March 20, 1895.7
was
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
200
207
Chinese contingent,
men displaying energy, intelligence, and ** courage.' These are not qualities that are usually expectel to be found in the lukong; when found it is right that they should be duly recognised, but if Mr MAY allows himself to place too great confidence in the native branch of the Force he commands he will probably have occasion to regret it. Young men of generous instincts are veryid- apt to be taken in by oriental wiliness, and the Captain Superintendent of Police may discover that what he considers a display of energy, intelligence, and courage may be merely a cloak for proceedings of question able character, and that the lukong's secret sympathies are given or sold to the law breaker rather than to the law.
and we are pleased to have been of service no doubt be difficult to draft a law that | been effectively dealt with by the Police, but to our contemporary, which on the present would exactly meet the circumstances. The as it was order was restored in four days occasion, as 10 December last, faithfully reluctance of the Chinese to assist in the Sir G. T. M. O'BRIEN, who was then ad echoes the opinions it has previously found detection of crime has often been remarked ministering the Government, reported to the: expressed in this column as regards the upon and has engaged the attention of the Secretary of State his opinion that the Police substance of the matter in question, though on Commissions that have from time to time had acted with credit in this emergency, and both occasions it has taken as its text trifling been appointed to inquire into matters con- errors of detail on our part. ás to the $600,000 | nected with the police, but it has never
Mr. May in his report says “I take this balance still
"opportunity of stating that each branch of requiring explanation, the been fully accounted for. The loss of time the Force well deserved His Excellency's Governor has given the best explanation to which they are subjected by having to "commendation. The circumstances were (correction would be the more appropriate attend at the Police Court if their evidence is word) he possibly could give and the only required has been alleged as the reason, but
“* such as to call into prominence the us
fuluess of the onee is now likely to give. His Excellency it can hardly be the main reason, for even a in placing the balance at $600,000 four months Chinaman might beexpected to have sufficient ago clearly made a mistake. It was un- public spirit to give up an hour or two on fortunate the mistake not corrected occasion for the purpose of ensuring protection earlier. His Excellency, however, seems for himself and his neighbours against the to have thought it best to wait until operations of criminals in whose conviction the year's accounts were definitely made he is in a position to afford assistance. If up and then at the earliest possible they confessed that they were afraid of the date make known the exact figures, vengeance of the criminal or his friends which is all the colony is really concerned to their excuse would be more plausible. The know, for it would probably serve no good real explanation, however, probably is to be purpose to inquire too closely as to what found in the fact that the Chinaman for departmental blundering caused His Excel- countless generations past has with gool lency to err as he did. It is to the Governor's reason had a rooted aversion to appearing desire to correct his previous mistake that in the native yamens, that this aversion has we ascribe the phenomenally early appear- become a kind of second nature with him, auce of the annual statement of the colony's and that the difference between the courts assets and liabilities and its issue as a of this colony and the Chinese tribunals is separate paper. If that explanation be cor- not sufficiently recognised to make them any rect, His Excellency has acted as becomes more willing to appear in an English than an honourable man and upright official; if in a Chinese Court. Whatever the explaña- the explanation be incorrect, and the un- tion, however, the fact remains that the usually early appearance of the statement, police are able to procure practically no its greater fulness, and the marked attention assistance from the native community in drawn to it, are to be set down to a con- the pursuit of criminals or the detection of catenation of circumstances with which His crime. Excellency had no personal connection, then he is to be congratulated on having got over an unpleasant difficulty without any effort of his own. In either case we now know that the balance on the 31st December last, instead of being $600,000, was $450,000 only, and that this smaller sum was mainly made up of nominal profit by exchange in the con- version (on paper only) of the balance of the sterling loan into dollars, the future silver liabilities of the colony being necessarily in- creased in exactly the same proportion.
