COPY.
Early delay.
61
Assistant Registrar General,
This matter should be dealt with without any further
(Signed.) J. H. Stewart Lockhart,
Colonial Secretary.
31-8-99.
Honourable Registrar General,
I am extremely sorry about this delay. I have had difficulty in getting hold of the men to inquire from. It appears that this idea of a Yan Yee Co. arose out of the rivalry between the two steam launches. There was such competition that Pun Chuk Sam, the opposition man, tried to run off Pun Shek-man's party by reducing his fares, making it necessary for them to do the same; Pun Chuk Sam, however, having more money than they have to pay for men who tout for passengers for his launch. By this they are placed at a disadvantage, and they thought that by the erection of a pier they would have a chance of getting more passengers.
Pun Shek-man and his friends got Charles Campbell, alias Wong Puk, to take the matter up for them because of his knowledge of English.
The Yan Yee Co. was formed, though "formed" seems too strong a word to be applied to it, for, from what I am told, it was but little else than a name, no list of names being entered in a partnership book for any capital subscribed.
The Yan Yee Co. then was not formed but named and mentioned
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