CO129-298 - Governor Sir Blake Administrator Major Gen Gascoigne - 1900 [3-4] — Page 185

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the Chinese Civil Servants and another from the Portuguese and Indian Civil Servants, and the result of those Petitions.

3. Thereupon the Senior Unofficial Member in- timated to me that he and his colleagues were strongly of opinion that as the enormously increased cost of living press- ed equally on all sections of the Civil Service, a Committee should be appointed to enquire into the cases of applicants whose salaries had not heen increased, and he asked me to send

the telegram to you copy of which is enclosed.

Enel: 1. 69-3-190063

9199

This I did on the 22nd,instant and I attach

nel 20 copies of 3 other telegrams which passed between us on the

37

@ 99

34994

99

subject of the first.

4. The Unofficial Members having heen informed

that you had sanctioned the appointment of a Committee to en- quire into the salaries of subordinate officers in the Govern- ment Service, yesterday unanimously voted the sums necessary

to defray the cost during this year of the increases granted

in your despatches Nos. 280 of the 8th. December, 1899, and 48 of

the 16th. February, 1900.

5. I have now appointed a Committee consisting of Mr.R.M.Gray, Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, Chairman, Mr.D.Gillies, Secretary to the Hong-Kong and Whampoa Dock Com-

pany,

and Mr. R. Shewan, Senior Partner of the Firm of Messrs. Shewan, Tomes & Co. to enquire into and report on the salaries

of subordinate officers of the Civil Service, and have inti- mated to them that the scope of their enquiry does not extend

to