30
feel tant ough a cafeguard is nopeasṣry in order to protect Hong Kong funie; but dilesa such an increase in salary sore to take place, it is our propeenl tant the rised rate siöntd'renzin fixeis Te must aintain firaly our view that an option of this nature must be offetei la the case of officers already in the Service;' Rase of these officers are alrɑady approaching retiring age, and they hav spent their lives in the bee ice of the Colony on the firm and hitherto justified assumption that they sere asured of sterling pensions at certain ratea. In the ease of new entrants no such sa GLAMĚŘÍ ON would be justified, but in the ouse of these serv.ng afficers, notaitustauding the objecta of an official rate as decribed in Banwort'a third paragraph, any undermining of the assumption at this stage would be tantamomt to a breach of fai the
The Governer has told us that there is strong feeling #songst orfieers on this point, and tint umiesz the option is given there may be cɔgalderable difficulty in getting the new terms accepted as a whole.
In the second paragraph of his letter, Bancraft refers to the precedent which other Colonies might mână to follow. It is this pusange of his letter, sere than anything else, which loads us to feel that he may have exaggerated the scope of the option proposal. This proposal applies to a limited àlasg of officers in a very special circumstance (tha computing of pensions on a aɔb-sterling as opposed to a sterliq: basis as one of the features st/a general revision of malarionį. A comparable' sta of affairs is likely to arise often lo otherge territories, and if it does, aertainly feel that this
se similar device zould have to adopted.
ta da
/AB
Page 30Page 31
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.