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7. Certain of the Indian watchmen, however, were not
satisfied, though some of their objections had been met.
They were offered an opportunity of appearing by counsel
before the Legislative Council. They did not avail them-
selves of this opportunity, but forwarded a petition setting
out their objections to the proposed legislation.. This
petition was carefully considered by the Government, and was
discussed in Executive Council, and was laid on the table on
the motion of the Attorney General. As a result of the
consideration of this petition the following amendments were
made in the bill :-
82
(a)
The power of making regulations fixing
wages, arranging grades, regulating
the conditions of employment and
service, and providing for discipline
and control, were confined to the
case of olice watchmen : see section
3 of the Ordinance.
(b) The clause prohibiting watchmen from
performing the duties of watchman for
more than one employer was deleted.
Most of the watchmen supplied by the Captain
Superintendent of Police are engaged by the month, but some
are engageû by the day.
They are referred to in the
Ordinance and regulations under the term "casual watchmen",
which is defined in section 2 as meaning a watchman engaged at
a daily rate.
9. A ship's guard is defined in section 2 as meaning a
person employed on any vessel as a watchman, other than a
casual watchman. The ordinary ship's hard will not be under
the supervision of the Captain Superintendent of Police
because there is, a strong objection to dual control in the
case of persons employed on board ship, but this objection