25

Replies to No. 133

220

227

2. Paragraph 4—the rate of exchange has recently risen, and now stands at over 28.

While it is not correct to represent that the local purchasing power of the dollar for local commodities is measurable in gold or due to exchange, it is, nevertheless, true that of late years there has been a considerable increase in prices, which, in my opinion, is chiefly due to other causes, such as the general prosperity and wealth of the Colony and surrounding States.

3. Paragraph 5.-I have not been able to check the statistics of prices in Table I, but house rent (except in Malacca, where it has decreased), has certainly increased greatly in Singapore and considerably in Penang. Statistics of the increase in Singa pore were given in my despatch, No. 177, of 11th May, 1899.* Except as a criterion of the cost of housekeeping, hotel boarding charges scarcely concern the Service, as no officer, as far as I can discover, of the Cadet Service has boarded at a hotel for several years past.

4. It is true that the percentage of higher appointments in this Colony is less than in Ceylon-hitherto the disproportion has not been so greatly felt, because the higher posts in the Malay States were open to, and held by, Straits Cadets, but that can hardly be the case in future now that those States have Cadets of their own, selected on equal terms with those of the Colony,

5. Paragraph 9.-An unpassed Cadet cannot hold a fixed appointment: the Civil Service List shows only two passed Cadets, who were both, as well as five unpassed Cadets, acting for other officers.

6. Paragraph 10.-I think the present age limits are as fair as they can be, and I recommend no change.

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