(ix)
With reference to point 9, we see no necessity for the addition of a suspending clause, but, if His Excellency desires to add one, we have no objections to urge.
As regards point 7, whether the proceedings, books, buildings, etc., of the Society 'should not at all times be made accessible to Justices of the Peace, Magistrates and others, we beg to point out that under section 14 of the draft Ordinance provision is made for the inspection of the buildings. and premises of the Society; there is, however, no provision making the proceedings and books of the Society accessible to Justices of the Peace and Magistrates. We think it would be well to add a provision to the section referred to making the proceedings and books of the Society accessible to such persons as the Governor may appoint.
Point 3.-Whether the Society is in any sense as suggested by the Honourable T. H. Whitehead a "Secret Society."
In Appendix 47 will be found Mr. WHITEHEAD's explanation of what he meant when he called the Society a Secret Society. We consider that the use of the term "Secret Society" is without justification, as the Pó Léung Kuk is in no sense a Secret Society, the Government as well as the Chinese community being cognisant of its acts, and cannot be properly applied to a Society which has been sanctioned by the Secretary of State and is recognised by and co-operates with Government, which for more than 13 years has been untiring in its work of rescuing women and girls, of finding a shelter for the destitute, and of restoring kidnapped boys and girls to their relatives, which includes among its members many of the most highly respectable Chinese residents of Hongkong, which possesses carefully kept records in detail of all its transactions, and which publishes an annual report of its work as full, if not fuller than similar societies in other. parts of the world. The Committee of the Society in its memorandum* states :-
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"From the very nature of the Society, the chief object of which is to aid the Gov- ernment in detecting and suppressing the crime of kidnapping, it is necessary that its "work, to a certain extent, should not be carried on too openly, or else it would defeat "its own ends. But so far as the premises of the Society or its records or the girls "entrusted to its care or the inquiries of the Committee are concerned, the Committee "have nothing to hide, and have never attempted to act with secrecy. All their acts "are known to the Government, and they have never objected to admit to their meetings "or to the inspection of their premises, any respectable person whose object is not to spy out the land, but who wishes to see how their work is carried on or to give a 'helping hand in the rescue of poor women and girls saved from a fate, almost worse "than death."
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This statement we have every reason to believe is in accordance with fact.
4. Whether any of the subscriptions have been obtained by “pressure" or "order" as asserted by the Honourable T. H. Whitehead.
Mr. WHITEHEAD denies having made any such assertion or having made use of the words "pressure" or "order."
5. Whether any of the runners are disreputable and squeeze as suggested by a member of the Police Force.
We applied to the Colonial Secretary to be furnished with the name of the member of the Police Force who made this suggestion, but were informed in reply by the Honourable the Colonial Secretary that he was not in a position to state the name. The late Captain Superintendent of Police, Major-General GORDON, also informed us that he did not know who gave the information to His Excellency.
In examining the various witnesses every endeavour was made to elicit information with regard to the alleged "squeezing" by detectives of the Pó Léung Kuk, but it was
* See Appendix 14.
† See Appendix 3.
Sce Appendix 16.