8501324
Enclosure No. 2.
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32
ATTORNEY GENERAL'S CHAMBERS,
Hongkong... April........1928.
REPORT ON ORDINANCE NO........................... of 1928
1.
I have examined the accompanying O: linance intituled an Ordinance to provide for the registration and regulation of watchmen, and I am of opinion that the Ordinance is one which is not contrary to the Governor's instructions.
2.
The numbers
In the year 1917 the Captain Superintendent of Police inaugurated a system of supplying watchmen to private
employers. The scheme was begun with 20 men. increased yearly and at the end of 1927 about 600 watchmen were so supplied. Of these about 330 were ship's guards and
It is true that the about 270 were employed on shore. employment of ship's guards was compulsory for certain ships under the Piracy Prevention Ordinance, 1914, which has now been repealed, but the employment of so many shore guards through the police shows that the scheme was appreciated by
employers. The police are in a better position than individual employers to select the best men and to weed out
the less desirable men. The employers also got the
advantage of police supervision and control, and better
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