CO129-524-10 Audit staff salaries 15-4-1930 - 15-4-1930 — Page 7

1 Ethi

Mr Gent,

I sun the pp on to you

7

This evening

20/3

With reference to my minute on 72768/30 HKong

I would point out that the scale of £450-£50-£700

proposed by the Salaries Commission for the 3rd

Assistant Auditor means a worsening of the position

of this officer as compared with cadet officers.

The Unpassed Cadet used to get £350 and £375 and

the Class II Cadet officers £400-825-£450-£50-£200.

In 1929 the salary of the Unpassed Cadet became

£375 and £400 and the Class II officer £440-£40-

£800-£50-£1200. The 3rd Assistant Auditor got

£400-£25-£450-£50-£600.

The salaries Commission

now propose that the Unpassed Cadet should get

£450 and £475 and the Class II officer £525-£50-£675

£75-£750-£100-£850-£50-£1400 as compared with

£450-£50-£700 for the 3rd Assistant Auditor.

From this point of view I consider that the

latter's scale should be £500-£50-£700.

I do not consider, however, that Hong Kong

is a Colony to which it is normally advisable to

appoint an Assistant Auditor who has had no previous

experience in Audit work. The Supervising Staff

(4 in all) is small for so important a Colony;

and it would be a distinct handicap for the Hong

Kong Audit Office to have to carry for a time

and train a new Assistant Auditor. If an Assistant

Auditor were appointed on the proposed minimum

£450 or even on the £500 which I suggest as the

minimum of the scale, his financial position would

compare unfavourably with the Fiji Assistant

Auditor who starts on £450, or with the West African

Assistant Auditor who starts on £400 + free quarters

and leave passages, if regard is had to the high

cost