**
April 7, 1900.j
been authorised to be appointed to investigate | the salaries of subordinate officials.
The Hoo. T. H. WHITEHEAD-May I ask what "subordinate officials" means?
I
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT. out. That is. the heads of not get increases
237
while the uk 0 for increases one made by what 1 may call
are
denied any increase, The reasons that apply to the heads of departments, such as increased rents and increased cost of living apply ten times more in regard to the subordinate officials.
The vote was then passed.
The CHAIRMAN-“ Subordinate officials take mean in the first place officers who have not been dealt with in the Secretary of State's dispatch, No. 280. All those officers are elim- inated from the inquiry, their caso having beensidered and passed. The minute was as follows: already dealt with."
The Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-And some have not. All the officers who have signed the memorial to the Secretary of State recently are they excluded from having their applica- tions further considered.
-No,
The CHAIRMAN-]
The official minute No. 13, was then cou-
That the Council do vote a sum of thirteen thousand dollars ($13,000) to cover the cost of increases on salaries for Chinese employees of the Govern neut, sanctioned by the telegram from the Secretary of State of the 24th February, 1901.7
This concluded the business.
HIS EXCELLENCY Major-General GASPOIGNE, C.M.G. (Commanding the Troops).
The Colonial Secretary).
Hon. F. H. MAY, C.M.G., (Acting
The Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-I see there are one or two heads of departments and others On the 5th instant a meeting of the Hong- among those who have signed the petition, and kong Legislative Council was held in tho if the Committee is to be only allowed to con-Council Chamber at the. Government Offices, sider the applications of the subordinate officers there being present:- the others will be naturally excluded from the consideration of the Committee. We asked that all applications shonld be considered by the Committee, and I wish to get at the point. We have asked for a Committee to investigate all other applications for increases in addition to those applications which have been granted. Will the Committee have power to investigate and report upon all applications? Because if not it may cause me to vote otherwise than I should;
The CHAIRMAN-I do.not think you appre- ciate what you have got. You think you hare got less than you asked for. You asked for a Committee to enquire into all other applica- tions. If you had got that it would have don- fiued you to a varyt few cases, because a number of officials made no application. If you had got what you asked it would have confined you to the consideration of about 25 cases
The HON. T. H. WHITEHEAD-There are a number of officials who have made applications, heads of departments and others, are they to be refused ?
ral).
Hon. W. MEIGH GOODMAN (Attorney Gene. Hon. A M. THOMSON (Colonial Treasurer). Hon. R. D. ORMSBY (Director of Public Works).
Hou. A. W. BREWIN. Hon. H. C. NICOLLE.
Hon. C. P. CHATER, C.M.G.
Hon. Dr. Ho KAI..
Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD. Hon. E. R. BELILIOS, C.M.G. Hon. WEI A YUK. ·
Hon. J. J. KESWICK.
by the majority of the Chinese employees of the superior officers of the service and the other the Government-granted only the appoint ment of a committee to enquire into what I may call the intermediate section, that is the sub- ordinate officials, and that is all t that the com mittee which has been appointed or which can be appointed (unless the Secretary of State's instructions are varied) can enquire into, To do what the honourable member asks would be, firstly, to do something other than what he asked the Secretary of State to do, and would also be to not contrary to the instructions of the Secretary of State.
HIS EXCELLENCY asked Mr. Whitehead to repeat his observation, as he did not quite grasp it.
The Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-The telegram which the unofficial members asked the Govern ment to send to the Secretary of State, accord- ing to my recollection, was that "all applica- tions" for increases of salaries should be refer red to the committee. I do not remember that the word "other" was included in the telegram. I suppose we are desirous that justice should be done to all members of the civil service who have applied for increases of salaries, because if others left out in the cold I should have voted the heads are to receive increases and the
very differently from what I did in the Finance Committee:
The Hon. Dr. Ho Kai-The senior unofficial member has a copy of the telegram.
The Hon. C. P. CHATER-If my memory serves me right, I think the statement made by the Honourable Acting Colonial Secretary is correct, and that it was requested that the
Mr. R. F. JOHNSTON (Acting Clerk of Coun. words "all other applications" should be în-
oils).
THE ACTING GOVERNOR. :
chair in the absence of the Governor, said-Gen- H.E. the MAJOR-GENERAL, in taking the tlemen, before we begin the business, I should
serted in the telegram. An exact copy of the telegram arranged by the unofficial members and if my memory serves me right it said was handed to the Governor and sent home,
all other applications."
