HONGKONG TELEGRAPH WEEK-END SECTION
SATURDAY, JULY 17. 1937
+
RICKSHA COOLIES Toil For $1 A Day
And Are
Of all the tollers of the Middle Kingdom, perhaps none are
EXPLOITED
By
more familiar to residents of Hongkong than the ubiquitous ricksha puller and his equally hard-working compatriot the Jedan-chair bearer. Indeed, we look upon them with that sort of disinterested impersonality that is born of mingled apathy and contempt, and after having bestowed the customary gratui- iy for their services, dismiss them with scarcely a second thought. In short, although of the jobs that are open to the un- most of us i one time
Or
another have wondered from whence come the ranks of these perspiring mo-mei-ma or "tail less horses" as the Chinese term them, yet we know very little of their lives, and the reasons that have induced them to enter upon such an arduous trade which at best offers not much more than a bare existence.
Poverty, of course, is the impell ing molive-not the genteel neediness of the more prosperous West, but penury in grim reality with the spectre of starvation always hover ing in the ofing. Under such condi- tions, men are glad to accept any arrangement which will at least pro- vide the barest minimum of physical comfort. Therefore, the hard life of the ricksha and chair coolle is attrat- tive to many of the impecunious and broken-down farmers in various parts of the province.
T. PAUL
GREGORY
skilled labourer from the country. Unfortunately, however, instead of applying directly to the ricksha or redan-chair kung-st or “companies", arrangements are more likely to be made with one of the so-called fun-
az-lei or "sub-rannogers", which is
just another term for the middlemen of Western countries,
These indivi-
duals, for instance, in the case of a rieksta, hire it out to the coolies
for about 80 cents per day of 21
hours, which in actuality is more
thon 24 ents dvarer than the rates charged by the Pung-sz Frequent- ly, too, the uruat demand ride by the "middleraen" is that the coolies pay a so-called "retaining fee" of approximately $5.00 monthly for the privilege of pulling the vehicle.
The usual practice is for two men, usually elansmen or close friends. who enter into an agreement with the foo-sz-Iri to hire a vehicle. Each takes turns in pulling it about the streets in search of custom, and the hours stipulated are twelve for each
puller. On the average, the daily in
come of each rleksha and chair coolie
is about one dollar, although occasion- ally. In times of inclement weather, it may rise as high as two dollars or even more. Such occasions are, how- ever, extremely rare, und consider- ing that food costs the conlle about 50 cents or 60 cents per day, in the long run he is, indeed, fortunale If he A few, can secure a bare living, Clothes, however, are items of less consequence
Indeed, it is from the agricultural classes that the majority of the Colony's 2,000 ricksha puliers and upwards of 600 chair bearers are re- crulled. They represent the poverty stricken formers of some of the East River districts, notably Hoi-fung and Luk-tung in that area midway be- tween Swabue and Swatow. moreover, hail from Wal-chau and others come from the Sz-yop district of Yan-p'ing.
It is the dimeulty of wresting n ving from the sterile soil of their ancestral fields, coupled with the bi- ter poverty of their daily lives that have forced these thousands of sturdy labourers to the cities in search of employment, Actually, so numerous are the hordes of half-starved farmer- folk and so keen the competition for jobs that they readily lend themselves
the sum of $0 or $10 per annum. being deemed a sufficient outlay.
The various "companies" provide sheller for the coolies in the form of doss-houses or koo-lei-kwoon as they are termed in the vernacular, These consist of tenements located in Wanchai and Staunton. Street area of the Colony, in which bed-space is let out to the inmates at the rental of about two dollars monthly.
to exploitation. Many of these in the Unhappy Existence
past felf victims to the wlies of shame- less crimps and were invelgled into going abroad, where they were sokl intu peonage on the great sugar plan-
Life in these coolie dosa-houses is very unsatisfactory at best, as Afty men are crowded into one large room
tations of Cuba and the infamous provided with
guano pits of the Chincha Islands off
rows of bunks one above the other. Sanitary arrange-
the Peruvian coast. To-day, happily ments are negligible, but thie coolies
such conditions do not exist, but there
still persist to a minor exteni väri-
are satisfied with the minimum of comfort. In fact, these kwaon assume
ous means of exploiting those who the place in their lives as a sort of
wish to enter the already
over-
club house, and the hours when the
crowded ranks of ricksla pullers and Inmates are not sleeping are spent
sedan-chair bearers.
