11
of refence limit us to the consideration of emplepus on monthly rates of pay.
in some
" however,
12.
The Committee is satisfied that oving to the greatly increased basic rates of pay recommended by the Salaries Commission cases an increase of up to 400% for unployees on present basic rates of pay below 2150,00 per monaca,such employees have already been substantially compensated for the increase in the Cost of Living on a pre-var basis. In rosset of the white-collar class. on basic monthly salaries from £150.00 to, say, $600.00 we are of the opinion that the present cost of living allowances are inadequate, and equally all the evidence that we received pointed clearly to the inadequacy of the present allowances as far as Officers on salarius excooding $600,00 por muisen are concerned.
13.
The conditions under which the clerical staff are required to live, oving to the High Cost of Living, particularly in respect of foodstuffs, and the shortage of accomodation, necensitate a low standard of living and, in sono casos, the socking of outside employment after office hours,
14.
3
In respect of the middle runks of the Service, ample evidence was received that the offort to make ends wcb on the present total remuneration is resulving in scrious harship. The reduction in the standard of living of such Officers is still causing rosig- nations and is creating discontent which cannot but affect the general morale and officiency of the Borvico. Junior xpatriate Officers, finding it imporrible to manyport their fandlies in Hong Kong, are sending them to their home countries, where costs of essentials are less than in Hong Kong. Inability to save or to pay premiums for insurance is causing acute amiety. The locally recruited staff on similar basic rator of pay are similarly hard put to it to suport thunrelves raid their familien.
•
15. In the higher ranks of the Scorice the inadequacy of the cost of living allowances in preventing of ficurs from maintaining a standard of living, necessarily more austere as compared with pre-war standards, in any way comparable with that enjoyed by their counterparts in the commercial world. This is similarly resulting in discouragement and anxiety. Pho prospects of saving towards the augmentation of pension are renotu. In fact, miny officers are froud, and have been forced for some time, to draw upon private means in order to my their way.
16.
It is relevent to observe that the presunt ratos ur those generally recommended by the Salarios Commission which, in putting forward its proposals, recognised that they were necessarily interim ratos framed upon the basis of o most conservativu intorprobation of the data available at that time. The Commission further advised an early revival.
17. Apart from the evidence rucival from members of the Service end a review of the position within our own puravnal knowledge, it is clear that the prosent rates of allowances are inadeguato in the light of the following data:
(1) The rates of allovances recently approved by tho Secretary of State on the rccomendations of the Malayan Joint Committee, for payment to the Survice in Singapore, as an addition to revised basic rates of pay substantially the same as those in Hong Kong, and in the light of a cost of living situation closely similar in those Colonies, are very much higher, as far as cx- patriato staff are concerned, than those at prosent paid in Hong Kong.
(ii) The average rates of allowances paid by commercial
companies in Hong Kong to their extriate staff are far higher oven than the Singapore rotos.
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