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the dollar is at 2/6d.
Under the existing system
a 20% increase of salaries is already being granted
which has the effect of salaries being paid at
what 12 dollars to the pound instead of 10, and/Sir C.
Clementi means is that the existing system of payment
should be maintained and that on top of it the
percentages shown in the scheme should be given when
the value of the dollar is between 2/6d and 1/9d.
In other words it is merely an extension downward
of the existing scale at a rather steeper rate than
had been previously contemplated. In view of the considerations advanced I think we may accept it
as justified and I would, therefore, approve its introduction on July 1st as proposed.
(2) Other interim measures. It seems to me,
however, very questionable whether we should agree
to the proposed alterations in the salaries scales for Cadets, Police, and European Masters. These alterations Sir C. Chementi considers immediately necessary in view of the difficulties of recruitment, but I observe that the effect of them is very small and it is obvious that the reasons for the difficulty experienced in recruiting candidates for Hong Kong are far wider and deeper than can be remedied by small adjustments in salary. Moreover on the recruitment point it seems highly probable that constitutional developments in Ceylon will mean that candidates will be less ready to prefer Ceylon to Hong Kong and this may assist recruitment for
proposed HK
Hong Kong in the period before the Salaries Commission has reported. Apart from these considerations it seems obviously sound policy that we should in any one department or branch of the Service attempt to
not
prejudge
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.