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Honourable T. H. WHITEHEAD.-I should like to know whether you, as Chairman of this Committee, have taken any notice of the charges which have been preferred against one or more of the members of this Committee.
The CHAIRMAN.-I have taken absolutely no steps.
Honourable T. H. WHITEHEAD.-It did not occur to you to take any steps?
The CHAIRMAN.-The petition comes before us as part of our enquiry in connection with many other charges made against the Society, but the statements in it do not appear to me to be nearly so serious as many of the charges made against the Pó Léung Kuk such as neglect of duty, detaining women, and squeezing. I might just as well have taken notice of each of them separately. These matters are really now sub judice and we are considering them as a whole without investigating into each case by itself. I take it this petition forms part of the general proceedings of the Committee. If in our report you desire to make comment on it you are perfectly at liberty to do so, but I think to single out one of the documents of our appendix for special report is not quite in accordance with the usual mode of procedure in an enquiry such as we are now holding.
Honourable Ho KAI.-The paragraphs referred to, as I understand, contain the complaint of the Pó Léung Kuk directors to the Government that they have been unfairly treated, and so far as they knew they thought they were purposely treated in that way. The complaint they wished to make is simply this, that they were asked to come up here as witnesses more or less against themselves before the witnesses who were supposed to come forward to substantiate the charges against them were called, and, if you remember, Mr. CHAIRMAN, as a member of this Committee I protested against it as being unfair. As an impartial judge in the matter I thought that was an unfair proceeding, and I put my opinion on record at the time. No wonder those who are attacked think such a proceeding coming from the Committee, composed of men who are supposed to be more or less impartial, as very unfair and in their opinion tantamount to having been purposely done. I am sure they are quite at liberty to express their opinion on the matter, and I am certainly in sympathy with them.
Honourable T. H. WHITEHEAD.--In imputing improper motives to members of this Committee?
Honourable Ho KAI.-No, not at all.
Honourable T. H. WHITEHEAD.-This petition imputes improper motives to Members of this Committee.
Honourable Ho KAI-I am in sympathy with them as regards the injustice and unfairness of the proceeding, and to their minds it is tantamount to having been pur- posely done.
Honourable T. H. WHITEHEAD.-An arrangement was arrived at as to the mode of proceeding at an earlier meeting and it is not now within Dr. Ho Kar's province to come forward and again harp on a matter which was previously settled.
Honourable Ho KAI.-I only offer an explanation of how I read the sentences in the petition.
The CHAIRMAN.-I would also point out that in presenting this petition to the Government the Petitioners resigned their positions as directors of the Pó Léung Kuk. That was the object in presenting the petition.
Honourable T. H. WHITEHEAD.-There must have been some deliberate object in imputing improper motives to the members of this Committee. I am sorry indeed that they have done so.