CO129-328 - Governor Nathan - 1905 [1-6] — Page 223

GOP Y.

Enclosure 8.

218

Colonial Secretary's Office,

Hongkong, 14th. February, 1905.

Sir,

With reference to your letter of the 25tb. ultimo in which you on behalf of the signatories to the petition for Exchange Compensation from the subordinate members of the Civil Service which was presented in 1903, again submit your case for the consideration of the Governor, I am directed to inform you that His Excellency has carefully examined the conten- tions urged by the petitioners in the previous petition and

reiterated by you in your letter under reference and instructs

me to state that the petition of 1903 submitted at a time when the dollar was at 1/64 was based mainly on the fall of silver whereas in your letter submitted when the dollar is at 1/112

stredis laid on the fact that prices are independent of exchange fluctuations and thus makes it clear that exchange compensation

is not a satisfactory method of meeting variations in prices.

The request for exchange compensation is one therefore which

His Excellency finds himself unable to entertain.

With regard to the alternative request that

a substantial increase should be granted in dollar salaries His

Excellency has examined the schedule which was prepared when the

former petition was under consideration which showed that since

1898 there had been substantial increases in the salaries of the

appointments held by the petitioners, and has noted the increases

that have been made since the date of that petition.

Taking into consideration the pension and

leave

. H. D'Aquino, Esq.