CO129-534-3 Report of Retrenchment Commission 4-5-1931 - 19-2-1932 — Page 184

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moreover the pension annually increases.

From observation of

the witnesses before them the Commissioners have come to the

conclusion that, only in the case of a very few of the officers who have attained the age of 55 years ( a list of officers aged

50 and over is attached), it is in the interests of Governmont

to retain their services. They would specially mention Mr.

H.K. Holmes, C.B.E., Crown Solicitor, Mr. E.W. Carpenter, 0.B.E.

Assistant Director of Public Works, Mr. G.A. Walker, Traffic

Manager, Kowloon-Canton Railway, and Mr. P.D. Keyser, Inspector

of Works, P.W.D., as being officers who services they

strongly recommend should be retained if possible.

Possibly

one of the chief reasons for this decline in inefficiency of

over-age officers is that they rose to the higher posts in the

service too late in life. They were being kept out of them by

old men.

They are now in their turn similarly handicapping

their successors

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to the general detriment of the service.

The Commissioners therefore recommend that the rules

regarding retirement be brought into line with those of Malaya

and many other colonies, and that officers be permitted to

retire after they have attained the age of 50 years, and completed 20 years' service; conversely, however, Government

should then have the power to compel retirement at that age (which power should be promptly used in all necessary cases), and finally when officers attain the age of 55 years they be automatically retired, unless they be given special permission. by Executive Council to remain in the service.

4.

Women officers should, provided they have served for

eighteen years, be given the option to retire at the age of

45 years.

Similarly Government should also have the power to

call upon them to retire at this age irrespective of thei: longth of service and qualifications.

5.