CO129-612-1 Police Department- petition from European memebers of Inspectorate 21-1-1947 - 17-2-1948 — Page 77

76

Police Headquarters,

New Oriental Building

Hong Kong, 28.7.47.

SUBJECT: FROM: TO:

Memorandum,

C.P.

Inspector J. Shepherd.

In reply to your letter dated 21.7.47, the confusion aroge between memoranda already with the Secretary of State and your memo. dated 29.1.47.

For that I must accept part responsibility by accepting from you a verbal request instead of referring you to Government General Order No.53 and by myself dealing with the Secretariat verbally and confirming a message by meno. before I had received confirmation.

#t

2.

I am satisfied that the confusion was unintentional. Your memorandum was, in fact, submitted to the" proper author- ities as the main issues were salary and seniority based upon salary, which came properly within the sphere of the Salary Commission, to whom it was sent:

3.

The age policy was discussed. You ventilated the point of the meno, on retirement and the data you had submitted, i.e. memo, dated 29.1.47, which Mr. SLOSS told you he had. The Commission also had a copy of Mr. Hall's letter.

You gave Mr. SLOSS copies of the data, including the Special Memorandum in question. The answer to your query is then that govern, ment referred the matter to the Salaries Commission and that you ventilated it there. As a result of these representations, I was examined ny the Salaries Commission on the subject.

4.

In view of the action of the pre-war officers concern- ed, it would appear that they have decided to represent themselve

.es.

The fact that they have done so while on leave raises no issue of discipline and my memo. on the subject was directed to clearing up the point of representation.

5.

I can find no legal authority for the issue of Special Meno. No. 50.

It appears to have been ultra vires on several grounds.

6.

The fact remains that your nemorandum has had the full consideration of the Salaries Commission and that the seniority b by salary issue has also been raised by pre-war Hong Kong officer on leave with the Secretary of State, who is now enquiring into the matter.

7.

May I suggest that the extravagance of language and pretensions in your memorandum of 21.7.47 is scarcely justified s and is calculated to do a disservice to the officers whom you claim to represent.

(sd) D:W: MacINTOSH:

C.P.