P.W.D.
(Continued from Page 1) Looking After All
You are looking after all the tunnels, then?—Yes.
And you count the number of .men in each tunnel7-Yes.
Then what do you do?-I_make a note of it in my note book and then make my report.
You have got your book with you?--No.
*Where is it?--In the workshop You keep it in the Hunghom office? Yes,
Where, in a drawer?-No, in large case.
Well now, having entered the number at workmen in your book, what do you do?~I enter it into the large books in the office.
Where is this book?-In Hung- hom,
Having entered this in the book, what do you do?—I hand the large book to my No. 1.
That is Mr. George Tsang? Yes.
And he has to rely on figures? He counts them himself.
Oh, he does? When? He does this in the morning.
|
1
THE CHINA MAIL, SEPTEMBER 24, 1941.
FOREMEN QUESTIONED
foremen drawing $2.50 a day?sives?-1 issue Mr Campbell is there too.
Mr. Campbell has told us that he has so much to do both in Hong Kong and Kowloon that he had to rely on you.-He did visit the sites.
explosives according to what is written down on a piece of paper.
only by the Government foreman. Then it would go to the sub-contractor's foreman to get the dynamite from Government store? Yes,
The Procedures Who brought you that paper?
The foreman who was
A Kin
The fact remains that the work is done by Kin Lee and supervis-charge of blasting. ed by Chinese foremen?--Yes.
with
÷
Have the Government- fore
men any blasting experience
Well, not as good as mine. in So you are the actual blasting:
foreman and vòu are the man who Lee man or a P.W.D.knows how much dynamite is re-
quired for each hole.* You know, of course, that Kin man? A Kin Lee man,
Who is he? Ho Kwai-shum. Government foremen can only Lee has sub-contracted alt the work, such as to Ah Ding?--Yes.
And does he give you a receipt | check. they can't say how much And if you were dishonest you would get a receipt from the fore- dan work it out by measuring for how much you issued? 1 dynamite is required? No, they could work in conjunction them and charge Government too man and I would initial or sign the depth of the holes.
You are the only man who can much? That is so, but I never do it and hand it over to the Ex- such a thing.
plosive Stores,
decide the quantity of dynamite required for blasting. Having de- cided, what do you do next? Write, the amount required on a piece of paper and hand it to one: of the Government foremen,
No Name Addressed to whom? foreman on duty.
Ever addressed one to Lo Hok- No, I did not put the pui? name of the foreman on the paper,
At this stage, Mr. L. C. F. Bel- lamy, one of the Commissioners, asked witness if work goes on in the tunnels 24 hours a day, wit- ness replying in the affirmative.
You work eight hours a day, don't you? Yes.
Do you have anything to do with the stores? - No.
Whose issues the drilling steel? They were issued in the day
Who is in charge of that store?
A watchman, What is his name? I don't know.
So Kin Lee came to you for say 500 sticks of dynamite and you issued that amount from the store? That is not the proce- dure.
―
Yes.
To the
TURKS REJECT AXIS DEMAND,
SAYS REPORT
(SPECIAL TO “CHINA MAIL"I
The "Daily Mail" said yesterday that the “Turks have rejected an "Axis demand for the
Italian. passage of ships under the Bul- garian flag through the Dardanelles. —In- ternational News Ser- vice:
of stone and check all this. Then I decide the quantity of dynamite required, and I sign a form.
Are you experienced in blast- ing?--Yes..
How many years' experience?,
What is the procedure? 1 You have nothing to do with
would receive the paper and if I your the issuing of cement, timber, over explosives and those things? have some doubts about it I would
am only concerned with the issu- not issue any dynamite,
And if you have no doubts? only the amount of dynamite re- Over 10 years, ing of explosives.
I would then Initial or signquired and the location of the site. Having signed it you gave it to that note, the bearer of which would take it away to the store, the foreman? --
He would check and o.k. it and then write out a Government or der for the dynamite and hand it over to the contractor who sends his foreman for the dynamite?-
Was there ever occasion when
And you go in the morning and afternoon?—Yes.
So that he has to rely on your figures for the afternoon?--Yes.
Gambling Allegation
And if you are a dishonest man, I am not suggesting that are, you can put down
a
you
few
time.
Accuracy Of Stores
the
Produced For Examination
But there is somebody in Gov- crnment who can vouch for accuracy of these stores for which it to the watchman of the store; Government pays? That is no
So the Kin Lee man would take Yes.
Chairman (to witness): You toldest he the Commission that you issue the Kin Lee? explosives?--Yes.
counted the men a Kin Lee fore- man does it again, Which man for
Kwong Cheong.
