CO129-612-2 Police Department- petition from European memebers of Inspectorate 29-1-1948 - 22-7-1949 — Page 237

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compensated in the new scale and conditions.

e. g.

(a) Free furnished quarters.

(b) Free Fuel and Light.

(c) Cruising Launch Allowance.

(d) Hard Lying Allowance.

8. That a Comparative Table of monthly salaries and usual allowances calculated in dollars for

1941, 1946 and 1948, including in all cases the Maximum Ex Patriation Allowance and High Cost of Living

Allowance (although many Officers do not in fact receive these maximum allowances) is attached hereto

marked 'Schedule A'. That the proposed new scales shows the following increases and percentage increases.

Sub-Inspector

Inspector

Chief Inspector

Increase over 1941 scale.

$465 or 118%

Increase over 1946 scale.

$132 or 18% $187 or 19%

79%

$520 or $668 or 79%

$408 or 36%

That if the High Cost of Living Allowance be excluded from the salaries shewn in Table A (and this

allowance is not payable whilst on furlough leave, nor taken into account when assessing pensions) then the

increases of the 1948 salaries over those of 1941 are:-

Sub-Inspector

Inspector

Chief Inspector

81% instead of 118%

as shewn

58%

#1

"

79%

11

11

64%

#!

11

79%

11

12

That the cost of living has increased at least 400% over 1941 prices and that the 1946 Wholesale Prices

Index published by the Government of Hong Kong shewed increases of 704% over prices obtaining in 1938.-

That in support of the above remarks there is attached a Schedule marked "B" being an extract from

the South China Morning Post giving a comparative statement of various essential articles and also an

extract from a Circular letter marked Schedule "C" sent by the Colonial Office discouraging wives from

rejoining their husbands in the service of the Hong Kong Government because of the high cost of living.

9. That all Government charges have been increased considerably, notably fines, to take congnizance of (a) the fall in the purchasing power of the dollar, and (b) the increased prices of commodities.

That in support of this statement is an extract marked "D" from the Hong Kong Government Gazette

reporting the increase of penalties under the Dangerous Goods Ordinance by 300% because the purchasing

value of money has so decreased that the former penalties were no longer deterrents.

And further that by an Ordinance intituled. The Separation and Maintenance Ordinance 1948 (No.42 of 1948) a magistrate may order a husband to pay his wife a sum not exceeding $250.00 per week instead of $50.00 per week authorised by the Separation and Maintenance Ordinance 1935 and by the same Ordinance the weekly allowance for each child was increased to $30.00 instead of $10.00.

10. That the dollar salaries shewn in Schedule A, when converted to Sterling might appear to be large by United Kingdom standards but due consideration must be given to the high prices obtaining here for all commodities, and to the fact that Europeans must save against their furlough leave and eventual retirement,

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