CO885-11 — Page 207

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

ग्ण

Reference :--

C.O.882/11

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON|

| ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE

BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

68

10. Ordinary workers or unskilled labour may be dismissed on the second day of the Chinese new year in accordance with the six special regulations previously promulgated by the Political Council. Other- wise shop fokis should not be dismissed unless they commit some wrong.

11. In case of disputes aroused between two labour unions or between labour and merchants, neither side should attempt to bribe outsiders for aid. Such practice will be severely punished by the Government if discovered.

12. Merchants must not make any attempt to split the unity and organization of labour unions.

13. Agreements concluded between the merchants and labourers pre- vious to the issuance of these regulations are considered valid unless both parties agree to have same cancelled.

Private Taxes.

" taxes on com- 14. The labour unions must not impose their own modities of any shops or factories, which will only increase the burden Such "taxation " may

of the merchants, labour and the consumers. be applicable if both sides mutually agree.

15. No "big" merchants should be admitted into any labour unions. The "small" merchants may join the unions with the consent of the union's members, but in this case the merchants concerned should have no right to vote or to be elected.

16. Owners of "small" workshops who have not joined the labour unions may continue work even during the course of general strikes.

17. Owners of "small"

workshops may or may not join the labour unions as they please.

18. Owners of "small" workshops should also honour the terms reached at the termination of any strikes in their trades.

19. Work in the families in which no outsiders are employed should be free from intervention from the labour unions, and such should not be affected by these regulations.

20. In labour disputes of the following four trades, the decision of the Government arbitrators should be strictly followed and the Government may force their execution:-

(a) Factories for the manufacture of military supplies.

(b) Economic institutions.

(c) Communication services.

(d) Other essential services and public institutions.

21. The offices of the Party and the Government schools, hospitals and other Government establishments are not under these regulations.

22. Prior to the adoption and promulgation of a Labour Law these regulations are valid.

23. These regulations are valid as from the day of promulgation by the Government.

C.30001/27 C. [No. 28.].

69

No. 17.

The Governor of Hong Kong to the Secretary of State for the Colonies. (Received 4th August, 1927.)

(Secret.)

SIR.

Government House, Hong Kong, 30th June, 1927.

The past three weeks have, so far as Hong Kong is directly con- cerned, been marked by only one incident of definite importance. On the 20th June I received a visit from Mr. Hu Chun-lin (Chinese characters), Secretary to the Kwang-tung Provincial Political Council, and Mr. Wai-Yuk (Chinese characters), Provincial Commissioner for Foreign Affairs for Kwang-tung. The object of the visit as announced through Mr. Brenan was to reopen, and if possible settle in favour of Canton, the vexed question of the control of the Hong Kong office of the Chinese Telegraph Administration, regarding which I would refer you to the correspondence enclosed in your confidential despatch of the 23rd March, 1926,* On this point I reiterated the view which this Government has always held that the proper place for this office is in 'Chinese territory.

2. It will be seen, however, from the enclosed notet of our conversa- tion that the delegation was at least equally interested in obtaining the views of this Government as to the possibility of reconstituting in Hong Kong an expurgated, non-Communist and non-political Sea- men's Union. The power of the Seamen's Union in Canton and South China generally seems far from broken. It must be remembered that the Nationalist party has climbed to power on the back of Labour and that the first blow at what is termed "Foreign Imperialism

was

the Seamen's Strike of 1922. The precipitancy of Moscow in forcing on her plans for mob rule has gathered a large body of moderate public opinion to the side of the Nanking clique of the Kuomintang, but the Kuomintang programme remains essentially democratic and its officials have to walk with the greatest circumspection in dealing with Labour grievances. A few days ago the glass-workers' union in Canton beset the Ministry of Labour with such persistence that the police had to use force, with the result that one member was killed and several injured. As a result the Union held a sort of "wake" for the victim before the office building of the Ministry, and is reported to have abandoned the ceremonies only on promise of full satisfaction.

3. On the 21st June the Seamen's Union restarted the picketing of the British river steamers in retaliation for the non-re-engagement on termination of their Articles of certain unsatisfactory members of the crews, who had been forced on the Companies during the Union's period of dominance. About forty pickets were posted at the wharf and these, by persuasion and force, prevented any embarkation of Chinese passengers.

The agents of the Companies applied to the Canton police for assistance, but were given to understand that the Cantonese authorities considered the non-re-engagement unjustified

* C. 5425/26: not printed.

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+ Not printed.

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