38
(July 22, 1907.
them at the present rate of exchange. And if it is alleged in reply that wa have endea. voured to prove too much : that were the differ- ence between the necessary and the actual as great as we represent, open crises must have occurred as they have not done; to that we reply, they have been staved off, but in many cases by the most unsatisfactory devices: wives and children bave been sent home, with no prospect of return: many of us have given up our houses and sold our belongings, and are living in hotels and boarding houses and messes like neither married men nor bachelors, and some of us have been compelled to abandon our policies on our lives as we can prove to Your Excellency. Were there any real hope for au early change for the batter we might have continued to endure in silence, as we have done for the past several years. But we know only too well that the cost of living is on the increase, and that the higher dollar has brought us no relief. We give in Table B some comparative figures to prove that we do not exaggerate.
:
THE HOGNKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
rents are high everything else will be high in | and secondly, that with regard to all officers, proportion. The considerable rise in wages the large reduction in salaries has con- paid to Chinese servants is in fact partly dre siderably reduced the amount available to the enhanced rents which they themselves for remittances;
or to take the сод. have to pay for their families. It is, verse case, where the amount remitted is, as We think, advisable that the Secretary it often must be, a constant quantity, the of State should realize what rents are paid in amount available for living in the Colony is in the Colony, Reats for medium-sized houses, its turn constantly diminishing. In urging decently situated, vary between $180 to $250 the S-cretary of State to re-consider his decision a month. Considering this from the point of we greatly rely on the action which the Colonial | view of sterling, with the dollar at 1,8 taking Office has sanctioned in the past to redress a mean rent of $200 a month (apart from rates), similar hardships. On four separate occasions, the rent is £16.13.4 a month or £200 per owing to the fluctuation of the dollar the Se- annum. With the dollar at 2/24 (the rate at oretary of State has sanctioned the grant of relief which salaries were paid this mouth) the rent by the Government to its officers. The change is £22.1.8 a month or £265 per annum. Con- from silver to sterling was made with a similar sidering the question from the silver point of object in view. We submit with respect and view with the dollar at 1/8, the mean salary in confidence that in doing this the Secretary of cluding exchange compensation of first class Sta e has recognised that it is the duty of a appointments may be put at $1,000 a month; Government to mitigate the hardships caused but with the dollar at 2/2 such a salary is by the uncertain course of exchange, and to do reduced to $755 a month. It will thus be seen what it can to eliminate the element of that rents in Hongkong are higher than uncertainty from its officers' salaries, those paid in England; and far exceed which is so prejudicial from every point The Secretary of State has informed Your the recognised proportion which rent should of view. The hardship from which civil Excellency that we are better paid than the bear to income, But putting this on one
servants are now suffering is 8.9 acute Public Servants of most other Colonies—a sta- side, whichever way it is looked at as on any previous occasion when measures of tement that we are not in a position to contro- ei ber the increasing sterling rent, or the redress have been adopted. But it differs in its vert, as we have not the information at our dis- diminishing currency salary, the question of nature from that which existed on the previous posal that might enable us to do so. Our con. house rent is not merely the principal item of occasions in one important particular and, tention is less ambitious, namely to prove that expenditure affected by the exchange, but is such owing to the facts which have been dwelt on in our pay is insufficient. There are however cer an important one that even if it stood alone it the preceding paragraphs, needs, we submit, tain items in our expenses which are peculiar to would, we respectfully submit, be sufficient different treatment. The consequences of a fall the Colony, as compared with others in the tro- warrant for the relief which we seek. In in the value of the currency may be in part pics, which are coal, excessive house-rent and the case of second class appointments, the redressed by exchange compensation based on the great cost of clothing dus both to the need of item for rent can hardly be diminished, the principle of bringing the dollar back to this providing against very hot and very cold weather, and it therefore bears a disastrous proportion value. But neither of these remedies is fitted and also to the destruction caused by the damp. to the officers' salaries. It is hardly possible to meet satisfactorily the converse case of a Steamer fares too are higher from here to En- to anticipate any reduction of rent, for hardship created by a rise in the value of the gland than from almost every other Crown Colony, the cost of building and of continuous repairs is currency. The case has this special feature Table C. shows that the enormous rents charged, such that even at the present bigh rents landlords that measures of relief occasion no extra cost to so far from falling with the rise of silver, bave do not find house property a profitable invest- the Colony, for the annual estimates are neces-greatly increased when reckoned in that metal, ment. Similarly with regard to the rates: thesarily based on the lowest probable rate of aud enormously increased when reckoned in monthly rate for a bouse rented at $200 is exchange, and the rise in the dollar saves the sterling. We have laid great stress on the $26 this at 1/8 in sterling is £2 33, 4d at 2/2 Colony so much on the, Estimates. and this increasing dollar prices, because therein lies the it is £2 178, 5d. The Government has not moreover at a time when the Government is key to our position. Under no possible circum- reduced the dollar value of the rates in con-profiting by the higher rat, in respect of stances could we gain by the rise of the dollar“ sequence of the high rate of exchange, nor remittances to England. We submit that since being paid in sterling it takes the same would it be possible for it to do so. There are
