CO129-525-3 Estimates 1931 and other financial papers 16-1-1930 - 1-9-1932 — Page 24

be fermare Stould de

heft.

24

and the

Otherwise as

Mr Martin

May

before the

revived scheme

was brought into operation.

This has been referred to the Personnel

Division on the question of the proposed alteration. in the exchange rates for sterling salaries. As the Governor and the Department are satisfied as to the desirability on purely financial grounds of effecting a saving by ruling that while the exchange is below ls/6d. salaries should be converted into dollars as to one half at the governing exchange rate, and as to the other half at ls/6d. to the

dollar, this may presumably be taken for granted. It is, however, by no means equally clear that the

proposal does not involve a breach of faith with

officers.

I do not know in what terms the revision

of salaries was published to officers, and I think

we ought to know exactly how far the Government is

committed to conversion at the current rate of

exchange before we sanction any alteration in that

arrangement. I notice from the report of the debate in the Legislative Council enclosed in lo.20 on 72797/30 that the rate of exchange then was stated to be ls/3d., and that it was on this ground that the high cost of living allowance was abandoned It

seems to me to be extremely doubtful whether in those circumstances we can justifiably impose a further cut merely on the ground that the dollar is now at ls/4d.

Certainly