CO129-577-8 Junior Clerical Service- petition for improvements in salaries and conditions of service 6-7-1939 - 19-12-1939 — Page 54

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12.

tone and quality of a man's work. A respectable commencing

salary will enhance an employee's self-respect and impress

upon him the responsibility of his position. This will result

in more responsible work and a better civil servant.

دوی

(a) Further, the cost of living in Hong Kong has steadily

increased from year to year. The steady decline in the

exchange value of the local dollar has made imported

foreign goods gradually dearer, especially wearing apparel.

This decline in the value of the dollar is not likely to

be retarded in the near future owing to the continuance

of the Sino-Japanese hostilities. House rent has also

increased from 20% to 50% since the outbreak of these

(b)

hostilities.

Though it is often said that a Chinese can live on

very little, this remark is not very helpful in as much

as any class of persons, forced by necessity, can live on

the barest minimum.

Another equally important factor is that the standard of

living of your petitioners as a whole has gone up. This

is inevitable, since it is part of a process of improvement

in their outlook on life. A salary which only provides

for bare existence and leaves nothing for recreation and

self-culture is no longer tolerable and is likely to sow

the seeds of discontent.

Conscious as they are of "face-saving" and the fact

that their position of trust entitles them to a better

social position and better remuneration, your petitioners

earnestly pray that reasonable encouragement will be

extended to their efforts to enhance their self-respect

and improve the tone and quality of the Service.

In the end increased efficiency will result from the

reasonable increase of remuneration as recommended herein.

For purpose of comparison your petitioners beg to give