CO129-393 - Governor Sir May - 1912 [11] — Page 392

394

£

in the shape of the provision of free quarters whereby pensionable

salaries are not increased.

310-78

(e).

In your Confidential Despatch of the 16th. of

October you have approved that in future Overseers in the Public

Works Department and Sanitary Inspectors who Larry Chinese and

Eurasians without the sanction of the Governor shall not be permit-

-ted to occupy Government quarters. This valuable rule will be much

more effectively applied if the quarters of these officers are

granted free of rent for it is conceivable that some officers

might prefer to incur the loss of quarters at a low rental rather

from than to abstain unauthorised marriage.

In my opinion it will conduce to better dis- -cipline and a healthier tone in the Departments if the officers

referred to are provided with free quarters and obliged to live in

them. If this is done I have little doubt that such marriages

will, as is the case in the Police and Gaol Departments,be so

discredited that it will not be necessary for the Governor to have

recourse to refusing his consent to them.

(f).

As the rule is not to be made retrospective

some difficulty may arise in connection with the occupation of the proposed new quarters if they are merely rented. It is not unlike- -ly that an officer married to a Chinese or Eurasian may prefer to occupy private quarters at a higher rental. It is not desirable

that he should do so.

6.

I desire to include in the housing scheme

under reference the Land Bailiffs in the Public Works Department of whom there are only 2. If they are left out it will be found necessary to increase their salaries which are at present £210 to

£250 per annum.

7.

I also wish to recommend that the European

Revenue Officers who have to reside close to their work should be provided with free quarters. Their pay in the sterling scheme is £240 £270 and the reasons for including them are as stated in

paragraph