No.133
Hongkong.
Colony
Mear
Messrs Wylie and Cook called here today. They said that their agreements had been cancelled, but that they alleged connection between they understood that Way would be dismissed and left penniless in the event they worked the right hours.
J. Ing
7/27/8
REC
C. O.
18666
Government House, JY 02)
Hongkong, 8th April, 1902.
491
M
908
Sir,
I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Despatch No.19 of January 16th, forwarding copies of some correspondence which had taken place between the Colonial Office and Mr. F. H. May, C.M.G., on the subject of four Policemen who had been enlisted for service in this Colony.
2.
Of these four men, Clark has been dismissed and Sleeman has at his own request been transferred to the Land Police, but the other two, Cook and Wylie, in spite of the statement contained in paragraph 3 of your letter to Mr. F. H. May to the effect that they were engaged on the same terms as ordinary Police Constables, insist that they were engaged solely as Water Police, that they cannot be called upon to perform more than 6 hours duty a day and that they are not liable to be transferred to the Land Police.
3.
I transmit two letters from their Solicitor, Mr. Reece, in which their case is formulated.
Enclosures 1&2, 17th March, 1907.
4.
The usual hours of duty in the Water Police are 8 hours a day and as it was unfair to the other men to allow any preferential treatment in the matter of hours
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN, M.P.,
800...