the other two Companies will also dis- cover that they have made a loss,
And there may
position.
be others in a suiclar
I would telegraph that before
li
propenal your fall information as to the base
can be considered, he should
in
which he proposes to assess love. pausations, and also whether payment to the Law Level to is likely to give rice to clannis prave others, and the probable
amount.
4.1.13
The probable amount, I understand, botts to the Low Level Company
any
Br over
other possible claimants. I agree entirely with Sir J. Anderson.
E5.1.13 *6-1-13
And I
what peris
وت
CONFIDENTIA L.
Sir,
45 2048.
5
C.0. 40743
GOVERNMENT HOUSE.
HONGKONG. 2nd. December, 1912.
With reference to paragraph 8 of my Confidenti-
-al Despatch of the 21st. ultimo, I have the honour to inform you
that a boycott of the Low Level Tramways Company's cars has been
organised by the Chinese as a result of the refusal of the Company
to receive in fares any money other than that which is legal tender
in the Colony. This new regulation has worked smoothly in the
case of the High Level Tramways and the Star Ferry Company and in
the case of the Low Level Tramways it met with no opposition for
the first few days. On the evening of the 24th. ultimo, however,
a disturbance described in the attached report from the Captain
Superintendent of Police broke out near the works of the Taikoo
Shipyard where a large number of Chinese are employed and the
example set by these roughs has unfortunately spread to Victoria.
The receipts have fallen in consequence as shown in enclosure 2.
On the 27th. ultimo I interviewed the members
2.
of the District Watchmen Committee, to which both the Chinese Members of the Legislative Council belong,a
,and explained to them
that the action of the Tramway Company was merely in exercise of
their legal right to refuse what is not legal tender and that it
therefore had the full support of the Government. The District
Watchmen Committee expressed the opinion that the action of the Company, and of the Government in supporting it, was entirely reason- -able. On the 29th. and 30th. ultimo the Registrar-General inter-
-viewed the members of the Californian Merchants Guild and the principal
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
LEWIS HARCOURT, H.P.,
&C..
&C..
&C...