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two days here on his way through to Japan. He met with an excellent reception from the native population, particularly so considering the disturbed conditions which prevailed shortly before his arrival.
4. Launchmen's Strike.—Early in May the launchmen in the harbour who were among the last to go out on strike in sympathy with the seamen struck work for higher wages. The strike was settled satisfactorily after an interval of 10 days during which some inconvenience was occasioned by the irregular ferry service across the harbour. Otherwise the community suffered but little. Strikes of various classes of labour continued throughout the year, but most if not all were settled amicably before the close of the year.
5. Political changes in Canton affecting the Colony. Shortly after the Seamen's Strike the Canton Government changed hands as a result of a split between Sun Yat Sen and Chan Kwing Ming. The former was ousted and the latter assumed control. The labour organizations began to settle down as a result of the change and, though they endeavoured to assume a more militant attitude towards the end of the year when Chan Kwing Ming was in turn ousted from Canton and Sun Yat Sen returned, the latter gave them no encouragement and they speedily resumed their normal functions.
6. Closing of Guilds.—As a result of their interference with the food supplies of the Colony the Hip Tsun Tsung Kung She cooks and servants Union was declared an unlawful Society by Government Proclamation on 14th December, and closed. The only other Union which was declared unlawful was the notorious Kong Ng Lun Shun Kung Wui, which was prescribed on 13th October, 1922. This society though nominally the Union of the Hongkong and Wuchow Steamer employees had got into bad hands and formed the chief resort of the criminal classes in the Colony. It was therefore with great relief that the general bulk of the Chinese population of the Colony witnessed the closing down of the society, whose evil reputation dates back for many years.
7. Outbreak of violent crime.—One of the most serious results of the change of Government in Canton twice during the year and the consequent fighting was the outbreak of crimes of violence in the Colony following closely on each series of fighting. In August and September there were numerous highway and armed robberies, many of them traced to ex-soldiers or unemployed seamen, and again in December continuing up to the Chinese New Year (February 1923). The large increase in armed robberies and murders as revealed in this Report testifies to the seriousness of these waves of violent crime. The Police were successful in bringing a number of offenders to book and the heavy sentences imposed on them by the Courts together with increased restrictive Police measures appear to have borne fruit as these crimes, though still prevalent have very largely decreased since the New Year (Chinese). Notable among a number of robberies which involved promiscuous shooting in the streets was the Wing Wo Street Robbery, which took place at dusk on the 29th September, during which a Chinese detective No. 100 Sin Chun was fatally shot by the robbers, as they were