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112
Lei
it was feared that Lung Wan would assist him.
San was, however, defeated after a short campaign and
Chau Sai-shing remained in control of the province. He is affiliated to the Kwangsi group, as Lei San is
to Chiang Kai-shek; and it is not unlikely that a
general understanding between the administrations of
Hunan, Hupeh, Kweichow, Kwangsi, Kuangtung and Yunnan
is in course of negotiation. At the same time it
would seem likely that the pourparlers also relate
to the opium question, a matter which vitally concerns the four Southern provinces from a revenue point of
view.
7. The Chinese New Year, which according to the old calendar fell on February 10th, passed without incident in Hong Kong and Canton. It has long been the custom for Chinese employers to discharge and
engage permanent employees on the second day of the
New Year; but in recent years, with the growth of the influence of Labour Unions, employers in Canton had been prevented from dismissing any employee without the consent of the Union. Recent legislation has restored this right to them and a number took advantage of this to dismiss their unsatisfactory employees on the day following New Year. There was some muttering among the Unions, but only one instance of
open intimidation, which was dealt with by the Canton police.
8.
On February 20th a number of prominent Hong Kong business men attended a reception in Canton to which invitations had been issued in the names of
Marshal