CO129-509-4 Hong Kong Government officers- conditions of service and pensions 20-1-1928 - 17-9-1928 — Page 17

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there are objections to the extension of the benefit to officers dying after retirement. The recognised way of making provision for these is to adopt a system of gratuity and reduced pension, and it is to be hoped that the Hong Kong Government will seriously consider this. This system where adopted has been found so advantageous that the present tendency (as shown in new West African legislation now being enacted) is for it to be made compulsory in the case of officers entering the service after the promulgation of the necessary legislation.

The recommendations resulting from the above considerations may now be summarized as follows:

(1) That Hong Kong should as far as possible conform to the pension system which has been found by experience to be best adapted for the circumstances of Colonial Governments;

(2) That it should adopt the proposals of the

grahity

1922-24 Committee as to death gratuity, and reduced pension the latter to be optional for present officers and compulsory for future entrants;

(3) That the value of free quarters or rent allowance should be reckoned as a pensionable emolument as proposed by the Governor;

Consideration might be given if denied & an anaugs- (4) Thaty pension of European officers should be calculated in 600ths, the present climatic addition being withdrawn. (In view of the concessions under (2) and (3) there would be no need to make acceptance of this arrangement optional in the case of existing officers) The rate for non-European officers should still be

but it might be

720ths, and it is worth considering whether in their case the 5/60ths climatic allowance should not be

withdrawn