10
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174
15.
The instructions which
received from Mr. Chat-
ham were opposed to all recognized principles of business,
yet I was bound by same.
Indeed, they were also varied, and I will cite
the following as examples:-
(a)
The Contractor, Chan a Tong, was readily paid by Mr. Chatham for work which he had not performed, whereas when the works were left in my hands to complete Mr. Chatham actually stopped payments for many weeks for work that had been performed by other and more reliable Contractors.
(b) On one occasion funds were advanced private- ly, to pay the workmen, solely to keep the men on the site so as to finish the work, as they had complained on several occasions of the unsatisfact- ory manner of being paid.
(c) My Chatham instructed me on the last day of the year 1911 to prepare accounts to the amount of $4.000.00 for payment. Having regard to the fact that he had kept back accounts pre- viously for weeks, for actually executed work, 1t appeared strange to my mind at the last moment to pay for work not completed. I was only able to certify for about one half the amount.
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(4) Government archives will shew instances
during progress of works, where I was unable to obtain instructions in carrying out certain works,
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after the matters had been with Mr. Chatham for
years, and I was forced to take the initiative in
order to complete the buildings for use and occu-
pation.