Sessional_Paper_1911 — Page 10

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ENCLOSURE 2.

Report of the Committee appointed by the Governor.

We attach a statement which was prepared by Mr. MESSER in November, 1908. based on the conditions then existing. The figures show that, subject to certain proposed modifications in the leave regulations, the amount required to be deducted from the salaries of the officers in question in order to ensure that no charge would fall on the Government would then have been, say 2%. The result of the scheme would however probably be that officers would marry European wives and would marry earlier in which case the 21% deduction would prove insufficient. It has been assumed that every officer in the classes. dealt with, whether married or unmarried, would be required to participate in the scheme.

We consider that better service would be obtainable if home-leave were regular and greater facilities were afforded for family life and that therefore, as a matter of policy, the scheme should recommend itself to Government. If adopted, provision should be inade for its application in the case of all new appointments.

W. CHATHAM,

Director of Public Works.

F. J. BADELEY,

Captain Superintendent of Police.

C. MCI. MESser,

Postmaster General,

(formerly Head of the Sanitary Department).

5th April, 1910.

Rider.

One principle involved, to which there may be considerable objection, is that under this scheme the Government, instead of granting an officer three months leave on full pay, gives him a passage grant equal to three months full pay. This principle is acknowledged to a certain extent in the Police Force, where an officer is granted a bonus in lieu of leave and free passage. The scheme in this way would mean extra cost to Government. Under the present regulations when an officer is on full pay leave another officer is supposed to perform all the absent officer's duties at no cost to the Government. In the case of sub- ordinate officers this is as a general rule impossible and the absent officer's duties are arranged as it is called departmentally.

6th April, 1910.

C. McI. MESSER.

General Considerations.

1. After a period of five years and three months service the officer to have 9 months leave on pay and passage provided, i.e., in every cycle of 6 years, 5 years are resident service and 9 months pay leave.

2. During the year previous to the year in which pay leave is taken the officer to be entitled to no full pay leave. (The full pay leave for the other years to remain as at present under the existing Colonial Office regulations.) Any leave taken during the above men- tioned period to be deducted from the 9 months pay leave.

3. Assuming an officer receives a salary of £10 a month, under the present regulations his leave would be 3 months full pay leave plus 1/6 resident service at pay, i.e., in a cycle of 6 years (54) years 10 months, that is, the proposed scheme would mean a saving to Government of three months full pay leave and 1 months pay leave in every 6 years or £30 + £5.25—£35.25.