CO885-6 — Page 385

G

||||||||||

'│ ། ། T

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :--

C.O. 882

6

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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

196

Government Service of the Federated Malay States and all being on the permanent pensionable establishment :--

1. Assistant Surgeons.

2. Telegraph Operators.

3. Postmasters.

4. Superior Clerks and Accountants, and skilled Assistants for the Railway,

Police, Survey and Public Works Departments.

2. Your Memorialists most earnestly desire to draw your attention to two matters of vital importance to them and they ask for fair and equal treatment and to be put on the same footing as other not more loyal subjects domiciled in Europe of the King-Emperor. Those matters are:-

1. Exchange Compensation.

2. Exchange rates for Pensions and Half-pay leave.

1. (1) Exchange Compensation.-Indian Act VIII of 1893 followed by the Notification relating to a 1s 4d. Rupee and the subsequent notification of the 11th September, 1897, and Act XVII of 1899 had the effect of introducing a gold standard into India and Ceylon and your Memorialists are now in the same position as those Members of the Government Service domiciled in Europe. Your Memorialists joined the Service on the assumption that one Dollar was equal to 2 Rupees and 4 annas, such assumption was well founded and justified. The action of the Indian Government could not then be anticipated by your Memorialists. This day (July 7th, 1902,) 100 Dollars are equal to 130 Rupees only, and there is no reason why Exchange should not fall still lower. With regard to the Europe domiciled Members of the Government Service the value of the Dollar has been falling for years and from 3s. 8d. in the year 1891 touches to-day (7th July, 1902,) 1s. 8d. Both classes of the Service suffered at first most severely, and your Memorialists, less fortunate than those domiciled in Europe, still suffer most severely. Both classes of the Service found their salaries reduced by upwards of 50 per cent., the cost of commodities and of living 40 per cent., higher than 10 years before (see Appendix A), both had in many cases families in their respective places of domicile to support and to whom regular remittances had to be made, both classes in many cases had to meet the premia in English or Indian Currency on Life Policies, both classes had to defray steamship passages by Companies charging sterling and Indian rates, and both classes had the mortification of knowing that after years of work they were no better off than when they began life. Your Memorialists were less able to make themselves heard than the Europe domiciled members of the Service, many of whom had private means and influence and who, had not their complaints been attended to, would have left the Government Service and sought employment elsewhere, particularly when new fields of employment were opening out. In the neighbouring Colony of the Straits Settlements and in the Federated Malay States the question of Exchange Compensation was agitated and taken up by the Government; not on behalf of your Memorialists, who had equal, if not better, claims, but only on behalf of those domiciled in Europe. The agitation was successful, and now the members of the Government Service of the Federated Malay States domiciled in Europe (in the case of both the higher Officials, and the subordinates, such as Warders, Hospital Nurses, Inspectors of Police, and even Junior Clerks) are receiving a compensation of about 76 per cent. to make good to them for the fall in value of the dollar. Your Memorialists fail to conceive on what principle of equity and fair dealing they have been excluded from benefit conferred on their fellow-workers in the Federated Malay States. The establishment of a gold standerd in India and Ceylon placed both classes of the Service on the same footing, and the needs of your Memorialists were greater than those of any other sections of the Service. It cannot be that want of funds can be pleaded as a reason for their exclusion, as the revenues of the States can well afford to bear the additional cost, and even were it otherwise, your Memorialists respectfully submit that it would have been but equitable and just to expect that the rate of compensation to Officers domiciled in Europe would have been fixed so as to admit of relief being granted to both classes of Officers.

(2) The treatment of your Memorialists above detailed, embodying as it does an illustration that all the King's subjects are not on the same footing when questions of which section is to suffer is concerned, has engendered throughout the Federated Malay States a fecling of intense disappointment in the Service. Your Memorialists

197

are suffering greatly, they with difficulty can support their families, they have no private fortunes, and will have no redress if you will not help them.

(3) The Government of the Federated Malay States has already to a certain extent officially recognized the hardships following on the depreciated Rupee value of the Dollar by its having granted to the Asiatic Members of the Police Force, when the Rupee Exchange was much more favourable than it is at present, the privilege of remitting half their salaries at forty-four Dollar cents per Rupee, which was subsequently commuted to an Exchange compensation of 25 per cent. on their salaries.

(4) Your Memorialists have been officially informed that the Government of the Federated Malay States "cannot accept any responsibility for the fact that the Governments of India and Ceylon have adopted a relative value between Rupees and Gold and so given a fictitious value to the Rupee." The same argument could be equally applied to the fictitious value of 3s. to the Dollar which the Governments of the Colony of the Straits Settlements and the Federated Malay States have fixed for computing the salaries of their Officers domiciled in England while serving in this country, and also an artificial value of 4s. and 3s. 8d. to the Dollar when on leave and on pension. The action of the Indian Government was to benefit all classes of the people of India, while the action of the Straits Government and that of the Federated Malay States in fixing a fictitious value to the Dollar is confined only to a certain section of its Officers, viz., those domiciled in England-who alone benefit.

2. (1) Exchange Rate for Pensions and Half-pay Leave.-Pensions are not paid to your Memorialists at any given or fixed rate of Exchange as they are paid to the members of the Service domiciled in Europe. The effect of closing the Indian Mints and the establishment of a gold standard is that no man knows what pension he will receive when he retires and whether he will be able to live on the pension he will receive. One great advantage of the Public Service is undoubtedly that of knowing that after years of labour in the service of the State a servant will be able to retire on a living pension when he is too old to work or to seek a new field of employment. It has never hitherto been the policy of the British Government to cast aside its old and tried servants without provision for old age. Yet, such is the effect of the intro- duction of a gold standard that your Memorialists' future pensions hang on the fortunes of the Silver market, and their prospective pensions are nearly 50 per cent. less than they were ten (10) years ago, and should Exchange further decline will still further be reduced. Nor does the matter end here, when the pensions are actually earned and payable they do and will fluctuate as Exchange varies.

(2) Similar remarks apply to half-pay leave. There is no rate of Exchange for half-pay leave. A man may set out on his holiday expecting that his half-pay will meet his expenses, only later to find that owing to a further fall in Exchange his expectations are groundless. No man can do his work properly or be contented in mind when his means of living are subject to such changes. These difficulties have been fully appreciated by the Government of the Federated Malay States when dealing with the members of the Service domiciled in Europe and have been swept away, and those members enjoy a fixed rate, and it is even rumoured that ere long they will be put on a sterling basis. In this case also your Memorialists have been unheard and their legitimate requests ignored.

(3) Any scheme the Government may have in contemplation for improving the prospects and promotions of the Subordinate Service has no connection with the subject of this Memorial, which is purely a question of "Exchange Compensation." The double Exchange Compensation has been granted to those domiciled in Europe, although they were drawing increased rates of salaries sanctioned by certain schemes -such as those for the superior Officers of the Public Works, Railway and Survey Departments.

Your Memorialists pray :

1. For a rate of Exchange compensation equal to that given to their more fortunate brethren so that they may be enabled to live in comfort, to maintain their families, to meet their obligations and to provide for the future.

2. For a fixed rate of Exchange for Pensions.

L-----