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41074,
-76.
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a conservative estimate the general cost of living in the Colony, in terms of dollars, has increased by at least 20 per centum since the begiming of the war; and the increase would have been very much greater, but for the rise in the price of silver md the exchange value of the dollar, which has risen
from 17% in August, 1914, to 37% at the present day. I
have made enquiry of the principal Companies and Firms doing business in the Colony, and I find that they are for the most part granting an all-round increase amounting to some twenty per centum on pre-war figures.
5.
I adhere to the opinion expressed in the second paragraph of my Confidential Despatch of the 23rd.
August, 1916, that, speaking generally, the emoluments of
bachelors, except in the most subordinate ranks of the
service, are quite adequate.
6.
The recommendations which I now desire to
*
put forward are contained in the enclosed copies of correspond
-ence with the Unofficial Members
Proposal i embraces all
married European Officers, with the exception of the Chief
Justice, the Attorney-General, the Puime Judge, mnd myself.
The Colonial Secretary is also omitted. The Nursing Sisters
are included under proposal ii, as their salaries bring than
practically within the category under proposal iv. Proposal
iii includes the better paid Chinese and Portuguese. With regard to proposal iv, the figure $1,200 is the maximum
salary of Grade III of the Clerical Service. In October last
year the clerks in Grades III, IV, V, and VI petitioned for an increase of salary, and I referred the matter to the Subordinate Staff Board, who independently and without knowledge of my present proposals recommended the grant to these Grades of a 10 per centum bonus on salary, pending
consideration of a revision of salaries after the war. The
taking
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