REGISTRATION OF SERVANTS.
tempted in Hongkong, both by the Govern The registration of servants has been at
and has hitherto invariably proved a failure. men and by private registration offices, Th Captain Superinten·lent of Police in his report for last year agjin refers to the matter, especially in connection with the large number of larcenies committed by servants. List year, he says, he suggested registration of servants as against these arceuies, and he has since a safeguard
recommended that the licensing of servants be made compulsory by law. "I am aware," Mr. MAY says, "that the law which former- "ly existed on this subject became a dead "letter. But the only reason for that was "the apathy of residents in this colony. It "was too much trouble to spend "minutes in registering a servant before engaging him, and so a boy who has robbed his former master, or a chair coolie who "has misconducted himself and been dis- "missed, finds employment probably next "door, where they probably repeat the same "offences. I regard the licensing of private "chair coolies at any rate as a most desir-
*C
14
ten
Mr. MAY says there are two remedies to prevent the recurrence of such out. rages as the gang robberies of which he gives particulars in his report. One of these remedies is to keep the Police Force up to its full strength as far as possible throughout the year, and the other, to perfect the Chinese detective branch of the Force, drawing at the same time all the assistance possible from the District Watch men's Force, which the Captain Superintend- ent says should be brought into closer touch with the Police. That it is desirable to THE POLICE FORCE AND CRIME.
perfect the Chinese detective branch of the Force must be admitted as a matter of With a record of seven murders and nine course, assuming it to be capable of being gang robberies for one year the state of perfected, but the operations of the native public security in the colony cannot be said constables must always be regarded with to be quite what it ought to be. Mr. MAY, grave suspicion, for the men as a body can- however, in his interesting report on the not be looked upon as trustworthy. There Police Force laid before the Legislative have been many instances of their willing-able and even necessary measure in the in- Council on Tuesday, points out that gangness to take bribes, and no one expects any robberies of a similar nature to those which great display of courage from them. For
terests of law and order. The Hongkong occurred here bave been very rife
private chair coolie is one of the most im- Can the prevention of serious crimes we have to pudent and unruly members of this com- ton, and the inference the reader is
ap-look to the European and Sikh contingents parently expected to draw, and which is no
"munity, and the sole reason is that neither of the Force, and these should always doubt correct, is that the colony was last year be kept up to their full strength.
"his master nor the police have direct con- Im- "trol over him. If he were licensed, as a affected by a wave of crime which has been portant as it is that crime should be de- sweeping over the neighbouring province, tected when it has been committed it is still
public chair coolie or jinricksha coolie is, a He remarks also on the extraordinary ease more important that it should be
very great improvement would be speedily "oberved in his behavidur.” pre- with which these robberies can be effected. vented, and for that a strong and efficient remarks on the character of the average Mr. MAYIS Not only do the inmates of the shops attacked Police Force is required. Some time ago chair coolie will be endorsed by every one fail to offer any resistance or to raise an there was some talk of reducing the ex- alarm, but after the affair is over the great-penditure on the Force, and there was in
who has had any extended experience of that class. There are exceptions, of course; will- est difficulty is experienced in inducing them fact a slight reduction last year. The reducing and obliging men may occasionally be to assist in searching for the criminals, and tion is too small to raise any presumption found, but the majority are "impudent and even after the latter are caught the people that it was responsible for the increase in unruly." If Mr. MAY can do anything who have suffered from their depredations gang robberies, but the experience of the to improve matters, as regards servants evince much reluctance to identify them. year shows that the strength of the Force, in general and chair coolies in particular, After the arrest of the Winglok Street rob- particularly the European and Indian con- he will deserve the thanks of the community. bers the inmates of a shop that had been tingents cannot with safety be lowered. raided previously were asked to go up to the are glad to note, however, that the Chi- down so completely it is possible, though We And although the registration system broke gad and look at them to see if the same men nese contingent, as well as the others, came had been concerned in both outrages, but in for what appears to have been a well licensing conducted by the police might be think hardly probable, a system of they "emphatically refused to do so." It merited commendation last year. In March attended with some success. The reason seems to us that there ought to be some serious clan disturbances took place, which for the breakdown of the former system was means of making people render what assist-resulted in one man being shot dead and very plain. ance may be in their power for the promotion several others wounded by revolver shots and in the matter it was because the system was de If employers were apatheticum? of the ends of justice in cases such as that knives. The affair might have assumed useless. Registration had no effect whats 1:01 referred to by M. MAY, though it would much more serious proportions had it not ever in raising the character of servants,
.
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