C 14
75. The allocation of the Annual Grant of $25,000 to Local Chinese Charities was the same as last year viz:--
Kwong Wa Hospital, $20,000
Sham Shui Po Chinese Public Dispensary, $3,000
Kowloon City Chinese Public Dispensary, $2,000
$25,000
76. One of the most interesting and important developments of the year has been the rapid increase in the number of working men's societies, avowedly run on Western trade union lines, copying trade union methods and using trade union phraseology. This increase is only partly due to the greater liberty given to such societies by the new ordinance, No. 8 of 1920: the chief encouragement came from the great fitters' and engineers' strike in April, conducted by the Chinese Engineers' Institute, whereby the men gained an increase of 32⅓% on their former wages. This office throughout the strike acted as the intermediary between the employers and the men. A noteworthy feature was the almost entire absence of disorder and sabotage, or attempts at them.
Concurrently with this trade union development there has been a series of trade disputes, often developing into strikes. Fortunately most of them proved capable of settlement by agreement, and were undoubtedly due to a levelling up of wages resulting from the engineers' success. Generally the men demanded increased wages; in one or two cases shorter hours as well. In one case, in which the masters ended the strike by importing fresh men from up country, the dissatisfied men took the novel step of opening a shop and working on their own account.
The total number of new trade societies reported to this office since the repeal of the old Societies Ordinance up to the end of the year is as follows:-
Masters' Societies, 11 Men's societies (trade unions), 31 Masters' and men's joint societies (guilds), 20STAFF.
Chief Assistant to Secretary for Chinese Affairs.
77. Mr. S. B. B. McElderry acted as Chief Assistant to Secretary for Chinese Affairs from 1st January to 11th August and Mr. W. Schofield acted from 12th August to 31st December.
Third Assistant to Secretary for Chinese Affairs.
78. No acting appointment was made during the year.
Higher Grade Clerk,
79. Mr. Leung Ping-fai retired on pension on 1st November.
14th May, 1921.
S. B. C. Ross,
Secretary for Chinese Affairs.
C 14
75. The allocation of the Annual Grant of $25,000 to Local Chinese Charities was the same as last year viz:--
Kwong Wa Hospital,
Sham Shui Po Chinese Public Dispensary, Kowloon City Chinese Public Dispensary,...
$20,000
3,000
2,000
$25,000
76. One of the most interesting and important developments of the year has been the rapid increase in the number of working men's societies, avowedly run on Western trade union lines, copy- ing trade union methods and using trade union phraseology. This increase is only partly due to the greater liberty given to such societies by the new ordinance, No. 8 of 1920: the chief encourage- ment came from the great fitters' and engineers' strike in April, conducted by the Chinese Engineers' Institute, whereby the men gained an increase of 321% on their former wages. This office throughout the strike acted as the intermediary between the employers and the men. A noteworthy feature was the almost entire absence of disorder and sabotage, or attempts at them.
Concurrently with this trade union development there has been a series of trade disputes, often developing into strikes. Fortunately most of them proved capable of settlement by agreement, and were undoubtedly due to a levelling up of wages resulting from the engineers' success. Generally the men demanded increased wages; in one or two cases shorter hours as well. In one case, in which the masters ended the strike by importing fresh men from up country, the dissatisfied men took the novel step of opening a shop and working on their own account.
The total number of new trade societies reported to this office since the repeal of the old Societies Ordinance up to the end of the year is as follows:-
Masters' Societies,
Men's societies (trade unions),
11
· 31
Masters' and men's joint societies (guilds), ...... 20
STAFF.
Chief Assistant to Secretary for Chinese Affairs.
77. Mr. S. B. B. McElderry acted as Chief Assistant to Secretary for Chinese Affairs from 1st January to 11th August and Mr. W. Schofield acted from 12th August to 31st December. Third Assistant to Secretary for Chinese Affairs.
78. No acting appointment was made during the year.
Higher Grade Clerk,
79. Mr. Leung Ping-fai retired on pension on 1st November. ·
14th May, 1921.
S. B. C. Ross, Secretary for Chinese Affairs.
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