Shanghai, Jan. 23. [HE Shanghai Municipal Council at its meeting yesterday adopted the Terms of Service Report of the Special Municipal Economy.
Committee.
The report follows investigation over a period of over four of. f months by the Terms of Service Sub-Committee of the Special Municipal Economy Committee into the Terms and Conditions of Service of Municipal employees.
The constitution of the Terms. of because we have reached the unant-Service Sub-Committee was as fol-mous conclusion that under existing lows-—The Rev. C. 1. Boynton! circumstances, considering both the (chairman) and 'Dr. J, D. Carriere, past curtailment of the staff's benefits Dr. D. S. Chen, Mr. 'T. S. Powell, Dr. and the present rising costs of living, Titinnanzi and Mr. R. Toyokawa it would' be detrimental to the Ser-(members). Dr. Tirinnanzl was un-vice and unfair to the staff to introable to sign the report owing to his Guce further economies at their ex-absence from Shanghai; he has, how. pense, ever, participated in the sessions of We did not attempt to revise the tue Sub-Committee and was in accord: basic seales of pay; those introduced with the great majority of the recom-in 1991 and modified by the Staff mendations.
Economy Committee in 1037 had:
The Sub-Committee's report was stood the test of a stable period and submitted fo the Council after en-we judged. the present time, when dorsement by the Special Municipal both Internal and external values of Eeonomy Committee consisting of Mr. our currency are uncertain, quite In. 'T, S. Powell (chairman) and the Rev. appropriate for the calculation C. L, Boynton, Messrs. J. D. Carriere, new scales, For similar reasons we G. Gadow, 'W. A. Hale, Yulin Hsi, not try to pass any final judgment. SH. Liddell, T. Okamoto, A. Sadoc, on the latest adjustments in the Tem G. Yasul and Vu Ya Ching (members) porary High Cost of Living and Rice and Mr. J. C. Grek, (secretary).
Allowance granted to municipal em-'The report reads as follows—Ployees but a comparison of these with current cost of living indices Assistance Acknowledged suggests that they are by no means We have studied the current Terms excessive. of Service and many recent changes.
We are particularly indebted to Mr.
On the Low Side Rawsthorne, the Personnel Officer, We have in mind that the basic pay who acted as'Secretary to our Com: of the majority of municipal malttee, prepared many statements for ployees 1s on the low side by com-ur Information and constantly. ex-parison with that offered for other pounded points of detail at our meet. employment in Shanghai and that this ings. We also acknowledge our difference is only justited by the thanks to representatives of the Chi-prospect of security and continuity of nese and Foreign Staff Associations service and of adequate retirement and of the Shanghai Municipal Police benefits, In the calculation of which who met with us to discuss various, the exchange guarantees are the most proposals we were considering. We important item for the foreign stof Gevoted much time to the study of the Council's contingent liabilities arising from the aystem of Exchange Guarantees applicable to Leave Pay, Pensions and the Superannuation Fund for the Foreign Staff. The de-talls of many proposals examined Us are fully recorded in our minutes but they are not put forward here bbe attributed some of the delinquent tendencies. Some satisfying results have been obtained. Of 201 boys seen prior to their release from reformatory or prison, $3, or 21 per cent,, have voluntarily responded: to the offer of help and friendship held out by the social worker. Boys have been helped to become hawkers, shoe menders, street barbers, newsboys, tailors.' If they can' make food' in these humble tasks, placement in factories is later" made, Perhaps there is no more rewarding aspect of this work than to observe the regular visiting of these boys to the office of the Section, reporting their progress, telling of their dimieulties, They are given books to read, and encouraged to keep diaries. Vislts are pald to them on the streets or In other places of employment. These techniques, based on recognized educational principles, Supply the encouragement which Jaims to keep the boy in the new path. If early successes continue engaged in the past. We cannot withhold the comment that the stabil. ity and the standard of the Municipal Service is vitally affected by the staff's estimate of these prospects—a point to be borne in mind in connec tion with the successive appointments of various-styled economy committees during recent years; about 48 per cent, of the Municipal Budget of Expenditure for 1040 is devoted to staff salaries snd allowances (excluding pensions) and the appointment of ublic committees of investigation in. evitabij arouses apprehension that savings will be sought chiefly at the expense of the Council employees.
We examined the circumstances under which the Council granted special terms of service including an annual salary of U.S.$7,500 to the 'Municipal Advocate. "We endorse their decision, noting that like all the Fest of the Couneit's staff appoint ments it is subject to six months' notice of termination and that it will of create a precedent for the future.
After' our complete investigations we recommend that_no changes made in the existing Terms and Contions of Service other than the fol-Towing which we submit for the consideration of the Economy Committee
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.