MINUTE TO PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION 155 



of the legitimate expectations prevailing at the time they 

 went away. 



They further complain that they have no redress since 

 they are under contract to serve for a number of years, 

 and that although there is the loop-hole for breaking the 

 contract by refunding the scholarship money, it is not 

 always easy to raise the necessary lump sum. Relatives 

 who were willing to finance them by instalments during 

 a student career, are now less able or less ready to 

 supply a lump sum merely to enable them to break an 

 unfair contract. They therefore have to "grin and bear 

 it" but do so in a spirit of dissatisfaction which is not 

 conducive to good work. The more hardy spirits then 

 deliberately utilise the contract period merely to gain 

 scientific experience, and resign as soon as they can afford 

 it, just at a time they are becoming most useful to the 

 Government. The weaker spirits tend to give the Govern- 

 ment that indolent minimum of service to which they 

 consider their salary corresponds. 



The view of the scholarship group of our Society is 

 that they are treated as " Charity Boys '- . They urge 

 that no differentiation should be made in the starting 

 point for Government Scholars and open marker im- 

 portations of the same standing. The latter, they urge, 

 gain not only in immediate emoluments, but in seniority, 

 status and opportunity for promotion, to the lasting dis- 

 advantage of the South African Scholars. 



They feel that the Government Scholarships should be 

 freed from the contract clause, and as in the case of 

 University Scholarships be offered as prizes in specified 

 subjects. They maintain that by adjusting the number 

 of such scholarships the Government would get all the 

 recruits it requires, and that since every S. African 

 naturally wishes to return to his ot\ti country, the con- 

 tract clause is unnecessary provided the salaries offered 

 on return are reasonablv attractive. 



