CO129-533-13 Salaries- conversion rate of sterling 30-1-1931 - 21-1-1932 — Page 299

9.

426

They have not the guarantee which they

believed they possessed that their sterling

salaries would be inviolate, they have not the

guarantee that another and even more disadvantageous

rate of exchange may not be fixed, and they have not

even the guarantee that the dollar will not fall

to a lower rate of exchange than that at which it

now stands.

Every officer loses now more than sixpence

on every dollar which he receives for one half of

his salary the loss may be greater and the

-

officer's living expenses will most assuredly be

higher as the months pass.

Not having been given even that notice to

which the employee of a commercial concern would

be entitled before his contractual rights could

be altered, we have had no opportunity to lay

before your Lordship any statement of our case.

20. Your Petitioners have not been taken into

the confidence of the Government and therefore

can only surmise what reasons have been urged

up on Your Lordship for the purpose of influencing

your decision in this matter.

We would therefore crave leave to mention two

suggestions which have been urged in the Press of

the Colony as reasons for the reduction of our

salaries.

21. The first of such suggestions is that the Civil Servant should in times of commercial depression be prepared to accept an abatement of his salary.

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