CO129-393 - Governor Sir May - 1912 [11] — Page 359

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and comparatively long leave which the former can earn.

Your Petitioners are not unmindful of the advantages of

these privileges, but they would respectfully point out

that the pensions which they can earn will generally not

be sufficient to meet their bare requirements, if unsupple-

mented by savings put by during the course of their service

-- a prudent rule which, by reason of the inadequacy of

their salaries, they are unable to observe. Nor, as the

Goverment records will show, have they been able (except

in very rare cases) to take advantage of the leave privi-

lege owing either to the exigencies of the service, or to

a want of the wherewithal to enable them to take long leave

even at extended intervals.

7. Your Petitioners would also respectfully bring to

notice the fact that clerks in the employ of mercantile

firms enjoy certain privileges which Government servants do

not receive. Some large employers in the Colony have a

system of deferred pay; some grant bonuses or commissions;

and some give double salary at Christmas or New Year. Some

commercial houses pay their senior 'local' clerks, for long

service and special merits, salaries varying from $300 to $600 a month; whereas the highest salary to which a local man in the Service can attain is $225 a month, no matter

what his merits, service or qualifications may be.

Again,

clerks in outside employ can augment their regular earnings

by engaging in business and by taking up other work outside

office hours.

8. As pointed out in paragraph 2, there has during

the last 20 years been only one general increase of pay to

the class of Government servants to which your Petitioners belong; while within this same period the European Civil

Servants have had the following increases and other

ameliorations granted them:-

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