OUTWARD TELEGRAM
FROM THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES
278
179/181
5373/47-48 Part II.
Code
TO KONG YONG (SIX A. Grantham)
gent 10th January, 1946.
14.15 bre.
TY BY ADRIENNIERS, OTAR SEC-LEY
No. 44 Confidential.
Addreesed Governor, Hong Kong.
Repentad
Anid (195) (198)
No.57)
Qovernordineral, Malays (at Bingapore, No. 38. (Pleess pass to Governor, Singapore, Governor, Malayan Union, No.62.
(161/164)
My telegram No. 1976 repeated Govertor-General, Malays No.800, Governor Singapore No.1337, Governor Malayan Union No.1674. Paragraph 3.
eliowance.
Hong Kong Salaries Commission. Eigh cost of living
Opas cũ living; allowanced are, I think it must be accepted, designi coinly to prevent ufficers from Buffering undue hardship through a temporary rise in coat of canential commodities and servicos. Where an officer'a emolumenta ere already clearly sufiolent to protect him from such hardship a oost of living allowance is difficult to justify and I therefore suggest that cost of living allowances in Hong Kong above 81,499 per venavn sbould be tapered off so as to disappear altogether at about £1,700 per annum. Bafors expressing a final view on this matter I should be glad of your observations, in particular as to figure at which the allowance should disappear.
2. I have emphasised in previous telegram temporary nature of cost of living allowance and importance I attach to its future regulation. Material which has just come to hand here, following recent enquiry by war Office Zor its own purposes, covering such goods and services as clothing, washing, servants, obemical and tollet supplies, transport, recreation and rents, bat not food, goes to show that cost of living la Singapore is appreciably higher then in Hong Kong. Indeed Zor services lleted difference is aslculated at upwards of 30% in favour of HOSS Kong and War Offloe are fixing their local overoans allowancgR accordingly. Cost of living allowancge proposed for the two colonies by respective galaries Comniasions do not appear to reflect this dif@aronco and I should have wlobed to give thiÃa point further cooideration, had 16 pod boen for the urgency of making an announcemeEt la Bong Kong. You will appreciate that Apart from merits of oase difficulties may arise in meki Og arrangementa for U.K. milltary and civilian personnel who will be called upon to serve in either Malaya or Hong Kong.
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3. Should the anomaly which appaure to extat se between Hong Kong and Malaye ba aubatantiated on further study, I would ask that it should be corrected as BOON es possible when the rate of cost of living allowances is reviewed. This should be the more readily accomplished 12 tlure la full consultation and co-operation with Singapore and Malaya in the propozad reviewe. une of the firat objaoto of the Boards Of Reviewers when set up, will no doubt be to consider at roughly what points, the rospective cost of living allowances should disappear.
14x
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