CO129-599-2 Salaries Commission- 1947 Report 1-1-1947 - 31-12-1949 — Page 49

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for assistant superintendents at $7630 per annum procceding in the following year to $3640 per annum. They should be eligible for confirmation to the permanent establishment two years after entering the scale.

94.

We recommend a scale for assistant superintendents of police rising from $7680 per annum to $15600 per annum, with an efficiency bar between 11520 and 12000 per annum. We consider that advancement from the rank of assistant superintendent beyond 15600 per annum to the rank of superintendent should be by promotion and that in future the distinction between assistant superintendent and superintendent should not be merely a question of length of service or the passing of an efficiency bar. We do not recommend the retention of the rank of senior superintendent. We understand that Government has approved in principle the creation of a grade of assistant commissioner in addition to that of deputy commissioner. For the grade of assistanţ commissioner we recommend a basic salary of $22000, for the grade of deputy commissioner $24000 and for the Commissioner 20000 per annum.

Prisons Department.

95.

We are of the opinion that the pay and conditions of service of officers in the Prisons Department require considerable revision in order that the Department may function efficienctly upon modern lines. In the United Kingdom the prison service is on rates of pay practically identical with those of the various Police Forces and we recommend that both services should receive similar treatment here.

96.

We propose that in future the rank and file of the Prisons Department should not be restricted to Indian officers but should be open to local recruits as well. We recommend the abolition of the grades of guards and assistant warders. After the satisfactory completion of an initial training period of one year, a recruit would become a warder, and on promotion would proceed through the grades of assistant principal warder to principal warder, assistant chief warder and chief warder. Suitably qualified warders cimployed as drivers, electricians or locksmiths shoul in addition receive non-pensionable technician pay at the rate of $15 per month while so employed.

97.

We recommend the creation of a grade of prison officers grade II to which suitable local candidates who have obtained the Hong Kong School Leaving Certificate should be admitted as the result of a competitive examination. Promotion to prison officer grade I from grade II should depend upon the passing of an efficiency bar. We recommend that such overseas officers as it is necessary to recruit should be men with previous experience in the prison service and that they should enter as prison officers grade I and serve a three years' probation. Before confirmation to the permanent establishment they should be required to pass the first two examinations in Cantonese. We propose an efficiency bar in the scale for prison officers grade I between $7200 per annum and $7600 per annum. Promotion from prison officer grade I to principal officer and from principal officer to assistant chief officer and chief officer should be dependent upon vacancies.

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