December 2, 1901.] THE REPORT OF THE CHAIR AND JINRICKSHA COOLIES
COMMISSION.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
439
existence of a registration fee. The Com-except that so many of them belong to the mission proposes now, in the case of chair Triad Society. This Colony's history is not and ricksha coolies, with whom alone it without its record of strikes. There was deals, that registration at the Central Police the memorable strike of cargo-boatmen Station should be compulsory, that the when Sir WILLIAM ROBINSON was Governor private coolies should be photographed, that of Hongkong, a strike which dismayed the their conduct should be regulated, and that commercial community so much that they it should be penal for masters to engage were prepared to back down. Sir WILLIAM unregistered coolies or for unregistered ROBINSON, however, was fortunately firm, coolies to seek or obtain employment. If and meeting the difficulty with courage registration is to be of any service it must prevented what would undoubtedly have be admitted that all these stipulations must been a great disaster to the Colony. be observed; in particular it may be pointed Another such lesson may be required, and out that unless the masters are fined for we hope that the authorities will follow the employing unregistered coolies the scheme good example of their predecessors' attitude will inevitably break down. The Com- toward the cargo-boatmen. Finally we may mission goes on to recommend that the quote part of the concluding paragraph of compulsory registration should be free, the Commission's report, for the appeal thus removing the only valid objection open. made is one that should be heeded. to the coolies themselves and preventing trust," it says, "that all ranks and divisions them from demanding higher wages in "of the non-Chinese community will be pre- consequence of a registration-fee.
pared to co-operate in order to make the The most important conclusion to which "legislation and measures which we have the Commission came with regard to the " proposed effective and workable. If this difficulties experienced with private coolies "co-operation, either from purely selfish was that a knowledge of the earnings of "considerations or out of mere sentiment, public coolies (it was found in one instance "be withheld by an influential minority, it is to be feared that no remedial measures that two public ricksha men between them made from $60 and $80 a month with one!" devised to meet the emergency can be ricksha) makes private coolies discontented, "successful." and ready to leave private employ at the ear- liest opportunity. The report therefore proceeds to consider the position of the public coolies, especially the public ricksha
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WEIHAIWEI AND THE POST OFFICE.
We
(Daily Press, 28th November.) The Commission appointed by H.E. the Governor on the 28th August last to enquire into and report on the question of the exist- ing difficulty of procuring and retaining reliable chair and jinricksha coolies entered on its task with most commendable prompti- tude and was able on the 6th November to hand in the report, the result of fourteen meetings and the examination of thirty witnesses, assisted by the answers sent in by one hundred and twenty residents in this Colony to a printed paper of questions issued by the Commission. A suggested draft. Bill is attached. The report, which appears in full in another column, was made public at the last meeting of the Legislative Council, and it will, we think, be generally agreed that it is a practical and commonsense document, deserving the care- ful attention of the Government. It should be noted in the first place that two of the three Commissioners, His Honour Mr. Justice SERCOMBE SMITH and Mr. R. C. WILCOX, on receiving the intelligence of their appoint- ment, wrote to the Government begging to suggest that the scope of the enquiry should be widened to include all classes of Chinese servants. Sir HENRY BLAKE in his reply to Mr. SERCOMBE SMITH rejected the sug-men. It recommends a revision of the scale
(Daily Press, 30th November.) gestion, and accordingly the difficulties in of fares and a reduction at any rate as far We note with interest, not untinged with connection with chair and rickeha coolies as short time fares are concerned. A rate indignation, that the new British Colony or alone were considered. There is no reason, of two, three and five cents for five, ten and Dependency of Weihaiwei not only has no however, to conclude from this that we must fifteen minutes respectively is advocated, Post Office, but is dependent upon that of look forward to an indefinite prolongation and the introduction of distance fares China for the distribution of its correspon- of the troubles from which a very large is suggested-an addition which seems to dence. This is assuredly most undignified section of our community suffers through the us unavoidable in the case of short rides, if and most undiplomatic. No surer method shortcomings and misdoings of domestic only for the purpose of avoiding constant could possibly be taken to prove to the servants generally. If as a result of the disputes between passenger and bearer. Chinese that Weihaiwei is really a Chinese Commission's recent enquiries some system To meet the inconvenience of