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Q.-The Chinese ?
A. Yes. The masses would certainly attach more importance to that than to these rules which I suppose are not known to some of them.
Q.--We have 250,000 Chinese here. Do you think that they know the difference between a law approved by the Secretary of State, and rules approved by the Secretary
of State ?
A.-I should say that it would gradually get among them, much more having an Ordinance than if it was done as hitherto.
Q.-You think that the Chinese here understand the difference between rules approved by the Secretary of State and an Ordinance passed by the Council and approved by the Secretary of State?
A. I cannot say that, but my opinion is that the effect on the Chinese would be much greater were you to establish the Society by a law. For instance, suppose a case occurred which was taken up by the Pó Léung Kuk under this Ordinance.
Q.--What kind of a case?
A. Any kind of case.
Q.
How would the Pó Léung Kuk take up the case?
A. Suppose they took it up, it would soon become known that this is an institution which is now under law and is working by law, which is recognised by the Government.
Q. What do they say now with regard to the Pó Léung Kuk ?
A.-I do not know.
Q. Do they say that it is working under rules recognised by the Government? Are you aware that the idea of a difference between rules and laws approved by the Secretary of State is perfectly strange to the Chinese ?
A. The Secretary of State, yes, but I do not think it is strange.
Q.-There is a minute difference only, after all, between these rules and the Ordinance ?
A.-I think there is a considerable difference.
Honourable Ho KAI.
P
Are you aware that the translation of the word "law" and
"rule" in Chinese would be practically the same?
A.----No, I did not know that.
The CHAIRMAN.-The Society at present has a status-or do you say it has not a status?
A. As I understand it, it has not a status.
Q.-You regard the rules approved by the Secretary of State as giving the Society no status at all?
A. Not what I call a Government status converting it into a specially incorporated body.
Q. Are you aware that this Society could apply to the Supreme Court and become an incorporated body to-morrow ?
A. Yes.
Q.-So that your objection to the legal status for this Society only refers to that given by the Ordinance, because they could obtain a legal status without an Ordinance ? A.-I don't know how far, in that case, they would have to publish certain things.