CO129-433 - Governor Sir May - 1916 [5-6] — Page 670

COPY.

Head of Sanitary Department.

sir,

Enclosure 1.

35139

653

1. We, the undersigned Inspecters of

"permanent staff

et your Department beg to be allowed to lay before you the

following statement and appeal.

2. All of us are married, some of us have children, and

the point we wish to raisė is that owing to the resent great ineronse in the seat of living (xpproximately 38%) and which

is still inerousing vo find it is impossible to pay for the

very 1840saaries of life.

3. so live a homely life and we feel keenly the present

Arain on our slender resourses. If we can not meet our

expenses, the alternative is debt and it in this we fear and

desire to avoid,

4. On our present salary ranging from $144 to $180 per month, any idea of saving a little in view of sickness or home

leave is out of the question.

5. Hence, much against our will, some of us have had to consent to our wives obtaining employment, the strain of which,

sembined with home duties, has resulted in impairment of

health, a very unpleasant state of affairs.

6. We are quite aware that this period is ax unfortunate one to bring forward a matter of this description, but sur straitened sirsumstances feres us to ask you to be kind enough to lay our osse before the Government, and in connection with this we would mention that we believe our initial salary is lower than that paid to any British offiser in the Civil

Service in Hong Kong.

7. We bag to offer the following suggestion, which, if

adopted, will perfectly satisfy uni-

That the minimum salary be £200.0.0. per annum, and that inergments already obtained, or as they fall due, be added.

(sd.)

We have à6.,

R. R. Wood,

Wu. ThemaQE,

L. Brewer,

William Hill & David Davies.