CO129-533-13 Salaries- conversion rate of sterling 30-1-1931 - 21-1-1932 — Page 336

2.

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expects no bonus; nor has he the resource of seeking another

employer where conditions are more to his mind; when the

Colony is financially embarrassed he has the right to expect

that he will not suffer reduction of his emoluments. It is

not necessary for the present purpose tomention other points

of contrast. While it is recognised that the force majeure

of financial difficulties may override any contract or

quasi-contract, and that salaries are payable subject to

the ability of the Colony to pay them, yet no Government

can claim to have arrived at the point where repudiation

is necessary until every effort consistent with the

welfare of the Colony has been made to rind, by revision

of its revenue system, other means of meeting the circum-

-stances.

3. It is hoped, and it is in fact a condition of the

continuance of Hong Kong as a British Colony, that our pre-

-sent embarrassment is only temporary, though no one can

say how long it will last. It will not be out or place,

therefore, to give first among my suggestions one that

may be of temporary efficacy only, but which may help to

meet the most pressing needs of the Colony until other

schemes requiring longer consideration and preparation,

can be put into operation. The first suggestion, therefore,

is that expenditure be saved by calling on all Government

servants who may have reached the age of 55 to retire then

on pension, while promoting in their stead their natural

successors, who shall, however, draw none but their stipu-

-lated annual increments and no charge or other allowance

until such time as the circumstances or the Colony permit.

4. Equally a temporary measure, but possibly more

adequate as a substitute for the course against which the

peticion is submitted, is the following: Let a graduated

scale