CO129-558-3 Levy on Salaries- petition from Chinese Civil Servants 3-1-1936 - 19-12-1936 — Page 39

39

See paras of (1) in 82798/31

flagged in

82798/3.

para 3

20 Gor Couf (An mail)

panas714

17

Inds peletion by officus

6/4/36

com

collar, salanes prop protestery ajaund

ley.

The arrangement of this petition is

not very clear, but I think that the argument

may fairly be summarised as follows:-

(1) It was admitted that prior to

1930 the dollar salaries paid to those in the

Government Service were inadequate, and the

petition quotes a statement by Sir Cecil

Clementi to this effect.

(This may be confirmed

from the terms of paragraph 3 of Sir H. Gollan's

x

supplementary memorandum in connection with the

Salaries Commission Report, dated 19th February,

1930).

(2) It is held that the recommenda-

tions of the Salaries Commission were not fully

implemented by the Government and that, in view

of what is stated to be a general rise in the

standard of living in the Chinese community,

even the revised salaries have increasingly

proved to be inadequate.

(3) Apart from this, it is stated

that the purchasing price of the dollar has

fallen, and examples are given comparing price

levels in July 1935 with those obtaining in

January 1936. The petitioners plead accordingly

for the complete abolition of the salary levy

in so far as it affects dollar salaries.