3
Chinese Free Labour Ordinance, 1923, copy of
labourer
which is to be found in 11713/24 Jominions
below. Amongst other provisions the
following appears: - Section 2. No
hereafter arriving in Western Sdmoa.......
shall hereafter be under any circumstances
criminally punishable by fine, imprisonment
or otherwise for any breach of a contract
of service
The statement of the terms which is attached
states that the engage-
to the same 1924 paper
ment is for a term of 3 years at the end of
which the labourer will be repatriated, but
I approved
after Consideration a labourer may engagef
for a further period of 3 years. As regards
an extension of the period of the service
by
to 4 years, the 0.1.G.of Hong Kong states
that 3 years is the usual term for contracts
in the South Seas and is longer than the
term for the East Indies, the distinction
being due to the greater expense of conveying
emigrants to the South Sea Islands and to the
fact that most Administrations in these
islanus do not encourage free settlement
Chinese and are therefore liable to incur
heavy expenditure on account of labourers
repatriated at the end of their term. The
O.A.G. sees no objection to the extension of
the term to 4 years, except that the labourer
will be prejudiced in so far as his oppor-
tunity of making a better bargain with his
employer as a condition of renewing his
agreement,will be deferred for the extra
year, and from the point of view of the Hong Kong
Government