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March 15, 1902.]
199
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT. considered in Executive Council. Increased | I think the suggestion, I have made might be The COLONIAL SICRETARY—Sir, I do not competition must bring down the earnings, and carried out in future. with lower fares we might find such a curtail. ment in the number of rickshas as would for a moment desire to throw any aspersions upon the reasonableness of the request of the reproduce the inconvenience felt last year.
hon. member. I only said I feel certain the hon. member would not desire to unnecessarily obstruct the Government work.
BELILIOS }EFORMATORY.
Mr. Brewin, the Registrar General, declared himself in favour of compulsory registration, question 6, page 57, but the answers to the questions from 4, page 58, to question 7 page 59, show some of the practical difficulties of iden- tification. The examination of the witnesses shows that the Commission entered upon the in-
Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-I beg, sir, to put the third question which stands in my dame. quiry with strong views upon the advisability of compulsory registration and of the necessity
The question was:-"Will the Honourable the for reducing the fares of the public ricksha Colonial Secretary lay upon the table a statement coolies and chair-coolies so that their earnings would cease to induce private chair and ricksha showing (1) the number of persons and/or young coolies to elect to serve as public licensed coolies criminals who have been accommodated in the Belilios Reformatory at Causeway Bay from the rather than to engage as private coolies. Inspec- time it was opened until 28th nitimo; (2) the tor Hanson said (question 3, page 15) that two men total expenditure incurred in respect of these can make from sixty to eighty dollars a month with a public ricksha, but at question 7, page persons including the emoluments of the staff 16, he places the probable duration of a coolie's in the Reformatory; (3) the amount of public ricksha life at three years, while Ngan Wan money, if any, expended on the building or in question 11, page 90, shows additions thereto and in connection with the that over ten of his ricksha-men have died maintenance of the building; (4) the yearly because they had a long run over the new road emoluments of the Reformatory staff; and (5) the number of persons now undergoing sentence lodged in the said Reformatory ?".
Chi in answer
from Kowloon to Shatin.
Mr. Brewin, in answer to question 6, page 60, said that cargo-coolies are the best paid. The question at the bottom of the page assumes that in such case the reduction of the ricksha and crair-fares would not have much effect in driving the men into private employ. Mr. Fang Wa Chun, question 10, page 65, placed the earnings of a street coolie with a pole at 40 cents a day, while other coolies make $15 a month. And that the increase in wages is not confined to Hongkong is shown by Mr. Lau Chu Pak (questions 3 to 12, page 71) by which it appears that in South China wages have risen 30 per cent. in the villages. The first three witnesses agree that compulsory registration will probably produce a strike.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY submitted the
following reply:- One child has been accom- modated in the Belilios Reformatory from the date upon which it was opened up to the present day. There are no young criminals now re- sident there. The total cost in respect of the one inmate was nil, as be only remained in the building a very short time. The amount ex- pended on the Reformatory up to date is as fol- lows-(a.) Maintenance of buildings, furniture, &c, S605.99; (b.) emoluments of officers con- nected with the institution, $2781.42; total, $3,388 41. As there has been only one inmate of the Reformatory since it was first started, the Committee appointed by Sir Henry Blake to enquire into educational questions has been consider and report what to requested should be done as regards the reformatory; The report of the Committe has not yet been received. When the Government is in
I have analysed the evidence thus carefully as I consider it highly undesirable to interfere with sound economic principles except very cannot strong local reasons are shown-that find in the evidence given before the Com- mission. Freedom of the port and freedom of possession of its views, steps will be taken with ont delay to deal with the question. Though contract are two principles under which Hong the Master and Assistant Master have had kong has grown and prospered. The original nothing to do in the Reformatory, they have Registration Ordinance was repealed because
not been idle. They have been and are now the European population showed that they did not care to avail themselves of its provisions, employed by the Government in other Depart ments. Mr. Curwen, the Master, was for and the passing of such an Ordinance as is now
several months attached for special work to the recommended might have far-reaching con- Colorial Secretary's Office, and is now in the sequences, extremely inconvenient to Europeans Postmaster-General's Department. Mr Bullin, dependent upon the services of chair-coolies. It the Assistant Master, has been provisionally has been shown in the evidence that Regis-appointed First Clerk in the Registrar-General's
Office. The money expended on account their salaries has not therefore been wasted.
tration Offices have been
tried on more
than one occasion and have failed from want of support, and it is evident that any master who desires to be satisfied as to the character of his chair-coolies, can refuse to engage any coolie who does not produce some evidence of his character. All that is required is a common agreement between a number of employers. Or if a number of people find it difficult to obtain coolies, it is evident from the statements of Chinese witnesses that there are men in the Colony who would undertake to supply them if afrangements were made with them. Mr. Hanson points out on page 14 the objection the Chinese coolies have to many restrictions, and it seems to me that compulsory registration would reduce the labour-supply and further raise the wages.
