Sessional_Paper_1902 — Page 918

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20. The salary of the Land Officer should begin at £600 per aunum and rise to £780, in order to compensate for the few opportunities for promotion which are likely to fall to the holder of the post. Moreover the existing salary, converted into sterling at 3/-, is as much as £810 per annum.

21. The Director of the Observatory might be placed on the same level as Class III of the cadet service. The importance of the Botanical and Afforestation Department is increasing and I am not sure that the scale of salary which Sir H. BLAKE proposes is sufficient to secure an officer of high scientific attainments.

22. I would allow the First Assistant in the Observatory and the Assistant Superintendent in the Botanical and Afforestation Department, a further increment of £30 to a maximum salary of £360 per annum.

23. The salaries of the Sanitary Officers seem to me to be rather low, in view of the importance of obtaining and keeping the services of well-qualified and ex- perienced men for this work; and I would suggest that at any rate the sterling rates might be not less than the existing dollar salaries converted at 3/- the dollar.

24. I do not see any objection to the other salaries proposed by Sir HENRY BLAKE.

25. It is of importance that the introduction of the sterling scheme should not be delayed; and I shall therefore be glad if any representations that you may wish to make with a view to the reconsideration of any part of the proposals contained in this despatch can be made at the earliest possible date. If, however, you are of opinion that the scheme may be accepted, with the amendments which I have proposed, I would suggest that the scheme, as amended, should be published forth- with; and that officers who are now serving on dollar salaries should be given a period of six months, during which they may elect to come under its provisions. This period should be extended in the case of officers on leave by so much time as is necessary to permit of the scheme being communicated to them from the Colonial Secretary's Office.

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I have, etc.,

J. CHAMBERLAIN.

The Officer Administering the Government of

HONGKONG.