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HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
Regarding the first of these, very far reaching proposals for a revision of salary scales have within the past few days been received from the Secretary of State for the Colonies. These proposals will require careful study and the Government is not yet in a position to make a pronouncement on the subject.
The decision of Government to substitute wherever possible dollar-paid for sterling-paid officers has already been announced and I have nothing to add to the statements already made in this Council.
The Colonial Treasurer is carrying out an investigation of rent and other allowances paid to Government services. These allowances were carefully considered in 1931 and some reductions were made. on that occasion, but it is felt that it may be possible to effect further economies in this direction. It is however worth mentioning in this connection that the proposals of the Secretary of State to which I have referred, include the provision of free quarters even to Senior Officers. Such matters as acting and leave pay are in general governed by Colonial Regulations common to the whole Colonial Service and any proposal to introduce modifications which would place Hong Kong officers at a disadvantage compared with those serving in other Colonies would not, I feel, be readily accepted by the Colonial Office, at a time when every effort is being made to secure the unification of conditions of employment in the Colonial Service.
The proposal to transfer to private medical practitioners, on a contract basis, the attendance on Government Servants at present performed by one part time Medical Officer in Hong Kong and one in Kowloon, apart from other considerations, does not appeal to the Government on grounds of economy. The number of officers to be covered runs into thousands; and, even at an annual rate far below that commonly charged for such a service, the cost must greatly exceed the cost to Government of the Medical Officers who are now employed on this work. Moreover, the position with regard to these Medical Officers was very fully explained by the Director of Medical and Sanitary Services in his speech before this Council on March 19. They perform many other duties besides attending Government servants, and the Government is satisfied that no reduction in personnel could be achieved by the change.
I pass over the question of the staffing of Government Hospitals, and the proposal to appoint a Commission or Committee to investigate the matters dealt with in the speech of the Honourable the Senior Unofficial Member, as I understand that Your Excellency intends to address the Council on
on these subjects. I have only one
one more cbservation to make: much as the Government regret the necessity for this Bill it is better, in their opinion, to meet the emergency with measures admittedly temporary than to attempt to set up what we hope will be a lasting system without giving most careful consideration to every aspect of the matter. (Applause).
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