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be left out of account, 85 clerks to be considered. This discrepancy appears to be an objection to the Treasurer's scheme, and another objection is the aggregate cost of the proposed establishment, and the excessive rates, in some cases, that are assigned.

On looking at our Estimates I have been astonished at the scale of clerical salaries ruling here. I have had the corresponding figures taken out for Singapore, Mauritius, and Ceylon. I shall refer to those for Singapore and Mauritius at the end of this minute; meanwhile I will deal with the comparison with Ceylon with which I am more familiar.

In Ceylon the clerical service is divided into three classes-the first drawing over Rs 600 a year, the second, Rs 600 or $266, (I take the official equivalent of Rs 21 to the dollar throughout), and the third, under Rs 600. The average salary drawn in Ceylon by the 300 clerks in the departments coming first in the Blue Book is Rs 840, or $373.

Here the average drawn by our 85 clerks is $1,189. The highest salary drawn by a clerk in Ceylon is Rs 3,000 or $1,333. Here it is $4,536. In Ceylon there are only 4 clerks drawing $1,333, here we have one drawing over $4,500, 2 more drawing over $3,300, 9 more drawing from $2,200 to $3,000 and a number drawing close on $2,000..

Meanwhile official salaries other than clerical are higher in Ceylon than here, e. g., the Colonial Secretary draws Rs 24,000 or $10,666, and is given a house rent free.

The Attorney General draws Rs 18,000 or $7,999, besides private practice which is worth about as much again. The Auditor General draws the same and allowances. The Treasurer do., do. The Assistant Colonial Secretary Rs 12,000 or $5,333. &c., &c.

In view of these and other considerations the scale of clerical salaries here appears to me to be absolutely preposterous.

We have here a clerk, to take the most signal example, who is drawing more than our Auditor, a great deal more than his official superior, the Assistant Colonial Secretary, nearly as much as the Treasurer, who is a member of the Executive Council, and more than the second class of the Ceylon Civil Service. Ceylon civil servants have to pass a very stiff competitive examination, it takes them on an average 20 years' service to reach the second class, and the salary of that class is Rs 9,600 or $4,266. Here we have a clerk drawing $4,536!

In Singapore the average clerical salary is......$ 735 In Mauritius...

In Ceylon

In Hongkong

In the Treasurer's scheme

and he has, as I say, omitted some 22 clerks altogether.

744

373

1,189

1,239

3/6/92.

Minute by the Colonial Secretary to the Governor.

YOUR EXCELLENCY,

Since I wrote my minute of 3rd instant, I have seen the Secretary of State's despatch No. 112 of 3rd ultimo, and I now submit, in accordance with your direct- ions, the following minute upon it and in continuation of my previous minute.

As I do not wish to send it in to the Office, I am unable to have my figures checked. I hope they are correct.

In the following tables* I have entered in 6 classes all the clerks appearing in the Estimates for 1892, placing in each of the first five classes the clerks drawing as much as, or more than, the average salary proposed by the Secretary of State

* Not printed.