TNAG-0007-FCO40-43-Governorship-of-Hong-Kong-1968 — Page 27

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

Our reference: SA.216/01 Your reference: FP. 1/10

Dean Hemeth

MINISTRY OF OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT Eland House, Stag Place, LONDON S.W.1

Telegrams: Ministrant, London, Telex

!

Telephone: 01-834-2377

Ext. 376

M L. F. Haunt

ille

9th August, 1968 Plaend photocopies

to the recipients of

My man with and R.

Thank you for sending me a copy of your proposed letter to the Treasury on Govemors' emoluments.

Clearly a great deal of work has been put into preparing your proposals and C.F.P.D. is to be congratulated on a very thoroughgoing analysis. In commenting on your draft I propose to confine myself to the Establishments aspect of the proposal as I understand that Owen Hughes has already replied vice Maurice Smith, while Birrell will be replying separately vice John West.

It is not for us to comment on the considerations which have been taken into account in framing your proposals, but if I may say so, appear to be the right ones. The "league table" also seems right to..

they US. It should certainly help us to attract rather more serving candidates of the right calibre for the smaller governorships.. goes without saying that the revised salaries will also widen the field of choice outside HMOCS, which is highly desirable given the narrowing field of talent available within it.

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It

I have only two comments on matters of detail. The first is that the various salary increases proposed would, if approved widen the differantial between the Governor and his next most highly paid subordinate quite substantially in several cases (e.g. British Honduras, Gibraltar, Seychelles). I take it that you are satisfied that this will not lead to rumblings of discontent, whether in the Administration or the higher ranks of the Judiciary?

The other concerns Bahamas and Bermuda. You suggest that the existing salaries be left as they are for the time being. Need we even go so far as this? If the local Governments are prepared to present scale of emoluments are we really obliged to tamper with them? pay the I should have thought that we might, particularly in Bermuda, be storing up trouble if we implied that we might be prepared to consider a downward revision of the Governor's salary. The Island Government might well object to a suggestion that they should economise on one of their principal tourist attractions.

K.C. Christofas, Esq., M.B.E.,

Commonwealth office,

London, S.W.1.

(N.B.J. Huijsman)

HEA

ELF.

*

-210/6

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