CONFIDENTIAL
8th January 1946
To: War Office for Civil Affairs and Colonial Office
From: Civil Affairs, Hong Kong.
186
SAVING TELEGRAM NO. 1366
1. The question of re-organisation of the Police was,
as you are aware, under consideration while Planning Unit was still in London. A revised scale for the European. Inspectorate of £260 - £535 with a 3-year wait at £430 was approved for new entrants only, although it was recognised that it must ultimately be applied to serving members of the Force and that it would react on posts on
similar salary levels in other departments. Further salary revisions were therefore indicated. The pre-war practice of recruiting European Sergeants at £190 is one of the principal factors which has made a re-organisation of the Police Force an urgent necessity. The evils of recruiting Europeans on very low rates of pay where it is their duty to enforce the law are perhaps more apparent than they were and in any case the time has come to employ Chinese Sub-Inspectors in Hong Kong in accordance with the approved policy of only utilising imported personnel where suitable local candidates are not forthcoming. If Chinese are being given greater responsibility it is important that a more intelligent type should be recruited. This involves a revision of rates for the Chinese rank and file as at present a Police recruit draws the same as an unskilled coolie. It is realised that normally salary rates should not be adjusted under a Military Administration and that this should await the resumption of Civil Government. If however a really good Police Force is to be built up, it must be done now. If it is delayed for a few months more the old evils will again creep in.
2.
Close study has been made of this question and
the following proposals are submitted.
www
European Inspector Grade Scales approved in Park Street to be adopted for new entrants. These are; Sub-Inspectors £260 x 10 320 x 15 - 350 x 20 - 370 x 15 430. Inspectors £475 x 20 - 535. Chief Inspectors £600 x 25 700. Rank of European Sergeant to be abolished and title of existing Sergeants to be changed to Sub-Inspector.
The establishment of Chief Inspectors, Inspectors and Sub-Inspectors to be fixed at 115 as compared with the present combined establishment of Inspectors and Sergeants of 277.
3. The application of the new scale to serving Inspectors would even under normal conditions involve considerable work but owing to the complications caused by the fact that a period of Japanese occupation has intervened, it will be much more difficult and it cannot be undertaken with the present staff. Similarly application of the new rates to posts of a similar type in other departments is a matter which must be done thoroughly and that too cannot be undertaken at present. Moreover, there is considerable discontent among junior clerical service and some revision there will also be necessary. It is
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.