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Q.-Outside of their wages?
A. Yes.
Q.-The detectives of the Pó Léung Kuk cannot ?
A.-They have less chance.
Q.-How so, can you explain please ?
A.-Because a Chinaman cannot approach a European Police officer, but a Chinaman can approach easily the members of the Pó Léung Kuk Committee, and, where he could bribe, the Pó Leung Kuk detectives could not, because people can at once go to head quarters. If a Chinaman is in trouble and the detective wants to squeeze him, the Chinaman can go to the Pó Léung Kuk Committee and explain things, but if a Police detective goes to him and says something, the Chinaman is afraid of him, even though he is perfectly innocent, and he would be quite willing to give "palm oil," as it is called, in order to be kept out of trouble. That feeling the Chinaman has not toward the Committee of the Pó Lóung Kuk. The Pó Léúng Kuk detective is in an entirely different position from the detective of the European Police-the Chinese detective, I mean. The Chinese detective of the European Police has every opportunity of making a fortune; the Chinese detective of the Pó Léung Kuk has very little chance that way, because, if he does anything wrong, he is every moment liable to be found out, while, in the case of the detective in the European Police Force, there is very little chance of his superior officer finding out about his doings.
Honourable Ho KAI.-Of course in one case there is difficulty of access and communication ?
A. Yes, the want of confidence also is another difficulty.
J
Honourable T. H. WHITEHEAD.-Do you know intimately the whole working of the Pó Leung Kuk?
A.-No.
Q.--Do you know anything of it?
A.--I know very little of the Pó Leung Kuk. I hear now and then the Chinese talking about it, but I really know nothing of the Pó Leung Kuk since 1881.
Q.--You are of opinion that the work should be carried on under Government control, under the control of a Government officer ?
A.-Yes.
Q-And that officer?
A.—Should be the Registrar General and no one else. Q. Why?
A.-Because the control, if irksome to the Chinese, will defeat its object. The moment the control is of a nature which is disagreeable to the Chinese, injuring their self respect, showing a want of confidence, lacking in sympathy with the Chinese people and lacking in real advantages to the Chinese, then in that case the Chinese will simply become apathetic or refuse altogether to do anything.
Q.-Will the Registrar General in his official position as Registrar General control the work more effectively in connection with the Pó Leung Kuk or if the Registrar General is Chairman of the Committee?
A.-I do not think it necessary that the Registrar General should exactly be Chairman, but he should have the veto on the resolutions of the Pó Leung Kuk and have access to their Committee meetings whenever he chooses to, and to the records and documents of the Society.