Another statement has been Now, the Commission visited made that the person who issues this Hunghom Workshop last the explosives demands some of Saturday. It is a small hut with it back so that he can sell it. no furniture at all. When we. There is no such thing as that.
Up to the end of August, Gov- went there, nobody was present and the place was empty. Any-ernment has been charged $47,000 body could have walked in and for explosives in connection with
Kowloon taken the books away..
But the
tunnels? does not concern me. we locked up the books, sir.
Night Shift
|
Are any of the other foremen blasting experts? I don't know, I can speak for myself.
Chairman:-We will find out. you wrote out the order and then where does it go?-To the magazine.
Before or after 5 p.m.?-Any time.
You check on the holes before of explo-
sives used?--Yes.
Measuring Holes
extra men?-Oh no, after I have part of my work so I don't know and if the watchman was dishon-you left at 5 p.m. of there being į deciding the quantity
could issue 1.000 sticks a surplus of unused dynamite? who received the 500 Instead of 500? But the man Never, it was all used up.
sticks of dynamite must produce them for
Are the holes drilled during examination before it is used.
To whom? To whoever ap- What about the night shift?
the day? Maybe, but I may proved of the issue of dynamite. I don't know about that.
measure them at night.. It is my Who is the man who authorises
You estimate how much duty to measure the holes when
for the 24 I come on duly... the Kin Lee man to take dynamite dynamite is required through you? The man who hours? No, I only work out
If you are on night duty was in charge of blasting. and the amount required for my shift. you measure before 57-No. drilling gave the order.
Who estimated it at night?
Therefore you measure after 57 Who is he?--Ho Kwai-shum. The night foreman on duty.
-Yes. Suppose Ho Kwal-shum was
So as blasting expert you only
Is the magazine open after 5? dishonest, the watchman dishon-estimated the amount required upCertainly, at all times. est and you dishonest, there was to 5 p.m.? After that the amount Do you know who is on duty at But you are the man who issued nothing to prevent you from rob- required is estimated by a non- the magazine?-Two
bing the Government of the dyn- blasting expert, the Government the Commission that these fore- $47,000 worth of explosives?
amite?-But there was a No. 1, foreman? Correct to check.
4
But anybody could have go! in? Yes.
I am telling you this because
to
a statement has been made
?
men very seldom go to the office. -We do all our work We only go there to make our
outside,
: entries in the book.
Supervision
That
That is so, but then there was a man who was in charge of the blasting.
That is so, but you issued the And that when you go there at explosives?—Yes.
all. you go there to gamble.-No. Į Was Mr. Campbell ever present
Of course that is not true, is when you issued explosives?
Never.
it? It is not true.
A statement has also been made to the effect that you and the other foremen are in the habit of tak- ing squeeze.That is not true.
14
Chinese Supervision
the
Tsang, Was Mr. George foreman, ever present?-Yes sir.
On how many occasions was he there?I do not remember how many occasions.
But there were occasions when All the work in the Kowloon there was nobody to supervise tunnels in supervised by Chinese you when you issued the explo-
THE FEATURE-FULL
NEW 1941
STUDEBAKER TRUCKS
INCORPORATES ·
NEW ECONOMY ✪ NEW PERFORMANCE NEW STYLE O NEW CARRYING CAPACITY NEW LOW PRICES →
For further particulars apply HONG KONG HOTEL GARAGE
PHONE 27778/9.
“STUBBS ROAD,
ALEXANDER KORON
Vivien Leigh
Laurence Olivier
amilton
Under The Distinguished Patronage of His Excellency The Governor, Sir Mark" Young, K.C.M.G.
ALL CHINA PREMIERE
In ald of ROYAL NAVAL
BENEVOLENT
"and
CHARITABLE FUNDS
Mr. George Chang?-Yes, And if he was dishonest?--That could never have been done.
can
men by
One by day and one by night? The two are supposed to do 24 hours a day.
turns.
|
And on his instructions the dynamite is issued?--Yes.
Since you are not on duty at night you don't know the proce- dure? No.
They cannot work 24 hours, they must sleep-They make their own arrangements.
Expert At $1.50 A Day is the procedure of the work of
amount
fore-. could of
Having got the dynamite what
blasting? I would supervise, the blasting.
Assuming the Government men were dishonest they
On each of the five sites?-Cer- obtain an excessive
tainly. dynamite and sell it?--I can't say. How did you get. from site to
blast Are you allowed to
site at night?-The At any time of the day?—Yes. duty before me would inform me any time when the hole is ready, where to check the site where
What is your salary?-$1.50
blasting was to be done:
"I Don't Know"
Am I correct in saving that the man in charge of blasting, Ho Kwai-shum, the Kin Lee man, would have at the end of the day an unused surplus of dynamite which had not been used during the day?—All that was issued was used up.
