CO129-599-1 Salaries Commission 8-12-1947 - 22-12-1947 — Page 357

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357

INWARD TELEGRAM

TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES

This document must be paraphrased if the communication of its contents to any person outside 'Government Service ie authorised. AMENDED COPY (addition to a in para. 2)

Cypher

FROM GOVERNOR-GENERAL, MALAYA(Mr. M. Macdonald)

Tat Singapore)

D. 25th November, 1947.

25th

警管

<?

11.55 hrs.

IMMEDIATZ

G.G. No. 411

Secret

Novembar.

Addressed to S. of S.

Repeated to Gov. Hong Kong, No.1988.

Repealed by bag to Gov. Malayan Union.

Repeated by bag to Gov. Singapore.

Reference your telegram No. 656 of 14th

Hong Kong Salaries Report.

Apart from eby local rauctions a

1.

Savingram received 24th instant and questions in paragraph 3 of your telegram No. 605 of 23rd October have been very hurriedly examined. Following paragraphs contain the views of the Governors of Malayan Union and Singapore.

2.

Ja regard to basic salaries, Hong Kong proposals ( ? for approvel of ) expatriation pay are generally more favourable (Singapore say much more favourable) than Malay an proposals in all grades. This is particularly the case in regard to minia of goales and shorter length of time scales./ referred to in paragraph below, this feature will tend to place Hong Kong in more favourable position than Malaya in regard to over'3483 zecruitment.

3.

Regarding cost of living allowances, Hong Kong proposals are much higher than those recommended by the Malayan Commlesion, Seems to us most difficult to justify this difference in view of the figures available here of the average prices in both Territories, which show that the average in Hong Kong ls below (repeat below) that in Malaya-

24

*

Until we can study Hong Kong's full report, which has just Arrived, we are not yet able to say how far the more generous proposals in Hong Kong referred to above will affect Malayein regard to the recruitment of officer personnel, particularly professional officers. Singapore will send further comments on this question later.

5..

There is little doubt that if Hong Kong proposal are ante-dated to either of the dates at present under omasideration, there will be an outery from the public servicts in Malaya for acceptance of the same date here.

since/