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Q-Should there be a space on the registration ticket allowing room for com- plaints to be noted?
A. Something like a Seaman's Discharge. "Good" or "Indifferent" or some- thing of that sort. I think it would be advisable.
Mr. Badeley.--In whose hands was the inquisition? Did anyone go round spy- ing? Was there any sort of inquiry at all, or how did it come out that a man employ- ed an unregistered servant?
A. If any man went to the Court and complained of larceny or anything else committed by his servant, the Magistrate would ask him if his servant was registered. It came out in that way.
The Chairman.-There won't be any difficulty as regards that, it seems to me, because if it is known that one or two persons scattered about have been had up for employing unregistered servants, there will be no need to go and warn everybody. especially if the newspapers help.
Mr. Badeley. Would it be feasible for any Government Department to run an agency as it were--keep a list of servants and supply them to people on application?
A. I suppose it could be done, but it almost seems beyond the functions of a Government Department. It has been tried once or twice privately but it has not succeeded.
Mr. Wilcox.--It might succeed if brought in touch with the police.
The Commission then adjourned till Thursday, 12th September, at 2.30 p.m., it being agreed to then take the evidence of Messrs. H. L. Dennys and C. C. Cohen.
12th September, 1901.
HENRY LARDNER DENNYS sworn:—
The Chairman.Mr. Dennys, how long have you been resident in this Colony?
A.-Well, I arrived in December, 1868.
Q. You have lived here continuously off and on?
A.-Continuously, except when I have been Home.
Q. And you have had experience of the Victoria Registration Ordinance No. 7 of 1866 ?
A. I have.
Q.-Can you give us your experience of the working of that Ordinance ?
A. The Ordinance was in full working order, I might say, when I arrived in the Colony, but after a few years it fell into absolute disuse.
Q. Do you know why that was so ?
A.
M
There were several reasons. I should say one was that the Europeans could not or would not give up the time necessary to inquire into the validity of the ticket or certificate that was brought to them by servants, and another was that they considered the certificate a very useless article as it showed nothing as to the character of the person. The servant night have been employed twelve or six mouths before and he had pro- bably been forgotten altogether by his former master if he was only a coolie or some- thing of that sort, and there was nothing on the certificate to show whether he was a good coolie or a bad coolie or anything else. I think these were the two leading reasons why the registration fell into disuse. The tickets were apparently interchange-