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Q.-For how many years?
A. Some six months; some one year.
The Chairman.—Any of them longer than a year?
A.—After one year they can do what they like.
Mr. Badeley. And do they ever go away to do other work before they have served their full year or six months ?
A. If they leave my service within the contract time, I will go home and ask the elders to return the passage money I paid for him.
Q.--And has such a thing ever occurred?
A. Yes.
Q. And have the elders paid?
A.
Yes.
Q. And the coolies that you employ for the rickshas, where do you get them from ?
A.-From Chu-chau and Swatow.
Q. Do you send to Chu-chau and Swatow to engage them, or do you engage them as they come into the Colony?
A.-I send my men up there to engage them.
Q. Are they under contract to you?
A. Six months' contract.
Q.-And after the six months are up, what do they do? Do they go home to their country, or keep on working for you
?
A.-Most of them continue with me.
Q-Because they like to?
A. Formerly they liked to continue, but not now. After six months they want to leave.
Q. Why?
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A. Because over ten men have died because they had a long journey to run from Kowloon to Shatin. The journey over the new road kills them, and when they get home, they spit blood.
Q.-So they don't like the new road ?
A.--No.
Q. And have you any difficulty in getting coolies for that job?
A. Yes. I have difficulty now in getting them. I have more than ten rickshas still that I could not get men for. Formerly the ricksha went as far as the five mile- post. Now it is going as far as the number eleven mile-post.
Mr. Wilcox. And they can't run such distances?
A.-No.
Mr. Badeley. Not even with three coolies?
A. No, because they have to run for three hours, and they get no breath.
Q.-You are going to have all or some of the extra 300 rickshas that are to be put on, are you not ?
A. Yes, all are to be given to me.