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I
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the speech is aimed have travelled far since it was made, but it is interesting to note the very clear hint regarding Comrade Borodin and his satellites.
(b) An extract from the Man Kwok Tat Po, Canton, of the 2nd April, purporting to contain a telegram from a Chinese news agency in Berlin. It will probably be worth while to ascertain whether such a news agency does in fact exist and, if so, how it 16 managed.
I have, &c.,
ENCLOSURE 1 IN No. 10.
C. CLEMENTI,
Governor, dr.
CANTON EVENTS AND CURRENT RUMOURS: 7TH APRIL, 1927. The Kwang-tung General Labour Delegation Union's Congress has passed the following resolutions:-
1. Demand promulgation of Labour Law.
2. Demand protection of labour union's privileges against the old shop practice of discharging employees on second day of lunar new year.
3. Oppose all regulations and rules formed by Government for restricting labour movements, and demand absolute freedom of speech and assembly.
4. Oppose all regulations promulgated by Labour and Agricul ture Department restricting registration of labour unions.
5. Promote labour education and propaganda work.
6. Organise labour hospital.
7. Consolidate labour union foundation and unify labour organisation.
8. Protest against Mechanic Union oppressing railwaymen.
9. Support union's demands for increase of pay.
10. Dissolve bogus labour unions.
11. Settle outstanding labour disputes among unions.
12. Settle other miscellaneous labour questions.
R. F. C. HEDGELAND,
ENCLOSURE 2 IN NO. 10.
Commissioner.
(Extract from Man Kwok Yat Po, Canton. 4th April, 1927.) (Translation.)
The Hong Kong Government closing down the Hong Kong General Labour Union without good cause.
All members prohibited to enter and leave.
All property in the Union seized.
Union applies to the Government to make a grave protest.
(From the Wan Kau She News Agency.)
The various labour associations in Hong Kong, in order to intensify the common spirit and consolidate their forces, established the Hong Kong General Labour Union in the 10th year of the Republic (1021).
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Un the outbreak of the Canton-Hong Kong Strike, however, the General Union suspended operations. Now that communications between Canton and Hong Kong have been resumed for several months the workmen in Hong Kong were of the opinion that improvement was urgently required in their combination but as there were no existing responsible officials to carry this out, on the 1st April a committee of twenty-one officials was appointed, by election, to under- take the task. Unexpectedly, at 7 p.m. on that day, the Government of Hong Kong sent a large batch of armed British soldiers and Chinese detectives to make a forcible entry into the Union, raid it, stop all members from entering and leaving and seize and take away all property and documents in the Union. Their cruelty and violence was such as to make the hair stand on end. Yesterday the Union sent a letter to the All-Hong Kong Labour Union, asking them to urge the Central Kuomintang Department and the Nationalist Government to send a grave protest to the British Consul-General. On receipt of the letter, the All-Hong Kong Labour Union at once petitioned the Foreign Office, and sent their Executive Officers, Fung King and Ko Tsam, to the Branch Political Council, Canton, to ask that a grave protest be made to the British Consul-General. They have also sent out a telegram appealing for the assistance of all classes of the people. We now publish below their petition to the Foreign Office and their telegram to the people.
Petition to the Foreign Office.
In the matter of a petition:-
We are in receipt of a letter from the Hong Kong General Labour Union which reads as follows:-
Our Union is a general federation of all labour associations in Hong Kong. It was established in the 10th year of the Republic (1921) with the due approval of the Government of Hong Kong. Since its establishment it has been most successful in its function of unifying all its members in a fraternal spirit. Its objects are peaceable and good, and it restrains its actions within the proper limits, and hus never infringed any of the laws of the Government of Hong Kong. In the 14th year of the Republic (1925) the Canton-Hong Kong Strike occurred, and the work of the Union had to be suspended. Of late the Canton-Hong Kong traffic has been resumed, and our workmen in Hong Kong, seeing that in the absence of responsible officials the management of the Union had relaxed control somewhat, were all of the opinion that in case of any trouble they would feel the loss of such a kind mother to procure redress for them. Union was made up of very numerous members of different associations, and it was very inconvenient to convene a general meeting of them all, so for the sake of convenience the election was conducted by ballot instead of by vote at a general meeting. We in fact devoted much care to the arrangements so that they were as complete as possible. We sent out ballots to all the labour associations in the Colony on the 27th March. There were no less than 100 applications and more for these tickets, which shows how enthusiastic was the support given to our Union by all the labour associations in Hong Kong. The tickets were opened publicly in our Union on the 1st April,
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But our
B 4
1
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
TELEC.O. 882/11
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- | COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO
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