Enclosure No. 8
Report of a Labour meeting held at Canton on
the 5th February, 1927.
87
The Honourable
Secretary for Chinese Affairs,
Sir,
▲ labour meeting was held at Canton on 5th inst. Over
one thousand persons were present, about two hundred re- presenting Hong Kong Labour Guilds.
Chairman read letter received from Canton Government
official. Letter stated inter alia:- It was not the wish
of Canton Government that there should be any trouble in
Hong Kong in nature of general strike at present time and
went on to warn meeting that if necessary Government would
use force in suppressing any attempt to organize general
strike. Letter explained that there were matters requiring
urgent attention in the North and that success in North may be placed in jeopardy by disturbances in Hong Kong which would possibly lead to an attack by British on Canton while
Government were engaged in North.
Letter then went on to subject of compensation to be
paid to strikers. Said taxes were being increased twenty- five per cent, part of which would be used in this connection. Fifty thousand persons had sent in their names, it was esti-
mated ten thousand of this number would be rejected, leaving
forty thousand who will in due course receive hundred dollars
each.
Chairman stated that after the Hankow incident preparation
were made for a mob attack on Shameen, but owing to strong
representations made by Sun Fo the idea was given up. Sun Fo
said Government had considered the matter and had come to
conclusion that it was inadvisable to take any action against
Shameen