G
402-
Under the provisions of the above Ordinance no milk will be allowed to be removed from the infected sheds, so that the milk consumers of the colony need be under no apprehension as to the safety of the milk sent out by the Company. -I have the honour to be, &c.
"C. VIVIAN Ladds. "The Secretary, Sanitary Board.”
The PRESIDENT moved that the two sheds mentioned in the letter be declared an infected area and that the Government be informed of the receipt of the letter.
The CAPTAIN Superintendent of POLICE seconded.
Carried.
ADJOURNMENT.
The Board then adjourned until next Thurs- day.
THE OFFICIAL SALARIES QUESTION.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
|
School
Police:-
such a degree that his salary no longer suffices Pupil Teachers, to keep him in comfort and respectability. We are of opinion that an officer so situated may fairly ask the Government to reconsider the question of his salary, and we have accordingly recommended moderate increases of salary in cases which appear to us to fall within this category.
There is another class of cases in which these considerations may also be held to have some force. We refer to the cases of gentlemen with professional qualifications whose services are engaged from the mother country for a limited term of years and who find that, by the operation of the causes to which we have been referring, their appointments are a good deal less valuable than they were when they accepted them. It is perhaps reasonable that such a loss should be made good. at any rate to some extent, and it must also be borne in mind that if such an officer, becoming dissatisfied with the position in which he finds himself, resigns, his appointment, the trouble and up.
expense of replacing him are not inconsiderable. We have given effect to these views by recommending in- creases in the salaries of certain applicants holding offices in the Public Works Depart-
The following report of the Committee pointed to inquire into and report on certain applicatious for increase of salaries from officers in the public service of the colony was laid before the Legislative Council on the 22nd November:-
We, the members of the Committee appointed by His Excellency the Governor "to inquire into and report on certain applications for increase of salary from officers in the public service of this colony," have the honour to sub- mit the following report upon the matters referred to us.
We understood from the terms of the letter of appointment under which we are acting that our principal duty was to consider and deal with the applications individually and on their own merits, and not as affected by any general cou- siderations of policy relating to the pay of officers in the public service. Accordingly, we have read the papers having reference to each case and have carefully considered the reasous put forward by the applicant in support of his application, the report made apou the application by the applicant's superior officers, and any general or special circumstances bearing on the case. The schedule annexed bereto gives the necessary particulars with regard to the offices and salaries of the applicants, and also shows the recommendations which we make in the respective cases.
It does not appear to be necessary to state in detail and in each individual case the reasons which have weighed with us in adopting the conclusions at which we have arrived. It will perhaps be sufficient for us to indicate these reasons in a general way, some of them being more strictly applicable to one case or class of cases and some to another.
ment.
In two or three cases we have suggested in. creases on the score of long and meritorions services rendered by the applicants. In one or two instances our opinion in their four has been strengthened by the fact that the ap- plicants appear to have been unfortunate in the race for promotion in the service.
In a few instances we have recommended au increase because the salary of the office seems to us to be incommensurate with its duties and responsibilities, or because, as in the case of some of the lower graule offices. the salary is appreciably less than that which is paid in the open market to persons performing similar
duties.
In examining the various applications and coming to our conclusions upon them, we have referred to and considered the report and re- commendations of the Retrenchment Com- mittee of 1894.
}
If our suggestions for the augmentation of the salaries of some of the applicants are carried out, in whole or in part. #
be that the Government will receive application for increase of salaries from other public officers. But we venture to express the opinion that it would be desirable. in the interests both of the public service and of the community generally, that a rule should be established that such ap- plications will be received and considered only at certain fixed intervals of time, say, one or two years, as may be thought inost convenient.
J. W. CARRINGTON,
Chairman
C. P. CHATER. T. JACKSON.
Hongkong, 5th August, 1897,
SCHEDULE OF APPLICATIONS FOR INCREASE OF SALARY. Date Ini Pre Increase of tial sent recon- First
Sa. Sa- mended Appoint lary lary, per men. ment. Per Per seid,
Colonial Secretary's Office:- J A. Remedios, 4th Clerk.
F. F. Remedios, Clerk ..
A. Chapman, Assessor... Chan A-pui, Clerk to As
sessor
$
|
Belilios
R H Kotewal, Clerk Supreme Court:—
R F. Lammert, 1st Clerk C. J Xavier, 2nd Olerk ... J. Leonard, Ass.stant Bailiff Attorney General's Office :- FH. Kew, Clerk. Harbour Office:-
F. A Cordeiro, Clerk, Im- ports & Exports Office Fung-king-fuk, Clerk, Ma-
[November 24, 1897.
$60 by $60 yearly to $240.
30 30
10
1 1 90 26.0 82
80 121 60. 100
81
10
40 40
30
10
11 12 94 50 50
1 8 87 60
% 98
rine Surveyor's Office 21 188 40 40 Sanitary Department:-
28 7 79
H. McCallum, Secretary Post Office :—
M. A. Pereira, Clerk, Poet
Office, Shanghai Observatory:
Nil.
300 250
23 12 82
6 6 83
80 100
10
130 30
F. G. Figg, 1st Assistant...
* Personal and unpensionable.
3
REPORT BY T. H. WHITEHEAD.
