Sessional_Paper_1900 — Page 421

HONGKONG.

415

No. 21

1900

SECRETARY OF STATE'S DESPATCH WITH REFERENCE TO THE GOVERNOR'S SALARY.

Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government.

HONGKONG.

No. 93.

SIR,

DOWNING STREET,

6th April, 1900.

Since my despatch No. 280 of the 8th December, 1899, was written, in which I anthorised the increase of the Governor's Entertainment Allowance by $3,000 a year, my attention has been drawn to the fact that the salary of the Governor is not equivalent to the full amount of £5,000, which by the Governor's Pension Act (28 and 29 Vict. Cap. 113) is laid down as the minimum salary entitling a Governor to the highest rate of pension on retirement.

2. I have the honour to inform you that I am of opinion that a Colony occu- pying the important position of Hongkong should pay its Governor a salary equivalent to £5,000, and I have little doubt that the Legislative Council will readily agree to do so.

3. I would suggest that out of the total salary of £5,000, £800 should be regarded as an Entertainment Allowance, that being the approximate equivalent of the present Entertainment Allowance of $8,000. The Exchange Compensation Allowance at present received by the Governor will, of course, cease to be paid.

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4. I have accordingly to request that you will lay these proposals before the Legislative Council, and that you will invite the Council to vote the increased salary from the 1st January next.

5. The proposal that the Governor's salary should be reckoned in sterling and paid to him at the current rate of exchange, is intended to meet the require- ments of the Imperial Act above referred to. The same argument does not apply to the ordinary Civil Service of the Colony, whose salaries will, of course, continue to be reckoned in dollars.

I have the honour to be,

Sir,

Your most obedient, humble Servant,

Governor

Sir HENRY A. BLAKE, G.C.M.G.,

fc.,

&c.

&C.,

J. CHAMBERLAIN.