CO129-623-1 Rubber Industry- report and correspondence on the labour situation 1-4-1950 - 31-1-1951 — Page 62

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is clear enough from the Parliamentary Answer.

If the percentage increase of wage rates since

before the war is compared with the rise in

comparatively speating the cost of living index (which is a reliable

4

the

one you will see that in general wages

have gone up by more than the cost of living

since pre-war and that as a result real wages

have increased.

As to your question (d), we can

certainly say that wages generally in Hong Kong

(and as pointed out above the rubber footwear

industry does not differ very considerably

from the general standard) are high by Far

East standards; in fact they are probably the

highest anywhere in the Far East.

I trust that the above information

will be sufficient for your purposes.

Yours sincerely,