CO129-599-4 Salaries Commission- 1947 Report 1-1-1947 - 31-12-1949 — Page 37

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and raise families.

66.

One incidental difficulty ought to bo Licntioned. In a Chinese family many who would be excluded by any British definition of the torm freely share the family resources. Hence even in a period of relatively high unemployment it is possible to maintain vnge rates at what an observer would think to be a completely uneconomic level: the unemployed share fully in the encluments or the employed momborg of the family group. In Hong Kong, in a wage e traing economy this characteristic of a ruri community though weakening is still dominant. Le ar、 of the opinion that the Governicht mist in its servicos accept the pattern of a modern industrini ocolony. Our proposals, following the cxcmplo set in recent income tax logislation, aro idgusted to the narrower conception of the family.

67.

We are of the coinion that assistance to Government Gervants with children should be part of a general coc.al service scheme designed to benefit the community as a whole and not merely that small suction of the community which is employed by Goverment itself. Wo wore impressed by representations from members of the Junior Clerical Service and others regarding the heavy cost of education. We cannot, of course, recommend special privileges for the children of Government corvants in this connexion, but, although such a recommendasion is not strictly within our terms of reference, we enggest that Govorniont should e mender

Lifter ATO provision of froo primary education for the children of all pemont Hong Kong residents and of generous assistance towards the secondary education of such children.

63.

While we are unable to recommend any family or children's allowance as part of the permanent cmoluments of public officcre, we have attempted to moct the immodicbo problems of officers with children by suggesting a differentiation in the rates or temporary high cost of living allowance. Our proposals are set out in greater detail in Chapter X, but may be summarised as proscribing 100, of the rates suggested for married officers with children, 80. for married officers and 60,, for unmarried officers.

Specialist Allowances.

69.

It is in the public interest that, with proper safeguardy, the specialist nowledge of certain members of the Medical Department should be at the call of private practitioners: it seems reasonable to us that Government has a claim to foes carned for their work. The present arrangement by which theo quod om shared between the Government and the specialist seems to us to be open to abuse by any an who wishes materially to supple leat his income. Nevertheless such consultative work appears to us to be outside the functious for which the specialist was appointed and that he reasonably might nok that he should receive some remuneration for the exercise of his skill. To obviate the possibility of busc, and to give a man some reward for extra-conti etual work. wo would propose that the Government should consider the alternative of