Sessional_Paper_1897 — Page 511

HONGKONG.

No. 166.

SIR,

Governor

( 3 )

(Secretary of State to Governor.)

505

DOWNING STREET,

2nd July, 1895.

I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch No. 167 of the 21st of May last and to approve generally of your giving effect, as occasion offers, to the recommendations of the Retrenchment Committee so far as they affect the clerical staff of the various Government Departments.

I have the honour to be,

Sir,

Your most obedient,

humble Servant,

J. CHAMBERLAIN.

Sir W. ROBINSON, K.C.M.G.,

No. 222.

&c.,

&c.,

30.

(Governor to Secretary of State.)

SIR,

GOVERNMENT HOUSE, HONGKONG, 12th July, 1895.

I have the honour to transmit herewith a communication from the Director of Public Works regarding the salaries of certain members of the staff of the l'ublic Works Department.

Though I am inclined to concur in the view of the Director of Public Works that the Assistant Engineers are inadequately paid, I regret that I am unable to recommend the increases proposed, as I do not consider the circumstances of the Colony are such as to justify increases in salaries at the present time,

It is only right also to point out that the Retrenchment Committee, which has · only recently finished its inquiries into the expenditure of the Public Works Department, while calling attention to the large cost of the staff of that department, made no recommendations as to increasing the salaries of any of the officers mentioned by the Director of Public Works.

I have the honour to be,

Sir,

Your most obedient,

humble Servant,

WILLIAM ROBINSON.

The Right Honourable

Mr. J. CHAMBERLAIN, M.P.,

Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies,

&c.,

&C.,

&c.