Admiralty Order in Council No. 89.

N.

29 January 1900.

Whereas we have had under our consideration the increasing difficulty of obtaining suitable men for ratings of Domestics in Your Majesty's Fleet.

And whereas the Officers commanding Your Majesty's Ships are put to heavy personal expenditure in order to provide the number of properly-qualified Domestics necessary to their rank.

We therefore most humbly recommend that Your Majesty will be graciously pleased by Your Order in Council to sanction the following proposals, which are designed for the improvement of the position of these ratings : -

1. The pay of Domestics shall be as follows : -

1. Domestics, 1st Class.

	s.	d.
Captains' and Cabin Cook and Stewards in Despatch Vessels	3	0	a day.
General Messmen	3	0	a day.
Admirals' and Commodores' Stewards and Cooks	3	0	a day.
Others, after 8 years' service	2	6	a day.
Others, under 3	2	3	a day.

2. Domestics, 2nd Class.

	s.	d.
After 3 years' service	2	0	a day.
Under 3 years' service	1	9	a day.

3. Domestics, 3rd Class.

Instead of being discharged to the shore on the day their ships are paid off. Domestics shall be granted the same amount of paying-off leave as the rest of the Ship's Company.

3. At the expiration of this leave, such of them as desire it, and are recommended by their Commanding Officers, shall be borne on the books of a Depot Ship for a period not exceeding 3 months, so that they may be available to meet the requirements of Officers, who will be obliged to take their Domestics from the Depot while any remain on the books.

4. They shall receive the usual Clothing Gratuity, viz., Two Pounds Ten Shillings on first entry.

5. The privilege of obtaining the Long service and Good Conduct Medal, which is at present confined to Domestics, 1st Class, shall be extended to Domestics, 2nd Class.

The foregoing proposals to take effect from the first day of April 1900.

The Lords Commissioners of Your Majesty's Treasury have signified their concurrence in these proposals.

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