salaries must bear some definite relation to the proportion of our salaries to make our gold & number of smaller items the charges in respec cost of living in the Colony in which they purchases, whether silver is high or low. At of which always remain constant, and are not <re paid, and that they should not be subject the best, if silver prices at once and automati. affected by the rate of the dollar; such to fluctuation in the same way pensions to cally adjusted themselves to
28,
different doctors' charges, servants' wages, coolie bire, officers in a goli country should be paid in exchanges we should be as well though no batter gas, tram ticket, ohair hire. In all these, and gold, they also will be subject
But as we have shown silver prices so far some others of a similar nature, the actual cost fluctuation. What the proper system of pay. from showing a tendency to so adjust them. as expressed in £8. d. bas risen owing to the rise ment of salaries to civil servants should be in selves, even slowly, are steadily on the rise. in the dollar, e.g., the quarterly tram ticket on
order to satisfy these two essential conditions, the tram line is $30: this at 18 is in sterling it is not for us at the present moment to £2.10s. at 2/24 it is £3 68, 3d, or to take so suggest, but we submit that the defec's in domestic a matter as the price of cals (as the existing system which the recent important an item in housekeeping as it is in fluctuations in silver have revealed are 80 England) the coolie hire alone for carrying up serious that they can only be met satisfactorily a ton of coals to the Peak is $4-this at 13 is by a revision of the scheme of salaries. in sterling 68. 81, at 2/2 is 8s, itd. The wages of a Chinese boy less than 10 years ago was $12 a month: at the rate of exchange then ruling, this represented sterling at 2, £1.48. The wages now are $16 a month, or at 27, In making our selection of typical cases we £1.158.41. All other wages have risen in were impressed by the fact, that the additional proportion. Further, the tendency in every
cost of a married life is far heavier, in propor-i item in which the Chinese are concerned is to tion to that of a single mau, here than at home. ! rise in price irrespective of the value of the It is unnecessary to labour this point house dollar. The Chinese servants are perpetually rent and steamer fares alone would prove it. It struggling for an advance of wages, and in the seems inevitable therefore that our typical cases too frequent case of change of servants it is should be married men. It follows that they only with the greatest difficulty that new should also be men whose marriage could not servants can be engaged at the rate paid to have been considered by the Government as an their predecessors. Wages are an important act of imprudence, for the consequences of which -item being roughly not less than $100 a
they were themselves alone to blame. Further, month, including 4 chair coolies, for all our examples had to be chosen from different classes of officers. There can be little doubt grades of the Service. A gain. as the up- that the smaller items alluded to above bringing of ohildren is an ordinary consequence | (10.) Fresh milk together make a monthly total equivalent of marriage, we took for our typical cases (11) Clothes and boots .. in amount to the rent. The statements which officers on their highest increment, on the sap.| (12) Light and fuel we have made as to the cost of living will, we position that they had married on first reaching | (13.) Governess or school are confident, be borne out by the Unofficial their present appointments; and 150 have
fees Members of the Council, and also by any of the supposition that they have each a family (14.) Servants numerous old residents of Hongkong now in
three young
the children,
increas (15) Washing England, should the Secretary of State being cost of whose later education may (16.) Wines, pleased to consult them. The Secretary of be left to the future and subsequent promotion. State has pointed out that in the matter of The types selected by us to answer all these remittances the Civil Servants are no longer conditions were (1) the Head of a Junior (17.) Recreation and affected by the rate of exchange. This is an Department on a salary of $5.400 with com-
charities (8) Petty cash doubtedly true; but on the other band we would pensation, and (B a subordinate officer on a point out, first, that there are many officers who salary of £345. Table A gires what are permanent residents of the Colony, whose consider to be a reasonable rate of living for remittances home are necessarily far more these two Officers, together with explanatory These figures are based on a conservative limited than those whose home is in England: notes. It also given the salaries drawn by `estimate and allow no margin for entertainment.
or
to
In
The memorial signed by the heads of depart ments has some very significant statements. stating their case they select two typical and proceed:
of
cases
83
We
|
off.
TABLE A.
the
Estimated necessary income at present prices of (A) a Head of a Junior Department (Salary $5,400 per annum with double compensation (@ 3=$600 per mensem) and (B) à Junior Officer on a salary of £345 per annum (st 3-8255.56 per mensem).
EXPENSES PER MENSEM.
A
(1.) Saving on account of passiges home and back
(2.) Insurancs (3) Rent and taxes (4) Deprecation and upkeep of furniture (3.) Doctor (6) Datist.
(7.) Chemist
B
Percentage Percentage of Total. of Total.
(8.) Transport (trams, chairs and rickshas) (9) Compradore
8 60 7.3 835 9.8
9)
20 1.50 18.1 75 21.1
10
822 87 ***.
10
135
85
35) 20.5-}
23,9*
90
40
10
12
25
ærsted,
waters, ice and to- bacco
15
333
-92 23
25
10
25
10
327
355
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