CO129-285 - Acting Governor Major Gen Black - 1898 [9-10] — Page 219

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4.

Your petitioners have learnt the decision

of the Government with very great disappointment, but

confidently hope that, with the light of further inform-

ation which they are able to furnish in respect of their

real hardship, you may be pleased to modify the decision

of His Excellency the Officer Administering the govern-

ment.

5.

It was known to your petitioners at the time

they formulated their request alluded to in the second

par graph of this petition, that the Chinese section of

the Hongkong Government Service had also asked for an

increase of pay, alleging as their principal reason, the

increased cost of living in Hongkong.

6.

It was also known to your petitioners that

the request of the Chinese was favourably entertained, and

a promise given to them that an increase to their salaries

might be shortly expected.

7.

Your petitioners learnt with much pleasure

that the request of the Chinese would be granted, and

urge that in their own case there cannot possibly be any

reason for a different decision being made against

themselves.

8.

Your petitioners beg to impress upon you

the fact that the question of a higher cost of living,

&c,

has a more intensified application to them than

to the Chinese, from the fact that there are so many and

varied inherent differences between them and which are so

well known to you that your petitioners need not recapitu-

late them.

9.

The Chinese possess the unique advantage of

being entirely independent of European dress fabric and

provisions. They have their own home-made materials

which are readily procurable locally at prices unaffected

Their articles of food and

by difference of exchange.

other daily needs of life stand quite apart from those

of people (like your petitioners) brought up in and

habituated to European modes of living.

10.

In most cases the Chinese have a domicili-

ary residence in China, while your petitioners must

necessarily reside, with their families, in the Colony,

and have their children educated here.

II.

Residence in Hongkong admittedly costs a

great deal more as the demand for dwelling houses

increases, and such demand is still increasing, to an

extent that a further increase or rents is taking plac0

almost monthly.

12.

Your petitioners are reluctant to draw a

comparison between the Chinese and themselves at such

length, but they feel it necessary to do so because they

fail to see in what way they are placed at a greater

advantage than the Chinese in respect of salaries in the

service of the Government, seeing that the Chinese are

not under any disability to attain to all positions,

with the salaries attached, which are also open to your

petitioners. To quote the words of the regulations of

the Lords of the Treasury transmitted in Earl Granville's despatch in 1869, all "appointments in the Civil Service,

at the very outset, are now made the reward of merit.

Promotion by merit is the established rule in the

Service". In practice this system ohtains in Hongkong,

13.

at any rate, in respect of that branch of the fivil Service to which your petitioners and the Chinese belong.

In short, your petitioners would like to

say that, if just cause has been found for a promise for

an increase in the salaries of the Chinese members of

the

by