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The Chairman.-Is there any attempt to prevent coolies coming into the Colony?
A.-I have not heard of
any.
Mr. Wilcox. There is a difficulty in obtaining labour in the Colony-different sorts of labour. This is remarkable because on the mainland and in the province opposite there are millions of coolies who, one would suppose, would be ready and willing to come and work for higher wages. Why don't they come if there is no one to keep them back?
A.-According to my experience coolies when they first came to the Colony were willing to accept lower wages than other coolies. Naturally in the course of time they were influenced by the other coolies who had been longer in the Colony.
The Chairman.-Wages have not risen in China?
A. Yes, in some cases.
Q.--In Canton ?
A. Yes, in Canton and in the villages.
Q.-In Swatow?
A.-I don't know as regards Swatow.
Q. In Fatshan?
A. Yes, wages have risen there.
Q-Ten per cent, or how much?
A.-More than that.
Q.-How much?
A.About thirty per cent. in the villages.
Mr. Wilcox. That is a great deal.
The Chairman. What is your means of knowledge?
A. In the country we get men to work the farms. We used to pay from $2 to $3
We can't get men under $3 to $4 now.
for them.
Q.-Have you got a farm in the country?
A.--Yes.
Q-And do you know by actual experience?
A. That is actual experience.
Mr. Badeley. What is the cause of that rise, in your opinion?
A.-Food has risen in price in the country too.
Q. Has emigration got anything to do with it ?
A.-No, not enough labourers emigrate from the country to make any appreci- able difference. Well, I think it must have something to do with the rise too in the country. The coolies are given to understand that they can win a little more money by emigrating abroad. That makes the coolies scarcer and they earn higher wages.
The Chairman.-What
What class are the coolies in Hongkong? Are they drawn from the low class in China?
A. Yes; but do you mean the agricultural or labouring class? Q.-The labouring and agricultural classes.
A.-Oh, particularly the agricultural classes.