69
6.
in the absence of any authentic document confcrring on us the nocossary powers, the Union would not be ablo
to discuss the mattor with us. I statod that as our whole
object was an early settlement I hoped that no formality
would stond in the way of our mooting tho Strikers'
Union because if any such settlemont could be
any formal confirmation of our authority would bc
roadily forthcoming.
reached,
After ascertaining from us what do proposed to do
by way of settling the mattor (i.. by raising a fund to the bost of our ability by way of payment to the
strikers in licu of reinstatement etc) Mr. Ju soid ho
know that the strikers were most insistent upon the
terms of reinstatement and strike pay and we spent a
long time in discussing those questions. Mr. Ju said
that those two demands had come to be more or loss
stcrotype in all strikes; that he fully understood our difficulties which ho had always approci tod; at the
same time tho strikers struck work, not for cconomic
ronsons, out mcroly from patriotic motivos, the Canton
Government could not possibly force thom to return to
work. As rogards reinstatement, ho instanced the case of
Shamcon, which wc distinguished on the ground that the striko thoro had lasted only short time. Br. u thought
the matter was not impossible, os.ocially as the chiof
European cmployers wore big companios. Ho agrood that
the Hongkong Government could not pass logislation but could easily influence such big Europorn employers.
Mr. Ju informed us that the strikers considered that
wo wore sent by the Hongkong Government to shield
the Europoons (as if two parties were having pistols
drum t one another, and a third party rushed in botwoon)
and that we had boon given a fool's errand.