Sessional_Paper_1930 — Page 74

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Non-European Wireless and Telegraph Staff.--This staff has always been graded on salaries approximating very closely to those of corresponding grades of the Junior Clerical Staff, with which it has many affinities. In the Estimates for 1930, coin- cidently with its transfer to Post Office control, its alignment with the Junior Clerical Service was made complete. The Report, however, awards less favourable salaries grade for grade to the former. This in the opinion of the Government is not only undesirable as upsetting a recently established balance, but inequitable in that Wire- less and Telegraphic Staff require in addition to clerical knowledge considerable skill of a technical kind. It is, therefore, recommended that the scales for this staff shall be:-

Class II Telegraphists (formerly Traffic Supervisors) $2,700 to $3,300 by

$150 annually.

Class III Telegraphists $1,900 to $2,600 by $100 annually.

Class IV Telegraphists $1,500 to $1,800 by $100 annually.

Class V Telegraphists $1,100 to $1,400 by $100 annually.

Class VI Telegraphists $480 to $1,050 by one increment $60, one of $160, three of $50 and two of $100 as in paragraph 52 of the Report.

Paragraphs 155 and 159. Kowloon-Canton Railway.

Paragraph 156.-One Telephone Operator, an ex-ticket collector disabled on duty has already been promoted to Class V in the Junior Clerical Service and should receive revised salary accordingly.

Paragraph 157-Owing to the imminent retirement of the holder. the Com- missioners were not informed of the existence of one post of Head Driver carrying with it the not inconsiderable responsibility of training and testing the other drivers. The present salary of the post is $800 to $950 by $25 annually and it is recom- mended that on revision it shall become $900 to $1,050 by $50 annually.

Paragraph 158.-The salary allotted to the Assistant Mechanical Engineer is considered to be too low for an officer who is fully competent to take charge during the absence of the Chief Mechanical Engineer of the whole locomotive fleet of the line and is besides a very competent and hard worked motor engineer. It is ac- cordingly recommended that his scale should be £550 to £700 by £25 annually.

Paragraph 163. Acting pay for Cadet Officers.

Although, as will be seen from paragraph 42, the Commissioners were aware that appointment to the First Class of the Cadet Service is not by posts, their recom- mendations in this paragraph only apply, if there are definite holders of all the posts named. For General Order 92 (1), which is quoted in the preceding paragraph of the Report and is recommended here for application, refers to the absence of the holder. It is, therefore, recommended that the rule in this matter shall be that any Cadet Officer below the First Class, who acts continuously for a period of over two months in any of the following posts.

Treasurer,

Principal Assistant Colonial Secretary,

First Magistrate,

Director of Education,

Postmaster General,

Superintendent of Imports and Exports,

The six posts

shall receive acting pay in accordance with General Order 92 (1). named, together with the Secretaryship for Chinese Affairs (about which, being now a definite appointment, there is no difficulty), will then correspond to the seven First Class appointments recommended in paragraph 42.

At the same time it is recommended that the allowances referred to in the final clause of paragraph 163 shall be abolished; also the allowances (not mentioned in the Report) now drawn by the Principal and Second Assistant Colonial Secretary, for duty as Clerk and Deputy Clerk of Councils respectively.