Never since
the the start of Kowloon tunnels has Ho Kwal- | day. shum ever had an unused surplus of dynamite? I don't know.
It is possible that he would have had, is it not?—I don't know.
And there was nothing to pre. vent him from selling it? -! don't know.
Do you know Mr. Buchanan, the account store keeper?—Yes,
And do you
also know Mt.
know,
at
#
salaries
other Don't you get and presents from sub-contrac- tors?-No.
ага
foreman on
There was never blasting in all five sites at a time?-Never.
Never at two places at a time? Yes, but I could not be in both
80, at $1.50 a day, you blasting expert for A.R.P. tun.. places. nels costing now $800,000? don't know how much was spent. Who is the blasting expert at three Gov- night?--One of the érnment foremen.
| Campbell?—Yes.
Do you know whether either
So actually there was no blast Mr. Buchanan or Mr. Campbell ing expert on duty at night?
don't know about the night shift. ever checked pavers relating to the issue of explosives? I don't There is a Kin. Lee foreman who
works with the Government fore Instructing witness to return at man. The foreman of the sub 3 pm, to-day, the Chairman, nsk-contractor would have to measure ed him to produce the pocket the holes and estimate the book and the book to which he amount of dynamite required and transferred the items contained into see that there is no squeeze. the pocket-book.
Witness: There are five books, Jane for each of the five sites.
The Chairman: Bring them all.
Kin Lee Foreman
The next witness was Ho Kwal- shum.
“Squeéze”
What is the name of that man? understand there were sever- their
al of them, I don't know names."
You therefore were the only blasting expert. Now you men The Chairman: You are a fore-tioned "squeeze. What do you man employed by Kin Lee? At first I saw. Mr. Campbell,
Leave Mr. Campbell out for the moment. He will come in later. You are employed by Kin Lee? Yes.
From whom did you receive
supplies of explosives from time "to, time? — From the Govern
mant foreman,
Lo Hok-pui? - Yes, and two others, Li Lin-shing and Cheng [Tong,hau
Asked to tell the Commission the procedure to get explosives, witness said that first he inspected
Soft Rock
Am I correct in saying that al- most 80 per cent. of the tunnels in Kowloon are or soft rock and need no blasting the like those in Hong Kong?-Before, yes, but now we have got to a depth, wer-en- counter stones and hard rock
Which tunnel have you got to that depth of rock?-Site No. 2, turmel 6-5 and tunnels 2-3, and the part we are working on now is all rock.
I don't know where the site is, let's talk about the site near the BarracksThat's the site I refer to.
A statement was then shown to witnesse
Chairman: According to this over $18,000 of explosive has been used on that tunnel? Yes..
Chairman (to interpreter): Tell him the Commission has been through that tunnel.
mean by it? By squeeze I mean Would I be correct in saying to see whether some of the work that most of the earth we came men were lazy and not working
Not robbing? No. Some of the coolies in the tunnels some- times go to sleep./.
Night Shift
up against was soft earth? No. We are working, now on hard rock,
Yes, but most of the rock 3 very soft
The next witness was Li Lin- shing.
When ?
When did you start to get Are you a Government fore-hard, rock?-I must got the plans. man in connection with Kowloon How long ago?—A__month or tunnels? Yes.
two ago.
ERITRE Let us call it two months. The explosives I am referring to were used before two months ago? this tunnel but maybe on all tunnels, wor
You get $2.50 a day? Yes. How many foremen are em ployed? Three.
LEE THEATRE and examined the boulders What about Lo Dun? He looks No, they could not all be used on
THURSDAY EVENING, 2nd October, 1941. at 9.30 p.m. Reserve the Date Sale of Ticket Will
be announced Soon.
quiring blasting and would estim- ate how much dynamite would after the holding of the walls in be required. The Government the tunnels.
Fave ever been on night foreman on duty would att shifts? Yes
wards check estimate:
33
1 am telling you it was for Site No. 2, and before you reach ed a lot of stone. You only came for the night? The foreman across hard rock two months ago, the sub-contractor writes what YAS
see if it was correct, after which How do you get the explosives it would be up to the sub-con- tractor to get the dynamite,
"Not So Experienced",
The
You sign the paper which is seen and enecked
he wants on a paper and givesApart from this vein of rocke Itin me. Then with another all the rock was soft, so soft foreman of Kin Lee he comes to, there was a collapse the other see me. I examine the place, the day. Do you know, that one of depths and examine the quality
(Continued on: Pago, 9).