CO129-523-2 Appointment of Colonial Auditor 30-1-1930 - 7-7-1930 — Page 7

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the post are not definitely settled is of

course a serious handicap in dealing with the

matter at the moment. It would be a great

convenience if this could be settled within, say,

the next three or four weeks so that the

officers could be sounded knowing what the

post is going to be worth. As regards the

future salary, the telegram sent on 3rd

February (No.2) was unhappily worded. What

I said in my minute of 29th January (No.1)

was that the pay of the Auditor should be

more than the salary of the Deputy Treasurer

(or whatever the second officer in the

Treasury is called) and at least on a level

with the pay drawn by Heads of Departments

next below those who are members of the

Executive Council and that he should not

be treated as the Head of a minor Department.

But in the telegram the S. of S. is made to

say that the salary of the Auditor should

not be less than those of Heads of minor

Departments, to which the Hong Kong Govern-

ment of course reply (No.5) that the proposed

salary is quite up to that proposed for

Heads of minor Departments.

The O.A.G's.

statement that "Of minor departments only

two heads, Crown Solicitor and Land Officer,

are on equivalent scale" is not strictly

correct, for the minimum salary proposed

for them is £1150, not £1100. But my point

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is that the Auditor is not the Head of a

"Minor Department" and should get more than

such officers.

In