( 191 ).
KAM CHU-SHEUNG is examined,-
Q. Hon. A. LISTER.-Are you a clerk in the Public Works Department?
A. Yes.
Q. What are your duties?
A.- Translating and interpreting,
Q.-And copying?
A.-Sometimes.
Q-Just look over that file of bills and tell me if any
writing?
A. Yes, three.
of them
are in your hand-
Q.-I suppose you make out a good many bills for these Contractors, don't you?
A. Not many. I don't know how many.
Q.-But there are three there. Now, can you give me some idea how many bills you write for them in a week?
A.-I do it at night time. I think sometimes one and sometimes more.
Q. In a month?
A.-May be four or five, or six or seven, and some months I have not got any.
Q.-We have been told the Contractors have to pay a small amount for having these bills copied out for them. We don't want to make a serious business out of it if they have, because it is not your work, and I dare say you thought you might as well do it as anyone else. Now, tell us frankly what has been the custom about making these bills. You don't do it for nothing, do you?
A.-They don't pay me any money.
Q-Don't say they don't because you are frightened, it is very different from taking money to neglect your duty. If a man came to me and said he wanted a lot of writing done I should probably say. "Well, you must pay for it." Now has it not been the custom to pay small sums for the writing out of these bills? I wish you would be quite frank.
A. It is only because he knows me as a friend he comes and asks me, and then I
do it for him.
Q-But you don't mean to say you do all that for nothing?
A.—I never ask him.
Q-But according to Chinese rules of politeness it would not do to let you do all that work for nothing, would it?
A.-At festival time they give me some little presents.