7
This is primarily a petition requesting
that the increases proposed by the Salaries
Revision Commission should not be brought
into effect in view of the fall in the value
of the dollar subsequent to the Commission's
Report. It is a very reasonable petition
and should have been forwarded to the Secretary
of State at once. The reason given by the
Governor in paragraph 2 for holding it up
seems rather weak.
On the salaries question the petitioners
have a good case. The increases proposed
by the Salaries Commission are hard to
justify. either on the ground of the cost
of living in Hong Kong or bearing in view the
general financial position of the Colony. In
particular, when the dollar fell so rapidly
after the Commission reported, the whole
scheme should have been postponed, as Mr.
Southorn apparently suggested (See No. 10).
To grant such large increases in salary and
then to attempt to mollify the opposition
by appointing a Retrenchment Commission was
not the best way to procee.•
The increases in Government staff since
1921 are startling,
In the case of the Public
Works Department in particular, the work
has by no means increased proportionately.
There must be large scope for the Retrenchment
Commission, but whether that Commission will
really recommend urastic reductions remains
to be seen.
It was appointed last July,
and so far we have heard nothing more about it.
As
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.