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Q.-Now, Mr. Goosmann, suppose a law were introduced for either the licensing or registering of private chair and ricksha coolies, would you have any objection to its being made penal? That is, that a person should be liable to a fine at the Police Court if he engaged an unregistered or unlicensed private chair or ricksha coolie ?
A. I have no objection whatever. At first there might be some trouble.
Q.-But the question is are Europeans to be made punishable if they engage coolies who are not registered?
A.—One would need to be always on the look out to see that they always had chair coolies. Suppose the Chinese were to strike work! But as regards my own person, I have no objection at all. Of course, I don't speak for others.
Mr. Wilcox.-But do you think that the German community would have any objection to the chair coolies being licensed or registered? They would not think it too much trouble, for instance, to do it, in order to secure better servants, would they ?
A.-I think they would be quite glad about it because things have come to such
a pass.
The Chairman.--Suppose Mr. A. B. is found out to have servants in his employ who are not registered or licensed, Mr. A. B. is liable to be taken up to the Police Court and fined $25. That is the point I wish to make plain. Is there any objection to that?
A.—I don't see any. People say they can't get on with their servants, and so this must be tried.
Mr. Wilcox.-Registration, unless it is compulsory, would be of very little use ? A. You are quite right.
The Chairman.--Strict observance of registration on both sides on the side of the master and on the side of the employee?
A. Yes, I perfectly understand. I don't know if it is true, but I was told that as regards the licensing of public rickshas the Government was not very liberal. Of course all of this crowd of private coolies has to be drawn from the public ricksha
men.
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Mr. Wilcox. I don't know about that. We are trying to find out whether they are drawn entirely from the same class and we think that they are, but it is not quite clear. A.—I see the coolies change of their own accord. I don't always have the same men; they arrange to a great extent among themselves. Originally, I engage them through the compradore but if oue slips away another comes and takes his place.
Q.--In your opinion, the coolies whilst nominally being paid for their whole time by you are practically working at other times, when they are not carrying you, for other people?
A. Yes, perhaps ordinary private chairs or rickshas.
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Mr. Wilcox. Yes, that is the suspicion entertained by a good many people.
Witness. I know for certain that, once or twice after a coolie had left me, I saw him employed just as an ordinary street coolie. Of course, I have one whom I always call the "olo" cookie. He has been with me for a long time and lie does not change. The others change.
The Chairman. The oftener they change the better for him because he gets his "squeeze" every time.
Mr. Wilcox. Their time is made up in various ways but, so long as they carry you, that is all you require?