Exploited By
"Middlemen"
Naturally, these aspiring recrults to
in reading Chinese novels, perusing newspapers and gossip. Gambling, too, is a pastime fréquently indulged in, but, of course, entirely sub-rosa as ganics of hazard
re officially Banned in the Colony. The game generally played is said to be an already over-crowded profession the Ch'iu-chau variant of the do not possess sufficient capital to ordinary Chinese dominoes, but purchase their own vehicles or chairs, KD engrossed મૅય the coolles and, morcover, are strangers in become that la the course of large city, RO that they on evening the losses and winnings rendily lend themselves to ex- wil nmount to a considerable sum. ploitation. Indeed, dire necessity Furthermore, it is the wont of these foreca them to Agd employ tallers to club together in groups of ment
as quickly as possible, and say half a dozen or so and have a ricksha pulling or chair bending offers fenat once every fortnight. Upon
the enslest, and under the circum- these occasions, sheung-ching-the stances, the best remunerated of any potent spirit of the commonality
freely flows The coolies seek to drown in the flow of wine the soc- rows and hardships of their drab, work-a-day lives, and to hasten that pleasant state of Inebriation, they in- dulge in the game of ch'aat-ntool, o Chinese form of the Italian game of morts or "guessing Angers". He who loses, must drink and sooner or Inter the whole company is more or less in a state of Jovial intoxication.
The sort of life led by the coolies with its burden of uncertainties for- ever
them present saps
of any desire to improve their condition. In fact, the sutn of $200 Is regarded as
# fortune, anch 21 few amongst them strive to save this amount so that they may return to their native districts. With good luck, barring accidents and ill- health, a steady worker may acquire that amount in a year or so of strenu- 05 toll. Unfortunately, Fate does not seem to smile upon the overage ricksha or ebair coolie and he may spend half decach without any favourable opportunity of acquiring the coveted aggregate. more athletic die young and the piti able drawback of age overtakes the rest so that they are often forced to seek different occupations which in the case of those in the Colony is to engage in nwking-another over- crowded and poorly remunerated pro- fession.
A
In fact, the
In The Hands of The
Shylocks
Various factors serve to hinder the ricksha puller in his hope of saving! for the proverbial rainy day, and one of these is the professional money lender who is always ready to take advantage of these poor toilers. For instance, it may be assumed that ill- ners or else some calamity amongst his family at his native place has made it incumbent to raise a certain sum he has no other recourse but to apply to the local "Shylocks" who will advance the money required. The
amount lent is never large. scarcely if ever is it over $20, but the interest for even this sum is excessive,
TEST
Week-End Problems
PROBLEM I MONKEYFACE ON
MANOEUVRES
at least 20 cents a day. Moreover, are perhaps more or less "In their in the event of a coolie returning cups." home, it is required that he first And another man to take his place, and it is further stipulated that the new recruit must become responsible for all debts previously contracted.
In short, the increasing competition of the buses is rendering the vacation of the ricksha and sedan-chair coolie precacions. Indeed, in the case of the former, it is only a question of time
Likewise, in case of damage by when this picturesque it not pitiful
collision or accident which on account of the excessive motor traffle in the streets is not an unforeseen possibili- ty, the puller is always deemd res- ponsibl. However, if his vehicle be struck by
A
gure will disappear from our streets entirely, whilst the latter, owing to the billy nature of the terrain of the Island will Indubitably hold his own for a number of decades to come.
motor car, he may Genesis of The Ricksha attempt to obtain damages from the driver, though he is rarely successful. Furthermore, it is stated that in the case of a ricksba being darnuged by the police, the puller does not dure to claim against them, and consequently he must bear the total loss. This is often a considerable sum, for a new ricksha costs in the neighbourhood of about $80, and in the case scrupulous behaviour on the part of any member of the kung-sz may be increased to un indefinite amount, which the unfortunate coolle is obliged to pay out of his daily pittance.
of un-
There is another factor 'which is frequently met with in the rough and tumble of their daily lives; it is the case of patrons who refuse to pay the fare after being pulled or carried to their destination. This practice, which is quite aptly termed iso pa-wong ch'e or ts-oh pa-wong-ki, Le. "riding in a ricksha or sedan- chair and refusing to pay the custom- ary stipend" is said to be a flagrant fault of some of the seafaring visi tors to the Colony who at the time
ANSWERS
The number of troops must be 24. The diagrams show their their disposition originally and after eight men have moved,
Q D Q O
D
0 D
•
Now eight men in the rear rank move:
0
We
42
0
0
0
and
have three squares instead of two.
*
PROBLEM II.
PATAGONIA ANTISEPTIC
LACHRY MOSE
At the --ཤག་དམན་གཞན་
The clues to all three light, contain Akgrants, (1) Again * Top=Patagonia, (2) Pet 1 Can Sit-Antiseptic, (3) O My Charles Lachrymose.
