154
190. The more important British industrial undertakings in the Colony already have schemes of compensation of their own in respect of sickness or injury incurred in the performance of duty. Certain European companies cover them- selves by insurance. The compensation granted, however, is usually comparatively snall, the maximum even in the case of death being generally between one hundred and two hundred dollars.
191. The maximum payable in respect of death or permanent injury in the case of Chinese workers at the Needle Hill Mine (Marsman Hong Kong China Ltd.) is one hundred and eighty dollars and for temporary total incapacity three dollars a week. This is covered by insurance. The British Cigarette Company under its own factory regulations may pay at its discretion a gratuity (not to exceed one. thousand dollars, depending on the length of service of the worker) in the case of workers permanently disabled, partially or entirely, during the performance of their duties. This maximum is exceptionally high.
192. This Company has also established a savings fund for the benefit of employees who have completed six months' service. The Company voluntarily sets aside out of its own funds an amount equal to five per cent. of the employee's wages and adds a sum equal to that amount at the end of five years. The terms of the savings fund and the conditions under which withdrawals can be made are set out in the savings fund passbook held by each employee.
193. Some firms pay hospital expenses in respect of accidents and some con- tinue the payment of salary or half salary during periods of temporary incapacity due to accidents and, more rarely, during periods of sickness. There is, however, no uniformity of practice, and in the case of an accident in the less well regulated factories the injured person is thrown on his own resources to seek free treatment if he so desires at a Chinese Public Dispensary if the injury is of a minor nature, or taken to a government or charitable hospital if he is more seriously hurt. Accident cases likely to have a medico-legal aspect are generally transferred to a government. hospital. It is customary for the employer to sign a guarantee covering the ex- penses at the government hospital which, in the case of third class Chinese patients, amount to fifty cents a day. Third class patients do not pay operation fees. The responsibility of the employer would appear to be limited to giving due notice of the accident on the appropriate form, and as pointed out above there is no statutory basis even for this limited responsibility, though there have been successful pro- secutions in the police courts for failure to notify. If he fails to sign the guaran- tor's form the patient is eventually "written off as free" by the medical officer.
194. It will be seen from the table that by far the largest number of ac- cidents occurs in shipyards, and in the matter of compensation the dock companies discriminate between their direct employees and labour recruited through contractors.
men.
195. There is a charitable fund known as the Brewin Fund.* the trustee of which is the Tung Wah Hospital and which is administered through the Secretariat for Chinese Affairs, for the assistance of widows and orphans and of disabled work- Chinese workmen employed in the Colony who may become incapacitated for work by reason of old age or sickness or who may have been permanently dis- abled by any accident are eligible. The capital is at present nearly $200,000 and the total monthly payments for February, 1939, amounted to $736. Only six, however, of the beneficiaries are disabled workmen, each of whom receives five dollars a month.
196. The incidence of occupational diseases has not been investigated. The question of the inclusion of occupational diseases in the proposed Workmen's Com- pensation Ordinance has been raised by the writer. It has been found difficult to enlist the co-operation of the workers in measures for their own protection, and attempts to insist on the wearing of masks in the polluted atmosphere of the feather packing factories have failed.
197. Certain factories have their own hospitals or dispensaries with resident or visiting doctors but reliance is generally placed on the Government hospital system
* Report of the Secretary for Chinese Affairs for the year 1937, paragraph 37.