CO129-448 - Governor Sir May - 1918 [4-6] — Page 537

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taking of the figure 1,200 as the dividing point between unmarried officers has the further advantage that a bachelor

on the maximum salary of Grade III with a 10 per centum bonus in addition will still be drawing $120 per annum less

then a bachelor on the minima salary of Grade II.

I have included bachelors in this

proposal iv for two reasons; firstly because the very great

majority of the officers covered by the proposal are married,

and it would be a matter of extreme difficulty to ascertain

the actual domestic circumstances in individual cases; and

secondly because the very subordinate officers are specially

affected by the rise in the price of food and by the increase

in rents, of which increase the Rating (Special War Rate)

Ordinance, 1917, has, I am afraid, been a principal cause.

Proposal v provides for the bonus being paid upon the salary actually drawn in the Colony, salary

including duty pay.

With regard to proposal vi, the Cable

and Postal Censors draw substantial suns in addition to their substantive pay. Certain officers in the Harbour Department are paid by the Naval Authorities for work in connection with the Examination Service. Host of the Doctors in the Medical Department receive good remuneration for lectures at the Hongkong University. I am not propared to recommend that officers receiving such additional emoluments

should also get the 10 per centum bonus.

Similarly with regard to proposal vii, there are several cases in which both husband and wife are employed; for instance, the wife of a Sergeant of Police is getting £200 as a schoolmistress; a husband md wife are both employed in the Education Department; the wife of a Medical Officer is employed as a Sister at the Civil Hospital; the wife of an officer in the Public Works

Department

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