COPY.
** **
Sir,
*
at
• Profits
493
Enclosure No. 1 to Despatch No.: 133 off the C. O.
9th April, 1902.
18666
RECO
32, Queen's Road Central
2. MAY 02
Hongkong, 11th March, 1903.**
I am instructed by Water Police Constables Wylie and Cook, Nos. 34 and 39 to inform you that they only received at 3 o'clock this afternoon your written communication addressed to Inspector Riley and dated yesterday.
My Clients are advised that they are not bound to consent to any modification of the Agreements on which they came out to this Colony and they therefore respectfully decline to sign any one of the four documents annexed to your communication.
The service which they signed for was that of Water Police and it is expressly stipulated in their Agreements that as a rule they have to perform six hours duty in each twenty-four hours generally between ... and 3 a.m.
They are advised that under their Agreements they cannot be transferred to the Land Police and that they cannot be required as a rule to do more than six hours only in each twenty-four hours.
They are willing and always have been willing to abide by the terms of their Agreements and they most respectfully submit that so long as they perform their part of the Agreements you have no power to dismiss them.
If you are communicating with the Secretary of State on the subject I shall be much obliged if you will forward to him the original or a copy of this letter and if you will also request him to send to each of my clients the part of the Agreement to which each is entitled signed by one of the Crown Agents.
I have etc.;
... J. Badeley, Esq.
Acting Captain Superintendent of Police.
(signed) J. P. Reece.