CO129-250 - Acting Governor Barker - 1891 [6-8] — Page 543

Enclosure 3.

the

Magistracy

should at any

tuie be removed, and there should

not be quarters available in the

building,

8830

a

air

allavance of

mouth will be given in liew of Quarters.

Zuarters, on conditor of

your residing

in the neighbourhood

of the Magistracy.

I have y

(Signed) F. Stewart, Act. Colonial Secretary.

V. M. B. Arthur Esq.

To His Excellency

THE OFFICER ADMINISTERING THE GOVERNMENT

AND THE HONOURABLE MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

538

The Select Committee, appointed to examine into the details of the Estimates for next year with a view to a consideration of the Salaries Question, the Public Works, and the Military Contribution, have the honour to submit the following Report.

ESTIMATES.

Item 1.-Charge on account of Public Debt.

Agreed to.

Item 2.-Pensions.

Agreed to.

The Committee having regard to the fact that a pension is calculated on the average pay for the last three years of the Officer retiring, and to the fact that it is proposed to reduce in some cases the rate of exchange at which a pension is to be paid from 4/2d. to 3/8d., unanimously recommend that in no case should the pension of any Officer retiring within the next three years be fixed at a lower rate in sterling, than if it had been calculated at 4/2d. on the pay received by him before any increase sanctioned in these Estimates was made.

Example: Average pay for 1888, 1889, 1890–$4,800.

Service:-30 years.

Pensions: x 4,800 — $2,800 at 4/2: £583.6.8.

Similarly for end of year 1891:-Pension, & × 1,800 = $2,880 — £600.

But suppose increase in 1891 allowed 35 per cent. average-

pay for1889, 1890, 1891, -$5,360,........

Pension:- × 5,360 $3,216 or at 3/8 £589.12.0, a loss of £10.8.0 and supposing the increase to have only been 15 per cent. the result is

4,800

4,800

4,800

1,680

$16,080 → 8 $ 5,360

4,800 × 3+720 or $15,120 ÷ 3 average pay, .......$ 5,040 Pension:-36 x 5,040 = $3,024 or £554.8.0, a loss of £45.12.0 a year. Item 3.-Governor and Legislature.

Agreed to.

Item 4.-Colonial Secretary's Department.

Agreed to.

The Committee recommend that the pay of the Reference Clerk be increased by 35 per cent. on the pay of 1875, that is, to $2,902, and that his personal allow- ance be retained, and recommend that this place on a vacancy occurring be filled by a Candidate from England, or by a person of similar qualifications in this Colony. The Committee further observe that the Passed Cadets are not allowed Quarters in this Colony, although they are in Singapore, and therefore recommend that the pay be increased, otherwise the emoluments of a Cadet, who has Quarters, too closely approximate to those of a Passed Cadet.

Item 5. Audit Department.

Not agreed to by a majority.

The Committee by a majority submit the following resolution on this matter:-- 1. That the vote for the Expenses of the Audit Department for the year

1891 be reduced by the sum of $10,000.