CO129-610-1 Rehabilitation of Hong Kong University 3-1-1947 - 29-12-1947 — Page 33

32

And the

The

It was evident from our discussion that Dr. Sloss had been thinking of the possibility of restoring the University to its pre-1942

standard (and giving up for the moment the idea of re-establishing it on an extended basis), since he said that he had worked it out that in order to do this, the University would require some $700,000 revenue a year in excess of any estimate of revenue on which he felt he could count from existing sources, and that this would not cover rehabilitation of buildings and the re-equipment of the University. He agreed that the estimates in the Committee's report were very badly out.. Meanwhile, the University is functioning on a very limited scale indeed.

The file will be coming up to you shortly with a suggestion that there is no alternative but to accept the Treasury offer to re-consider åt

a future date, without pressing them to go further, and with drafts to Sir Bernard Gilbert

Sir Orme Sargent, on that basis. The communication to the Governor will be a telegram and will contain the suggestion that the University authorities will now no doubt prepare revised

proposals for the rehabilitation and re-establishment of the University in the light of that decision.

of

постови

$3.9.47.

Mr. Mayle.

Many thanks for your full note which was most useful during a long talk which I had with Dr.Sloss yesterday.

So far as concerns the report of the Salaries Commission, the only point which I need record is that Dr.Sloss impressed upon me the special importance of accepting the proposals for expatriation allowance in their present form. The proportion of expatriation allowance to total emoluments is not, he realises, high enough, but any attempt to raise that might well lose us the good will in this matter of Mr.M.K.Low and other unofficials who were only with difficulty persuaded to accept the present scheme.

As regards the Hong Kong University Dr.Sloss attaches particular importance to some token contribution by H.M.G. over and above any grant from the central allocation within C.D. & W. funds. He feels confident that

even