1. I should be very glad indeed to be able to add my signature to the report dated 5th instant signed by His Honour Sir J. W. Carrington, Kt., C.M.G., the Honourable C. P. Chater. C.M.G., and Mr. T. Jackson, as I fully believe the applicants in question for an in. crease of salary are fully deserving thereof and are in reality underpaid, but I am still of the opinion expressed in my letter of 15th ultimo to the Chairman, copy of which is annexed, that the Committee has imposed on it the duty of taking into consideration in addition to the claims of the applicants the financial position of the colony and its ability to bear the increased charges proposed, and that unless satisfied on the latter point would not be justified in re- commending increases of salaries and allowances, no matter how strong the claims of individuals may be.
2. I entertain grave doubts in re the finan- cial position of the colony and its ability with- out increased taxation to meet any addition to the present expenditure. I find that as recently as in 1895 (see Sir Wm. Robinson's despatch of the 12th July and the Secretary of State's reply of the 3rd September of that year as per copy annexed*) several members of the Public Works Department were strongly recommended for increases of salary by the former Director of Public Works, Mr. Cooper, and that the Governor fully concurred in these recommenda- tions, yet that he with the full approval of Mr. Chamberlain refused to grant the proposed additions on the ground that the circumstances of the colony did not justify the additional expenditure. If this was true in 1895 and if the Governor and the Secretary of State felt themselves justified in refusing well-merited angmentations of salary because of the financial position then, what is to be said of the present position? I respectfully submit that the colony is now worse off than it was in 1895.
2. The cost of the administration for 1887- 1896 as shown in the following official state- ment was:-
Personal Exchange
Emolu. ments.
1-8577,303,0 **
..628,966.75
675,28.27
720,281 60
Yenr.
C..
month. month.
1887 571,767 29
3
$
Nil.
1880
40
40
Nil.
1:{}
1891
·
300
XI
IN 3
10
Nil. Nil. Nil.
9 4 89 60 60 10 7 90
12 $ 89
23 11 88 40 40
4 92 110 110 J. C. de Cunha, 2nd Clerk 16 LJ Lopes, Assistant Clerk 29 394 110 116 J. P. Silva, 4th Clerk 1 8 87 64 80 R. F. Drury, Assistant Public Works Department:
Engineer
A considerable number of the applicants have arged as a reason, and in some cases a principal reason, for their appeal that the cost of living in the colony has greatly increased within the last few years and in particular that house rents have become much higher. Another reason put forward in some cases is that the recent fall in the rate of exchange has seriously affected the pecuniary position of the applicants. We have felt some difficulty in dealing with reasons of this kind. If it were recognized that they were in themselves, without regard to other circumstances, valid and sufficient to justify a recommendation that the salary of the applicaut putting them forward should be in-Treasury:- creased so as to restore his impaired financial position, it is obvious that the same considerations would apply in the case of every officer in the public service, If the salary of a single officer were raised for these reasons, and these reasons alone, it would follow as a matter of justice that the salaries of all other officers should be raised in like manner. But we think these con- siderations may properly be allowed some weight in certain special circumstances. Take, for instance, the case of a junior officer whose salary was fixed some years ago, when the value of the silver dollar was higher and the cost of living, including house rent, was less, than they are now. His salary at that time was supposed to be adequate to enable him to maintain a standard of respectability suitable to his position. But his salary was small and probably was no more than sufficient for his needs. If this view issau, Survey Coolie correct, it seems to follow that such an officer may be, and probably is, affected by the financial changes to which we are referring to
|
C. C. Malsch, Superinten- dent Crown Lands
E M. Hazeland, Assistant
Engineer
P. Julyan, Clerk
J. A. Whenl, Overseer
J. Coyle, Overseer....
Foreman
1 12 87 150 200
25
1 584 190 250
503
1
8 89 30 120
20
}
1 95 100 .00
Nil.
3 695 104 104
Xil.
5 11 90
80
20
10
22 3 ST 70 100
10
1 9 S6 30 30 13 5.90 20 45
10
C 6
2
1 12 70
9
3
6 6
J. Carroll, Overseer Cornelius Grant, Foreman Tse-tsan-tai, Clerk
g-shan, Messenger. Lo-po,
Educational Department: - GH. Bateson Wright, Head
Master, Queen's College 26 1: 81 200 380 R. Soonderam, School Master 2 280 41 14
.
Nil.
NIL.
6
1-92704,140.73
1801
728,235.44
Compen. Other Pensiona.
sation. Charges.
$
C.
Total.
C. B C. $ C. 231,726.24 40,887,41 841,420.94 31,482.1. 48,412 68 937,400.80 331,070.10 55,613,75 1,015,680,00 305,610.90 51,819.31 1,035,468.48 #52,169.81 52,451.24 1,124,902,65
3:3,716.72 67,056.5) 1,244,993.99
3647.46 $6,76.79 1,178,352 69 742.197 13 22,578,21 401,7:0.05% 100,077.28 1,266,642,60 1895.721,1 5,73 1.9,40×95 409,8×0.03 112,776,97 1,866,181,61 1896.746,617.41 7,369 90 456,63 85 118,054.71 1,291,675.87 It will be observed that the expenditure, including pensions, exchange compensation and other charges, has been continuously and yearly on the increase ever since 1887. It has grown excessive and out of all proportion to the in- crease in the population during the same period.
+
The increase in the expenditure in 1896 as compared with 1887 is upwards of 64 per cent., whereas the increase in the population during the same period is about 27 per cent., and the increase in the rateable value of property is 32 per cent.
4.-The colony's gold payments are annually increasing in amount and the rate of exchange (in other words, the gold price of silver) is con- tinuously falling, and no one knows the limit to * Not printed.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.