CO129-574-6 Hong Kong pensioners in India- rate of exchange 31-8-1938 - 26-10-1938 — Page 15

L

15

computed in all cases where officers are entitled to free quarters

or rent allowance in lieu thereof.

6. In the case of all Civil Servants such allowance or the

alternative of free quarters is considered as part of the

emoluments attaching to the appointment.

Your Petitioners are

the only Indian Officers in the service of the Government for

whom such allowance is not included in the amount on which their

pension is assessed. Attached to this Petition is a table showing

the difference the additional one-sixth would make to the pensions

of officers retiring at various lengths of service.

7. The principle of adding housing allowance at the rate of

one-sixth to the average salary for assessment of pension applies

to all Indian members of the Prison Department of whatever rank.

It may here be observed that Indian Officers of the Police

Force cannot earn the maximum pension attached to their rank until

after thirty five years' service where as the maximum can be

reached by Europe an officers after twenty five years' service.

8.

9. Your Petitioners have recently been notified that in yet

another direction they may expect to suffer hard ship in relation

to the amount payable to them on pension.

10. It appears from a notice which has been drawn to their

attention that the compensation in exchange, which pensioners

have been receiving since the value of the dollar in relation to

the Rupee in India fell about eight years ago, is to be discon-

tinued although Your Petitioners desire to observe that conditions

which led to such compensation being granted are the same to-day,

if not worse.

11. In 1930 the Hong Kong Government agreed to pay pensions

to all retired India domiciled officers at a minimum exchange

rate of Hong Kong $100 equals 112 Rupees.

-2-