CO129-568-10 Government Marine Surveyors- petition for increase in salary 30-12-1937 - 6-11-1939 — Page 46

3.

46

the present scales of salary for Government Marine Surveyors in Hong Kong as unduly low compared with the

salaries of similar officers at Home and of other

technical officers in the Colony. I do not think that

any useful direct comparison can be made between the

sterling equivalents of salaries in Hong Kong and Malaya

owing to the difference in value of the local currency

units but I observe that in Malaya the salary of a Marine

Surveyor compares favourably with that of an Assistant Engineer ($400-$600 per month) and has the same maximum as that of an Executive Engineer ($625-$800).

6. Moreover I am impressed by the importance

of the work of the Government Marine Surveyor and his

staff from the point of view of the maintenance of the

reputation of the port of Hong Kong, with particular

reference to the valuable activities of ship repairing

and ship building; and I am inclined to think that the

maximum salary for so responsible a post as the Head

of that Department should not be rated lower than that

of an Executive Engineer (£1300 per annum on the new

scale) or the Deputy Harbour Master (£1200, old scale).

It is one of the inevitable difficulties

7.

of a comparatively small department that it is impossible

to hold out the same prospects of promotion as in a

large department. I should be grateful if the Board of

Trade could be asked to consider whether there is any

possibility of regarding Government Marine Surveyors

in the Colonies as eligible for consideration in

appointments to the higher posts in the Board of Trade

itself. I appreciate the many difficulties in such an

arrangement but if it were possible it would afford some

improvement