CO129-443 - Governor Sir May - 1917 [7-9] — Page 442

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CONFIDENTIAL.

Sir,

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52965

REC

Ree' 27 JCT 17

GOVERNMENT HOUSE.

HONGKONG. 10th. September, 1917.

20406.

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I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Confidential Despatch of the 7th. May regard- -ing the question of the provision of quarters and rent allow- -ances for the Senior Officers in the Hongkong Service.

2.

I attach a copy of the rules which give

practical effect to the recommendations made in paragraph 5 of my Confidential Despatch of the 1st. March. On receipt of for your telegram of the 18th. May I caused a preliminary draft 2524 of these rules to be circulated to the Unofficial Members of

stor

•

1

the Councils; and I attach copies of subsequent correspondence

with Sir C. P. Chater. At a meeting held on the 2nd. August

the Legislative Council unanimously voted a sum of $30,000 to provide rent allowances for the current year for some fifty officers in all.

3.

With regard to paragraph 4 of your

Despatch I am satisfied that some revision in the scales of

salary is necessary md I will report further on this matter

at the end of the war. The letters from Sir C. P. Chater show

that the Unofficial Members of the Councils concur that

general relief is needed.

4.

In the meantime I would urge your further

consideration of the case of officers who would be entitled

to rent allowances were it not for the fact that they are

IGHT HONOURABLE

WALTER LONG, MP.,

separated

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&c.,

&c. ..