Edited sentence: Against this background the government kept Civil Service salaries very low, and so it was probably no surprise that  officials in all departments took advantage of their positions to supplement their wages with demands for 'tea money', 'lucky money' or substantially larger sums.As Hong Kong got back on its feet after WWII, the population began to swell and manufacturing industries grew, and by the 1960s Hong Kong was experiencing economic growth.Civil servants often had to pay for promotions and postings in positions known for a lucrative return.Examples of corruption ranged from nursing sisters demanding money to provide extra blankets and/or food or to allow visitors outside normal hours, firemen lived by the saying, 'Mo chin mo sui' (no money no water) and in fact sometimes asked for money to turn off the water, preventing water damage, once a fire had been put out; officials in Lands and Public Works departments secured huge sums of money for 'advice' and 'signatures' that procured the award of tenders and enabled developments and projects to proceed; the Royal Hong Kong Police was also in on the act and entire stations were organised to 'make money' from hawkers, licences and in many other illicit schemes.HK was awash with money, and poorly paid civil servants made sure that their wages were supplemented by it.That is not to say that those in private business/employment - from bankers to exporters from taxi drivers to restaurant workers - were scrupulously clean, the whole of Hong Kong was on the take