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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :---
C.O.882/11
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
C.30001/27 [No. 23].
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HONG KONG.
Relations with Canton.
No. 1.
The Governor of Hong Kong to the Secretary of State for the Colonies.
(Confidential.)
SIR,
(Received 21st February, 1927.)
Government House, Hong Kong, 15th January, 1927. Although the Council of Government at Canton contains within its ranks no single member who has been a labourer or who can properly be regarded as representative of the labouring classes, nevertheless, the Canton Soviet affects to consider itself a Labour Government and the indulgence and laxity with which it has treated the working man is largely responsible for the labour unrest in Kuang-tung and particu- larly at Canton. Of late, however, labour has got so completely out of control, and strikes have been of such frequent occurrence that the Canton Provincial Council instructed the Peasants' and Workmen's Bureau to draw up regulations for the control of disputes between labour and capital. The Bureau accordingly drafted regulations and submitted them on the 27th December for the consideration of the Council. I attach a translation;* taken from the Tsun Wan Yat l'o these draft regulations of the 28th December, setting out in full together with the objects and reasons of each. The draft regulations were duly considered and revised by the Provincial Council and, on the 5th January, the Council issued a notification, of which I attach a translation,* taken from the Man Kwok Yat l'o of the 6th January, temporary regulations for the prevention of disputes promulgating between labour and capital in the province of Kuang-tung.'
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I attach a note* indicating the principal amendments made by the Council in the original draft.
2. It is of interest to observe that the Canton Soviet, considering a strike to be " a legitimate method of securing improved conditions for workmen," and with the avowed object of insuring the success of strikes, prohibits masters of shops or factories from employing strike- breakers (see regulation A.1.), and also requires workmen on strike to be paid by their masters for the period of the strike (see regula tion A.3). The Government further aims in regulation A.4 at pro- tecting "the organization and unity of the labour unions." On the other hand, in group B of the regulations the object of the Government is to curb the lawless tyranny of the labour unions. The intention
small handicraftsmen of group C of the regulations is to protect
from undue interference by labour unions on the occasion of a strike, and the regulations in group D (specially added by the Provincial Council itself) are to safeguard essential industries."
• Not printed.
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3. The persistent labour agitation in Chinese territory, of which geographically speaking this Colony forms a part, and the attitude of the Canton Soviet towards disputes between capital and lanpur will almost certainly sooner or later be reflected in the relation between Accordingly, at a recent employers and employed in Hong Kong. meeting of the Hong Kong General Defence Committee, I discussed with the local military and naval authorities the desirability of con- stitating in Hong Kong a Labour Advisory Board upon which would I representatives of the Colonial Government, the Army, the Navy, and the mercantile community (both British and Chinese), in order that we might have ready to hand in time of trouble an organization which can mediate between employer and employed and that there may be, as far as possible, unanimity of policy among the largest local employers of labour in their treatment of workmen. Such a Board was established a few years ago at Colombo and proved of value to the Ceylon Government. It would, I think, be equally valuable here. I will inform you in due course of the arrangements which are made and which at the outset, in order to avoid misunderstanding, I propose to treat as confidential. But, in the meanwhile, it is important that the War Office and the Admiralty should realize how delicate, and even hazardous, is the labour situation in this Colony, and how undesirable it would be for questions of pay and conditions of Chinese labourers in the employ of the local military and naval authorities to be settled except in close consultation with the Colonial Government.
4. I have furnished a copy of this despatch to Major-General C. C. Luard and to Commodore J. L. Pearson.
C.30001/27 [No. 35].
No. 2.
I have, etc.,
C. CLEMENTI,
Governor, &c.
The Governor of Hong Kong to the Secretary of State for the C'olonies.
(Secret. (2).)
SIR,
(Received 7th March, 1927.)
Government House, Hong Kong, 4th February, 1927. I have the honour to confirm my telegram of the 3rd February,* Seang regarding the trade situation. Apart from the piracy of the s.s. Bee" reported in my telegram of the 31st January,* Chinese New Year has passed without incident so far as this Colony is concerned. The native financial settlement is reported to have been satisfactory. But 1 can, unfortunately, build little hopes for the future on these few days of peace. There is, on the contrary, every sign that as soon as the private preoccupations of this festive season are over, the Russian school of world-revolutionists centred in Canton will strain every nerve to promote in Hong Kong the dictatorship of labour which is now so prominent a feature of Canton life (see my confidential despatch of the An 15th January and my secret despatch of the 21st January†).
• Not printed.
† No. 1 and C. 30001/27 [No. 24]: not printed.