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also received a small daily payment, part of which was remitted to his nominated party in China. Invariably gambling was rife and, on pay days, some debts could not be honoured. Fighting ensued and some killed their companions as a result, eventually paying the price by being shot at dawn.
The Army Directorate of Labour laid down payment scales:
Bonus to family on recruitment Chinese dollars 15 Pay to start on arrival at Weihai Wei Labourers Per diem in France in francs Per mensem in China in Chinese $ Skilled labourers - carpenters, masons bricklayers, fitter's mates 1.00 10 and blacksmith strikers 1.50 13 Gangers [equal to Corporal] 1.50 15 Skilled blacksmiths 2.00 20 Skilled fitters 2.50 30 Chinese Assistant Interpreters [equal to sergeant] 2.60 30 Chinese Interpreter Clerks 5.00 60Deductions from Pay - Pay stopped for time lost owing to sickness or misconduct: