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at the present day when the public are ventilating in the Press
on the exorbitant prices in the market and the continued high
rentals obtaining in the Colony.
No doubt, the war, increase of Garrison,
augmentation of the Fleet both British and Foreign, not to say
the demandsfrom the Philippine Islands, have raised the prices of
meat &c.
It is a fact that the price of fresh meat
has still risen since the last two years and house rent has not
been lowered one job.
We desire to bring the above facts to the
earnest consideration of His Excellency. The European public of
the Colony who are in receipt of Sterling Salaries are at this
present moment greatly perturbed at the rise in exchange which
does not benefit them in the least, on account of the continued
high prices prevailing, both as regards living and rent. In this
connection we beg most respectfully to lay before His Excellency
the hardships that have been endured by the subordinate Members
who are not entitled to Exchange Compensation.
If those members who enjoy Exchange Compen-
sation feel the pinch when exchange has risen, His Excellency
will no doubt realise how acutely we have been suffering. Whether
exchange is good or bad we have to pay for the enhanced prices of
local products. We have on several occasions approached the
Government to obtain some amelioration but, not receiving the sup-
port of this Government, the Secretary of State invariably refused
us.
The condition of life have been so hard from
year to year that it is imperative on us to appeal again to His Excellency's high sense of justice to re-examine our case.
In no mercantile firm in the Colony are
increases to salaries denied yearly, especially at the beginning;
whereas
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