185 (223)
22647
When I said yes.
about 4 o'clock, when he asked me if the limewashing was done by me. he told me that Inspector Kelly wanted to see me at the office in the following afternoon, I went the next day to the Branch Office at the appointed time, but I did not see him. Next morning at about 10 o'clock the interpreter met me in the street and asked me why I did not go to see the Inspector. I told him that I went to the Branch Office and waited for the inspector, but he did not turn up. The interpreter said it was not the Branch Office that the inspector wanted me to go to, but that the office in the inspector's own house. I went to the inspector's house No. 28 Elgin Street, 2nd floor, at about 4 of the same afternoon. I waited there for about half an hour, when the inspector with his interpreter returned. The inspector said that my limewashing work was not properly done, the kitchens of those floors being too dark. He also asked me if I was aware of the usual custom of paying 20 cents a floor to the inspector for such work. I said I could not afford to pay, as I only got the work for 90 cents a floor. He then spoke to his interpreter in English, which I did not understand. His interpreter then said that the inspector wanted me to pay $40. After further conversation the interpreter told me the inspector wanted at least $25. I told the inspector that I could not promise him the money until I saw the master, as the latter might not be willing to pay. The interpreter then told me to see the master at once and come and let the inspector have a reply. I went and saw Tse Kam Kee, who told me that I must get a certificate from the inspector first before I could get paid for the work. I accordingly gave the same reply to the inspector. This was on Thursday. The interpreter told me that the inspector would wait till Saturday week for the money.
On that Saturday I did not go, as I had not the money. On the following Monday I met the inspector and the interpreter in Centro Street, when the latter asked me why I did not pay the money. I said I had not the money to pay. The interpreter then asked if I could pay up on Saturday the same week. I said I would pay as soon as I got paid by my master. I did not pay on Saturday either, so in the following week, i.e., the third week, a written notice was received from the Sanitary Board that the work was not properly done. I had the kitchens of 210 floors re-limewashed, which cost me $30. The limewashing was finally passed. About 10 days thereafter, I met the interpreter in the street and this time he was alone with some books in his hands. He scolded me for not keeping my word and said that he would do something to me later on when 1 had work to do in future.
About the same time, I limewashed 48 floors in Yat Fu Street and Queen's Road West. The owner of these houses received a notice from the Sanitary Board that the work was not properly done, the same notice was passed on to me and I took it to the Branch Office to ascertain what was required to be done to put the work right. I was told by a clerk in the office to go and see Inspector Ward in his house. This was about 9.30 o'clock of the morn- ing. About tiffin time the same day I took the notice to Inspector Ward's house to see him. He was having his tiffin then. He told me in a few words of Chinese that my work was not properly done but that I had better come again after 4 o'clock of the same afternoon. I called again in the afternoon at the inspector's house and he told me if I was aware of the rule of paying 50 cents a house to the inspector for the work. I told him the whole job only cost $50 and if he wanted 50 cents a house he had better get my pay direct from my master. The inspector then turned me out of the house, saying a few words in Chinese and a few words in English. I had the work done over again, which cost me over $10, and the work was finally passed."
The Chairman.-Is that correct ?
A. Yes.
The Chairman.---Now, I will alter these two words, from "floor" to "house ".
Witness. I was sued and fined $10 (Witness produces summons signed by Inspector Coysh).
Mr. Lau Chu Pak.-Because you refused to pay?
A.The first quarter of this year, I was unwilling to pay him. It was on account of this matter in the tenth moon of the Chinese year.