CO129-535-6 Leave and passage regulations 2-6-1931 - 30-3-1932 — Page 17

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for the same period of leave after three year periods, with passages paid on each occasion.

ii. The existing vacation and half-pay rules provide for six weeks vacation and two months half-pay on account of each year's resident service, with a proviso that vacat- ion leave cannot be granted in excess of five months at any one time. On this sy stem leave of ten months in all is just possible after the standard three years resident

service laid down in Colonial Regulation 116, but only by taking on half-pay practically the whole of the period not eamed by vacation leave, and for that reason either the

three year period is extended to four years or even longer or the duration of the leave is materially curtailed. During the earlier years of his service continuous residence in the Colony for over four years may not seriously affect the officer: but after twenty years service a shorter term of residence and a full length leave are equally desirable.

The suggested regulations contemplate a regular nine months leave on full pay after each tour of service

and constitute a reduction in total possible absences from

the Colony. Nine months is one month in excess of the Malayan rule, but allowance has to be made for the longer

joumey to and from Hong Kong.

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iii. Half-pay leave has been eliminated except for

the six months on account of each tour of service which can

be granted at the discretion of the Governor to cover emergencies, which it is not considered necessary to specify.

The rules conceming Sick Leave have been adopted almost unchanged from those in force in Malaya. The system at present in force in Hong Kong has given rise to consider- able difficulty in administration and has at times occasioned hardship. The new rules are considerably more generous but

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