The Cedar Grove Murder
Solution
Playfair began by collecting evidence which, though nega tive in character, was absolutely conclusive. All seven men had asserted circumstantially that they had spent some hours play- ing poker. Playfair therefore examined for fingerprints every card, in their six new packs atkl every chip in the stack. And, while six sets of prints were clearly discernible, there was nu trace of Broole's. When taxed with this damning fact, Broole broke down and con- fessed to the crime,
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It may be Interesting to note that rickshas have been known in Hong- kong for well over half a century. In fact, the ricksha or rather the genesis of the idea for it originated in Japan about the year 1860, when an American missionary by name of Gable, converted a baby carriage into a vehicle in which he could take his invalid wife out for an airing, He hired a coolie to pull it about the streets of Shinagawa (near Yuko- hama), and soon it became readily apparent to the Japanese at large that the earringe had merits. In fact, the very next year, a Japanese by name of K. Takayame took out a patent for a vehicle bazed on the
The
of the venerable
missiontraption original wooden wheeled "ricky" has since then undergone considerable elaboration, and lins become widely popular as a means of locomotion in Airizu. Indeed, rickshas mude their countries us far distant as South appearance in the United States last year at the occasion of the Chicago Exposition. Ricksha races were held, und it became possible to be pulled about the grounds of the fair by sturdy
American College students who had adopted this means of carn- Ing additional Income to meet their tuition fees. Of course, whether the iden will spread in that country re- muins doubtful, but the fact remains that rickshas possess undoubted merit and the promoters are said to be considering the pos- sibility of further introduction of the vehicle into some of the more popular beach resorts there, where it 19 thought that it might be a successful competitor with the beach-chairs now employed.
"WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH SUCH A NAUGHTY BOY, NURSE?'
"Don't scold him, Mr. Hardy. He doesn't look well. Are you sure he is nol constipated? Whenever a child is cross and peevish. I look at the tongue. If it is coated, or if the breath is disagreeable, I know at once what is wrong. I always give 'California Syrup of Pigs. That moves the bowels in a few hours and cleanses the system.
"Children don't understand the importance of regularity. They get absorbed in play and won't trouble. And it is only when they get thorough- ‚ly cruss and miserable that you real- ize that they are constipated. I find it saves a world of sickness and worry to give them a regular weekly dose. I would do that if I were you. With a natural laxative like "Čali- fornia Syrup of Figs you can't go wrong.
"Doctors recommend it and give it to their own children, and we nurses swear by it. Get a bottle of 'Cali- fornia Syrup of Figs' from the drug store and give him a dose at beď time. He'll be as happy as a lark in the morning.
"Never experiment with cheap and drastic preparations when buying children's laxatives. The safest plan Is to do as I do, follow the example of the doctors and give 'California Syrup of Figs,****
California Syrup of Fiqs"
NATURE'S OWN' LAXATIVE
INTELLECTUAL WIVES
FIFTY years ago feminine their energy drained by the care pioneers of higher education of infants, shopping, mending nssumed that it only women and all the thousand-and-one could be given learning in sum- tasks imposed by a small house- ciently large doses, they would hold; yet they are still loft with: live happily ever afterwards. time to brood over the waste of
They would find lasting. bliss their mental powers.. in a profession, and marriage would be no more than incidental to their delightful carcers.
Is this optimistic opinion en dorsed by the present generation of University-trained wives and mothers? What have they got to say about it themselves?
They wanted to share the highest experience of women, and to enjoy the interest of in- tellectual work as well. When they find that in practice it is difficult to combine motherhood. with professional work, they tend to become permanently thwarted and embittered.
THERE is, for instance,
By the time the children havo Sally. After a bri- outgrown the need of constant llant career at Girton she was care their posts have long been appointed secretary to an impor- filled up, and, in any case, they tant International Organisation, are no longer sufficiently alert! and after marriage kept her job and in touch with the world to until Billy was born. Then she compete with the fresh batches resigned, contending herself of girls turned out by the uni- with membership of the Com-versities each year. mittee which she had organised.
Last month for the first time she was invited to attend the Congress abroad as an official de- legate, but she has recently add- ed a small daughter to her family and Baby Jean still requires her mother's undivided attention. Someone suggested that the in- fant might be put upon a bottle, but Sally was determined to give her the best possible start in life,
She cared intensely about her work and was unhappy at hav ing to set it aside, but she felt that the new arrival had the first claim upon her.
MANY university women try to continue their work after marringe but find themselves compelled to give it up in timic.
They cannot all afford reliable domestic help, and they find
If milk
WHAT is the use of a highly trained mind if its owner cannot build up a harmonious life for herself?
-It may be that she has not been rightly taught. Perhaps the universities of the future will discriminate between the sexes, and women will be trained on different lines instead of compet-. ing directly with men.
Or it may be that women must tearn now to make the best of things as they are, and to un- derstand that in our time they cannot have the cream of both worlds; in that case they must be content with such intellectual orb all their day, and must learn or artistic work as does not ab to regard motherhood ng career in itself, to be enriched by their learning as by any other enlargement of personality.
Daisy Adler
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