Extract from Letter from Butterfield & Swire, Hong Kong,
to John Swire & Sons, Ltd., London,
dated 2nd. January 1931.
41
END
Police Guards. Of the four southern steamers carrying Police Guards, "Anking" and "Kwangtung" have been running for several trips with two Russian N.C.Os. and six Chinese, instead of one European Police Sergeant, one Russian N.C.O. and six Chinese, the reason for this being that the two European Sergeants were found to be not very suitable individuals. After a trial the Masters of the two vessels in question gave it as their opinion that the Guards were just as efficient, without the British Sergeants. As a result of our experience since this change was made, we have notified the Police here that in future we will carry on with only two Europeans,, who can be changed round, and it has been arranged that the two men not required by us should be absorbed into the regular Police establishment as soon as vacancies occur; we are employing them in the meantime, as in any case we have to pay their wages, because they were specially recruited for anti-piracy work. By getting rid of them later we shall be saving on each man the difference between £36. per month and $90.