CO129-534-3 Report of Retrenchment Commission 4-5-1931 - 19-2-1932 — Page 26

RETRENCHMENT COMMISSION.

GENERAL CONFIDENTIAL REPORT.

COMMENTARY.

26

Paragraphs 2 - 7.

Retiring Age.

The draft Pension Ordinance which was forwarded

with my confidential despatch of the 20th May, 1931, referred

to and dealt with the recommendations of the Commissioners.

That Ordinance legislates for the optional retirement of

officers at the age of 50 years, and, as stated in the

despatch, it is the intention of Government, by invoking its

power of calling on an officer to retire at the age of 55

years, to make retirement at not later than 55 the general

rule.

Provision is also made for the retirement of nursing

staff after twenty years service, even if not yet 50 years

of age.

The recommendation contained in the fifth paragraph

of the Report is hardly practicable; its main result would be

to increase the pensions bill of the Colony out of all

proportion to the advantages gained.

The only really

practicable way of effecting retrenchment is that set out in

the sixth paragraph.

Hong Kong Government.

This is the method employed by the

The seventh paragraph is dealt with

under the Public Works Department Report.

Paragraph 8. Conveyance and travelling allowances

in all departments had already, prior to the receipt of the

Report, been carefully scrutinized and reductions made: the

Government has gone as far as it considers practicable in

this matter.

Faragraph 9.

The suggestion was considered

by