Sessional_Paper_1948 — Page 29

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present system of three separate clerical services, one staffed mainly by Chinese officers, one by local non-Chinese officers and one by European officers and the substitution therefore of a General Clerical Service open to candidates of all races. For this service we recommend that new candidates should be selected by competitive examination which should only be open to persons in possession of the Hong Kong School Leaving Certificate or some higher qualification. We consider that this competitive examination should include an intelligence test and should not be exclusively in prescribed subjects. We have proposed a two year period of probation during which time probationer clerks should be given the opportunity of training both in clerical and accounting duties. On the clerical side probationer clerks would be required to have a reasonable knowledge of General Orders and of Governmental routine. On the accounting side they should be given the opportunity of learning the principles of book- keeping and of the Government accounting system. At the end of their probationary period, we recommend that they should be required to pass an examination in these subjects before being admitted to the permanent establishment.

82. We recommend the division of the General Clerical Service into four grades-grade III on a scale rising from $1,800 per annum to $2,580, grade II from $2,760 to $4,200, grade I from $4,500 to $6,000, and a special grade from $6,360 to $8,160. Each grade should be separated by a promotion bar, but the ratio of posts in grades I and II to those in grade III should be such as to ensure that a clerk of reasonable efficiency could look forward to reaching the top of grade I before retirement even if he did not receive further promotion. We recommend that promotion to the special grade should be reserved for clerks of exceptional merit including those with long service and excellent records who may not be suitable for promotion to the executive grade referred to below and those who have specialised in interpreting, shorthand or accounting. We anticipate that in the course of time the necessity for retaining this grade except for specialists will tend to disappear in view of the opportunity for promotion from the General Clerical Service to the executive grade.

83. It has been represented to us that the duties performed by senior members of the Junior Clerical Service and by many members of the Senior Clerical and Accounting (Local) Service and the Senior Clerical and Accounting Service are not exclusively concerned with clerical or accounting matters but are of an executive or administrative nature. We recommend therefore the establishment of an executive grade similar to that in the Home Civil Service, to which entry should be either by promotion from the General Clerical Service or by direct recruitment from outside and that above this grade there should be a senior executive grade containing a number of scheduled posts carrying greater responsibilities of an administrative nature. Appointment to this latter grade would normally be by selection from the executive grade with the reservation that appointment from outside might be necessary if no officer with suitable qualifications was available for promotion from the executive grade. Direct recruitment to the executive grade would be by competitive examination and the minimum qualification should be a University degree or a qualification accepted by the competent authorities as its equivalent. The competitive examination should be of a similar standard to those set by the Civil Service Commissioners in England for comparable grades of the Civil Service. We have specified a two year period of probation for local officers directly appointed and recommend that "before confirmation they should be required to pass a test in General Orders and Colonial Regulations dealing with public business. In the case of non-Chinese entrants we suggest a three year period of probation and recommend that such officers should be required in addition to obtain the first two certificates in Cantonese before confirmation. In the case of officers to be promoted from the clerical grade, promotion should depend upon the passing of an examination designed not only to test knowledge in General Orders and Colonial Regulations relating to public business, but also to test intelligence and ability to take responsibility. We recommend that promotion to this grade should be entirely by merit and not dependent upon length of service. We have accordingly fixed the initial starting point of the executive officer grade II at $4,800 per annum at a point within the scale for clerical officers grade I. Some officers in the clerical grades may show promise before this stage; others may develop later. We consider that both categories should have equal chances of promotion. Officers drawing more than $4,800 per annum should_on_promotion be placed on the next increment in the executive grade scale above their clerical grade salary. We realise that some officers in the clerical grade may be capable of loyal and efficient service of a routine nature but may never display the additional initiative and executive ability required by the executive grade officer. For them and for those officers who decide to specialise as interpreters, stenographers or cashiers, we consider that we have made adequate provision within the special grade.