EE
salary might be 1.2001.
To meet the difficulty which arises from the fact that some places are more expensive than others to live in, the Committee suggest that the system of local allowances, which at present exists on a small scale, should be extended ; that is, to the salary of a relatively expensive post a local allowance should be added, sufficient to meet the necessary cost of living. Such local allowances should not count for pension or leave allowances.
The pension rule for the General Consular Service should, in the Committee’s opinion, be the usual one applicable to the Civil Service, namely, to give 1/60th of the salary for each year’s service up to a maximum of 40/60ths.
The Committee recommend your Lordship nol to give promotion necessarily by seniorily, but to take merit into consideration as well.
The Commiltee ar emmformed that, allowing for some few changes in the present status of Consular posts, but
adhering to the same number of paid Consular officials
as at present employed, the financial result of their propo-
sals would be as follows : —
Total
Total Grand & xs Local Salaries Allowances Total mme mme Lt L £ Consuls-General, First Grade .. 3,600 1,050 LE SecondGrade .. 15,650 700 Consuls, First Grade .. .. …. 20,800 2,900 k Second Grade .. .. 24,000 1,450 NICE CONSUIE RENE TT 24,000 1,500 LOfALE Sata 88,050 7,600
The salaries and local allowances under the existing sys-
tem are as follows : —
| Total Total Grand e Local 6 | à Salaries NE Total SE DL I SDS PE DESESEE £ S £ Consuls-General..: + :. …. 21,100 650 21,750 | Consuls te ee MC RS te 49,600 900 50,500 Vice-COnaUIS EU NN. EE 18,100 1.250 19,350 Total. 00.41 CSS 2.800 91,600
The gross increase therefore amounts to 4.050 1., but,
putting the deductions from the salaries of officers who oblain promotion before serving their full term in a lower grade at 800 1. a-year, the net increase would be only
250 1. An explanatory note is annexed.
DCS |
12, The present leave arrangements for officers in the
General Consular Service are ass follows : — One month
CONSTITUTION OF BRITISH CONSULAR SERvICE 1903 309
on full pay in each year, with an extension on half-pay at the discretion of the Secretary of State. By foregoing all leave for one or more years Consuls may accumulate as much as six months’leave, of which two months are on full pay, and four months on three-quarters’ pay. The Committee consider these rules sufficiently liberal on the whole.
13. Should your Lordship decide to adopt the recommendations of the Committee it might be convenient to bring them into operation with new appointments, leaving existing arrangements to run out in respect of men at present in the Service.
14 The Committee are disposed to think that a considerable security for efficiency would be found in a periodical inspection of all Consulates and Vice-Consulates. As a general rule, the inspection of Vice-Consulates might be left to the Superintending Consul. The inspection of the Consulates might be carried out from the Foreign Office, or might be intrusted to the Commercial Attaché or some other official of the Diplomatie Mission accredited to the country where the Consulate is situated.
15. The Committee have been led to the conclusion that the system of maintaining unpaid Consuls, even in many large cities, is a good one. There are numerous places of great commercial importance where British residents are very few, and British commercial interest inconsiderable. In these posts unpaid Consuls, in some cases foreigners,
are doing most useful service, and, being almost always
310 APPPENDICE D
themselves business men, furnish excellent Reports on commercial subjects.
16. Before closing this Report, we desire to express our high appreciation of the great and willing assistance which the Secretary, Mr. J. À. C. Tilley, has afforded to us during the progress of this imquiry.
We have, &c.
(Signed) W. H. WALROND.
CRANBORNE.