carrying port, though temporarily leased to a Foreign is put in force whereby residents can obtain copper coins, a system of checks is proposed, Power, than to compel it to use Chinese an efficient service of bearing coolies at similar, it may be assumed, to that intro- postage stamps. Why this should be allowed reasonable rates, it is impossible to suppose duced by the Municipal Council at Shang-we are at a loss to imagine. There was a that either the Government or the commu- hai. The Commission sees no reason to good opportunity of making the portrait of nity will rest content with existing conditions think that the approximate equalisation of His Majesty King EDWARD VII familiar to in other branches of the domestic labour- the earnings of public and private coolies the Chinese of Shantung on a new stamp, market. The main recommendation of the would tend to drive public vehicles off the and now that the Colony has been placed Commission, it will be seen, is that registra-streets, as the earnings still procurable in under the control of the Colonial Office there tion should be made compulsory for all chair
is no excuse for neglecting to do so. The and ricksha coolies; this, the writers of the
German Government long ago introduced a report think, will tend to weed out of the
special issue of stamps for Kiaochau, and ranks of private coolies the bad characters
they have taken every opportunity to show sometimes wet with, because persons un-
the Chinese that they are masters in the favourably kno vn to the Police will not be
territory leased to them. We should do registered. But if registration is desirable Probably it will occur to most people, the same. We have the less excuse inas- for private coolies, it is still more desirable reading the early part of the report before much as, until a special issue of stamps for the boy "class. A study of recent us now, to ask, "Is there no fear of a strike, could be provided, the Hongkong Post Police Court cases will show that it is from if these proposals are adopted?" The Office could furnish Hongkong stamps this class rather than the coolie class that Commission recognises this possibility, but as they have done and still do to the Treaty the worse delinquents, in the way of dis- nevertheless emphatically urges that a trial Ports of China. This seems a small matter honesty and insubordination, are drawn. should be given to its proposals during the to some persons, perhaps, but it is not so Even during the sitting of the Commission, coming winter months, that no threats of insignificant as it may appear at first sight, curiously enough, numerous instances of the opposition or rumours of a strike be allowed especially when we consider the trouble rascality of house-boys occurred. The mat- to thwart an attempt to remedy the pre- some Powers take to put their postage ter is serious; there seems no doubt, on the vailing evils, and that it should be fully stamps in evidence. It is one of the signs testimony of the older residents, in the recognised that a difficulty of this nature, and symbols of possession and, in Eastern Coloay, that the present boys come from arising in connection with the employment countries, where extraterritoriality prevails, a lower section of the Chinese community of Orientals, will only become aggravated, of influence and prestige, we cannot afford than that which supplied our servants if not grappled with sternly and speedily. to omit a chance of upholding either. in the past. Some remedy must shortly be It is plain that a strike merely of the private Moreover, the residents in Weihaiwei have sought for this. The Victoria Registration chair and ricksha coolies would be ineffec- a grievance in being badly served postally, Ordinance which was in force between 1866, tive if they were unaided by their public and naturally complain. Of course they and 1888 was confessedly not much of colleagues, for the residents here would find are few in number and cannot make their a success. The report before us reasonably, little inconvenience in resorting temporarily influence felt in Downing Street, but it is assigns as the causes of this, absence of to public vehicles, as indeed so many have the duty of the Commissioner there and of photography, laxity in enforcing the pro- done this year owing to increasing troubles the admirals of the British Squadron to see visions, indifference on the part of masters, wich their own coolies. A general chair that nothing is neglected that can in any preference of personal convenience to the and ricksha strike would be more serious, degree serve to sustain or augment the general advantage, the doubtful applicabi- but the food question must appeal strongly political prestige of Great Britain in these lity of one subsection of the Ordinance to to these coolies. There seems, moreover, seas. Let Weihaiwei have its own Post other than domestic servants, fraudulent little organisation among them (to judge Office, therefore, and its own postage transfer of registration-certificates, and the by the evidence before the Commission), stamps.
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Hongkong would continue to be sufficient to attract Chinese from the mainland. A closer supervision of licensed public vehicles is recommended with a view to prevent private coolies and other unlicensed persons plying for hire,