DEPOTS BYE-LAWS.
of
The COLONIAL SECRETARY laid on the table the bye-laws made under section 13, sub-section 16. of "The Public Health Ordinance, 1901 " with reference to depots for cattle, pigs, sheep, and goats, and moved their approval.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL seconded, and the motion was agreed to
Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-In connection with the bye-laws just passed, I would wish to suggest that in future, if it be possible, such bye-laws be sent round to the papers before hand, so that members may have an opportunity of reading and considering them and asking questions on such points as they may care to have information upon.
H. E. the ACTING GOVERNOR—I may explain that there was a special reason in this particlar case why we should hurry up. I quite agree with the suggestion of the hon. member, and I shall take care that in future hon. members will be made aware beforehand what bye-laws are to be passed.
BUILDINGS ORDINANCE.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL-I beg to move
the first reading of the Bill entitled An Ordinance to conso idate and amend the Laws some time past a strong feeling in the Colony relating to Buildings. There has been for that the laws relating to buildings should be consolidated and amended, and last year, at the time we passed the Public Health Ordinance,
then drafted a consolidated Bill; and when the various Ordinances were brought together and repealed and re-enacted in their proper places in that Bill came to be read, it became
view the fact that the experts in engineering quite apparent that the law required not only consolidation but amendment; and having in matters-Professor Simpson and Mr. Chad- wick-were on their way to the Colony, sent out at the request of the people of this Colony by the Secretary of State, the Director of Public Works asked leave to delay bringing on the measure until he could have the benefit of the advice of those gentlemen, whose great experience might suggest improvements in the building law. On the arrival of Mr. Chadwick, we lost no time in furnishing Mr. Chadwick and Professor Simpson with copies of the draft of our consolidating Bill, and we spent some four days together going through it clause by clause, making amendments and alterations as we thought desirable. I propɔse now to move the first reading and to leave it to your Excel- lency as to what is the more desirable course to a meeting this day week and the Bill is meantime pursue as regards the second reading. If we have published in the Gazette-perhaps an extraor so that these interested may have an opportunity dinary Gazette, so as not to wait until Saturday of reading the Bill, we might be able by next Monday, if that was so fixed, to go through the Bil in committee once on the second reading, passing, so far as the committee were concerned, all these clauses which appear unobjectionable to all the members. If there were any clauses that appeared to want consideration it seems to me advisable that these should stand over until some further opportunity, but we might pass not usual to discuss a Bill on the first reading, such clauses as are not objected to. It is but I thought it might be convenient in the case of this particular Bill to suggest to your Excel. lency the course I have put before yon. I think this course will probably recommend itself to hon. members. Of course it is necessary that people should have time to read and consider a Bill of this kind, but I think a reasonable time morrow in the Gazette, and the unobjectionable would be afforded if it was published, say, to- clanses could be taken on Monday.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded, and the motion was agreed to.
H.E. THE ACTING GOVERNO 2-I would like to ask hon. members whether the course which is suggested is acceptable to them. It will enable them to see the Bill, and, as proposed, they can discuss on Monday those questions on which there can be no doubt. leaving the others for subsequent discus- sion. If there is no objection to that I would suggest that it be agreed to.
But the question as to fares and as to the issue
The COLONIAL SECRETARY-With reference of tickets, as recommended in para. 21, might be considered in Executive Council. In para. to what the hon. member has said, I think the 20 Inspector Hanson's statement is quoted. request a perfectly reasonable one. As a matter been of fact, these bye-laws were only just received These amounts may possibly hare earned in one of the busy months be- from the printers, and the usual course of cir- fore the large increase of 1,200 rick-culating them amongst the members could not be shas, but, granting the statement that, for the adopted on this occasion. As these bye-laws in- year the average nett earning was $10, this volve an increase of fees for the housing of cannot be reckoned exorbitant remembering cattle in the depots, I feel perfectly certain the short life of a ricksha-coolie, and is not tha: the hon. member sitting opposite will be the last member of this Council to prevent the
Hon. C. P. CHATER-At this moment I can- more than can be earned by a cargo-coolie.
If a system of tickets could be adopted it increase being granted at onc3.
Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-With reference not very well bring forward any objection, would, in my opinion, save many disputes, es- pecially with people who do not carry very small 10 te last remark of the Hon. the Colonial because I have not had an opportunity of ever, as soon as our meeting is over, copies of change, and who generally receive Chinese coins Secretary, I am not in a position to say whether looking over the Bill. I would suggest, bows in exchange. I have spoken to Mr. Hewett on I would or would not have opposed the increas ›.
in the place of what your Excellency has decided the Shanghai system which, he tells me, works I only wished to suggest that it would be this Bill be sent to all architects and engineers well, and if such tickets were issued by reasonable that members should have Government, probably books of them would be opportunity of considering what the Council to do-issuing an extraordinary Gazette. The bought freely and used by sailors, &c., &c. As has in view, I have not raised any objeo-Gazette is not sent to everybody, only to sub- to the amount, a sum equal to one penny tions to the bye-laws being put into opera scribers, and sometimes it so happens that the farthing does not appear to be very startling tion, because I believe them to he resonable, or community do not get an opportunity of getting even for the shortest journey, and is decidedly at least I conclude that they are reasonable, not the Gazette so easily. I would therefore sug- moderate for fifteen minutes, but could be having had an opportunity of inspecting them. gest that notice be sent to the architects and
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