45
The Hon. C. P. CHATER-I understand | Just like to say few words. Of course presid- | think the discussion would be curtailed if the
subordinate officials
heads of department P
means other than the
The CHAIRMAN-And assistant heads who have been dealt with.
to me. ing
at these meetings is work which is quite new At the same time, as I feel that I am surrounded by really personal friends, I know that any shortcomings of mine will be received with the utmost consideration. I can only say having been dealt with, they are not to be this, that I have but one desire, and that is to act single-mindedly for the benefit of the colony reopened ?
in which I have spent 18 of the happiest months number of dear frionds. (Applause.) in my life, and in which I have made a great
The Hou. T. H. WHITEHEAD--Their cases
The CHAIRMAN-The scope of the Commit- toe is limited to subordinate officers, and from its purview are excluded those officers whose -salaries have been dealt with by the Secretary of State already. That takes in the whole of the Chinese, because I am going to ask you to vote a sum of $13,000 to-day for the Chinese employ- ees of the Government below a cortain salary, and it practically takes away the whole of what you might call the superior officials dealt with- in that despatch No. 280. You will find that with the exception of some of the Public Works officers the officials mentioned in the des-
patch are Heads and assistant Heads of Depart
ments.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL-Has there been any application on behalf of the judges P
The CHAIRMAN-No.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL-Che' increase in the cost of living has affected them quite as much as anyone else.
THE NEW TERRITORY,
The ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY laid ou the table a report on the New Territory during the first year of British Administration.
FINANCIAL.
The ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY laid ou the table Financial Minute No. 14 and moved its adoption.
The COLONIAL TREASURER-SOConded and the motion was carried.
。
the table the report of the Finance Committes The ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARỶ laid on (No. 5) and moved its adoption.
The COLONIAL TREASURER seconded.
|
The ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY
honourable mombor would state whether he desires the committee to re-open the question of the salaries which have already been increased by the Secretary of State?
The Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-Certainly
not.
The ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY—Then mittee cannot enquire into the salary of the I think he has all he has asked for. The com-
Chief Justice or Puisne Judge, simply because these officers are not to be regarded as subordin- everything they asked for, seeing that they can ate officers. I think the committes have got.
enquire into every single salary in the servion other than those which have been increased by the Secretary of State and other than those which are obviously salaries of superior officers. and Chinese.
The Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-That being so I am quite satisfied, so long as it is made clear that their applications will be considered.
His Excellency the MAJOR-GENERAL¬Yes, it is clear. I could not quite see where the diff- culty lay.
The motion was passed."
THE WAGES QUESTION. The Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-Sir, before THE REFORMATORY AT CAUSEWAY BAY. that report, is adopted by this Council, I should The Họn, T, H. WHITEHEAD gave notice of like it to be clearly understood that the nu- the following question: Does the Govern The CHAIRMAN-I think gentlemen in the official meinbors asked the Government to apply ment, in view of the fact that a large area of position of judges are quite competent to fight to the Secretary of State for a committee to recently cut soil is exposed all round the build. their own onse and make their owu applications.euquire into "all applications" for inorenses of ing, consider it safe to send boys into the "Be
The Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD÷In this list salaries. The reply to the telegram limits the lilios Reformatory
" at
t Causeway Bay at any of applications from the Hongkong Civil Ser- enquiry to subordinate officers. I think, sir, tims within the next two years? Will the Go- vice many of the cases have been decided by that there should be no misunderstanding, and vernment before sending any boys into the Ro- the Secretary of State and cannot be re-opened that all applications for increases of salaries formatory obtain a detailed medical report (as and cannot come before the Committee.. If that should be put before the committee appointed to the sanitary condition of the surroundings is so the Secretary of State has not given us by His Excellency Sir Henry Blake. The of the Reformatory ?" what weasked for. Our object in asking for a increased st of living affects the junior officers commission of enquiry was to inquire into all of the civil service. I think, more keenly than applications other than those which have been perhaps the heads, and I hope all applications granted.
will be put before and considered by the com- mittes."
The CHAIRMAN-You can, enquire into the cases of those signatories of the Petition whose salaries have not been increased providing they are not superior officers. There are one or two who cannot be called subordinate officers Dr. Clark for instance. You can hardly call him a subordinate officer. His case is being
ately dealt with.
The Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-My object into this matter is simply with a view to see that justice is done to the Civil Service through
The ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY-In these matters I think it is very desirable to be strictly accurate. The telegram sent to the Secretary of State at the request of the unofficial meinbers of the Council did not ask that all applicatious for increases of salaries
THE PRICE OF FOOD STUFFS. The Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-Pursuant to notice 1 rise to move the resolution standing in my name, which reads as follows:-" That a Committee be appointed to enquire into the continuous rise in the market prices of most necessaries of life, such as meat, fish, and gar- den produce, and to report."
"The fapta as stated in the petition presented to the Council at the last meeting speak for themselves. The 152 ladies who sigued that petition deserve with in the petition undoubtedly
The evil dealt
should be referred to the committee. It asked every credit for their good won ests, and it
that "all other applications" should be referred to the committee. The Secretary of State having already granted two sets of applications
is a growing oue. Every one is practically aware of the fact. All applications for in-
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.