CO129-340 - Governor Nathan Acting Governor May - 1907 [4-6] — Page 699

to perform the duties of Asst

Supt of Police, officers who

have entered the service as

Police Probationers will be

eligible for appointment to

the aforesaid post.

By Order of the

Governor.

1907 7 June

Last previous Paper.

HONG KONG

No. 27073

(Subject.)

CONFIDENTIAL

DESPATCH.

C C 27073

9 29 JUL 07

Sterling Salaries of officers.

Submits proposals for dealing

with the question of

30 Sep. S. S. Cauf 30 Aug.

Cloud comp Log Aug.

3 17′ 13 & L (73) ~02687~~25000-11-6

Next subsequent Paper

1757

For 731591

(Minutes.)

Mr May has not clearly understood the sterling salary question. By introducing the sterling scheme it

was intended to improve the position of officers who were

then drawing single exchange compensation. The sterling salary rates are accordingly higher than the dollar sal-

aries with single compensation. The position was, however,

complicated by the grant, while the sterling scheme was

under discussion, of double exchange compensation which

had the effect of making the dollar salaries higher, in

many cases, than the sterling salaries. It was never

intended to lay down that the sterling salaries should

be equal to these enhanced dollar salaries. The latter were

intended to give an increase - perhaps more in many cases

than was strictly necessary - to the officers then in the

service who had undoubtedly suffered from the low exchange

of those times: the sterling salaries were primarily for

new comers and were intended to avoid to a great extent

the disadvantages incident to the fluctuating dollar.

In considering the question of sterling salaries it is

therefore necessary to put on one side altogether any

comparison with dollar salaries and to consider solely