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DEATHS.
ing tenants in their occupation. That object, incidentally, is too often ignored by incoming ten-
OFFICERS PAY.
FACTS ABOUT INTO-CHINA
CO. STAFF.
REJECTED REDUCTION..?
How The Negotiations Were Carried Out.
THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 1926.
ing from the Guild local beare- ; taries that they would put no- obstacle in the way of such meet. ings, these were held ih' Hông- kong, and Shanghai on January 19
and February 1, respectively,
AFTER 49 YEARS.
...g
MR. LAFRENTZ'S FAR EAST EXPERIENCE.
DEPARTURE TO-DAY,
At the meetings in question, after dealing in full detail with the necessity of cutting down ex- penses as much as possible during After forty-nine and a half the very bad times the company years of active business life in. was passing through, a proposal the East, Mr. C. J. Lafrentz, of Publicity was given at the time was put forward in the following Mesure. Caldbeck, Macgregor and
to the fact that a strike was threatened by the floating staff of the Indo-China S.N. Co., Ltd, over a proposal (by the employ- ers) to reduce salaries. The strike, of course, did not come to pass.
1
To-day, the Hon. Mr. D. G. M. Bernard presided at the annual meeting of the company. He gave a full resume of the negotia- tions, reproduced below (separate from the report of the meeting which appears elsewhere in this issue).
It appears that the general managers and directors offered to contribute substantially to say- ings in expense. Mr. Bernard said:
The First Talk..
| ants, incases of premises the It seemed proper that to com- mence with the position generally character of which has been radi-should be discussed with the cally altered).
Ca
"form-
:
1.-Reduce the pay of all for-Co.. leaves for Home "via. eign employees 20 per cent. This Canada by the "Empress is estimated to effect a saving to of Australia" to-day. Не
acnum.
the company of £30,000 per is 71 years of age but has no intention of retiring, having ex- pressed his intention of taking charge of the firm's London office. Mr. Lafrentz's first experience
2-The general managers realise that in many cases this may produce a great hardship on married men with families and they, therefore have decided
to share this sacrifice equally of. Hongkong was in the early with the staff. That is to say 80's when, after being engaged in they themselves, ie, Messrs. Jar-
dine, Matheson & Co., Ltd., will work connected with tapioca pay the staff 10 per cent. of their estates in Singapore, Malacca and pay the staff 10 per cent. las of Penang, he came here for a short their pay..
This will mean time later proceeding to Shang- the staff will receive only 10 hai and from there to Canton (in per cent. less than at present Instead of 20 per cent., but
1882). He remained in Canton
the saving to the company will for a quarter of a century, being still be the same.
engaged in the tea and silk busi ress.
5. Finally, I may say that the directors have decided to accept almost nominal fees while this reduced scale of pay is in force. They will received altogether £500 between them as against £1.500 normally.
It is proposed to issue circulars reductions announcing these Company's Proposal As this' decision had been made
with effect from March 1, 1926. by the members of the Guilds as Co-operative Principle,
It will be noted that this pro- a whole, that is to say, those vot ing included members other posal instead of being a fat 20 per companies as well as our own, we per cent. reduction, is based on considered it essential to convere co-operative principle and the meetings of our own employees actual amount of sacrifice we ask- and explain the position to them ed the staff to make stated in dol- fully ourselves. After ascertain-lars and cents was as follows:
MARRIED - MEN;;--
(All Pay And Shore. Allowance.)
$665.89 contributes $66.58
In 1894, Mr. Lafrentz took over
Mitchell in 1906, the Canton busi previously. On the death of Mr.
ness was disposed of and Mr. Lafrentz took charge of the Com- Pany's interests in Hongkong. He has remained in Hongkong, aport. from Home leave. ever since:
Mr. Lafrentz has naturally seen tremendous changes here since ha first made acquaintance with Hongkong. At that time the hills as bare as on the island were those on the mainland and tha Penk was undeveloped as a rë- The business sidential district. centre of the town, the present site of Des Voeux Road, then con- stituted the Praya.
Mr. Lafrentz until recent years still kept his hand in at tennis (as laté as 1915 he and Mr. George tournament prize when their com- Hastings caried off the Captain's.. bined ages were over a hundred). Mr. Lafrentz was in his younger days a keen carsman.
The members of the Craft of Freemasonry in which Mr. Lafrentz has held high office will miss him greatly and their good- wishes, also those of a very wide circle of friends will go with him...... in his new sphere of work,
3-In order to assist married men below the rank of master or The tenants of officials of the China Coast the three floors in this particular Officers' Guild and the Marine En- chief engineer, the reduction for house were amply protected by gineers' Guild, and accordingly I them will be only 10 per cent. of the Canton agency, of Caldbeck, had a consultation with the Hong-which the general managers will Macgregor, a business opened in the Rents Ordinance. Had they kong secretary of the former body
refund to the men 5 per cent. Hongkong by his brother-in-law, this making a reduction to the Mr. E. W. Mitchell, some years not themselves surrendered their on July 24 when the position of
'married men of only 5 per cent. tenancies, they would still be pro- the company was placed before
4. The other conditions of tected. But, having surrendered him and a proposal made for a re-
service will remain unaltered ex- duction of 20 per cent, in wages.
cept as a temporary measure we their tenancies, it could scarcely It was also arranged that a fur- be argued that the Rents Ordinther meeting would be held at a will be prepared to pay in cash
This took place on
to employees when due for Home anee intended to go further and later date:
leave the equivalent of the pas October 9. and the Hongkong | to furnish favourable conditions secretaries of both Guilds were
sages they are entitled to and for the
Home leave pay, and leave them new tenants. The new present. At this meeting we were
to make what arrangements they tenancy granted to the defendant informed that at meetings, of
wish for holidays. members in Hongkong and Shang- firm in 1924 was the tenancy of hat it had been decided not to ac- n domestic tenant, and whatever cept a 20 per cent. reduction. We character each floor may have ac- therefore enquired if a less reduc- quired previously had become tion would be agreed to, and after further meetings of the members dormant until each floor again be- to discuss it, we were informed came a separate letting during the that they would not, agree to any
reduction. eurrency of the Ordinance. Judg GRATIAEN:-On May 22, at the ment with costs was therefore Firs Anr,exe Bungalow given to the plaintiff landlord, Kandy, Mrs. Annie Elizabeth.
the Court ruling that the standard Gratiaen. JAMES.On May 30, at the Euro-rent was that fixed on May 4
pean Hospital, Kuala Lum 1924, for the premises as a whole. pur, Ernest Owen James.
It seems to the outsider that the Chinese arm, although it Hongkong, Thursday, June 10, 1926. might naturally have expected to secure the premises to themselves for the same aggregate sum as had previously been paid by the Legal curiosities abound just as three separate and distinct occu-
13 frequently curiosities in piers of the respective floors, did literature, and if someone can- not make absolutely sure of their nected with the law could only find ground before becoming tenants, time to compile a list of these ¦ There'surely must have been some since British Courts of Justice kind of agreement between the were first established here he firm and the landlord as to the would undoubtedly place both the amount of rent to be paid. If the legal and the lay community arm considered that $93 was under a deep debt of obligation to ample, why did it assume occu- him. Such a compilation could pancy at all? And, having be not fail to prove. of im- come tenant of the whole, presum- mense interest.
ably at the landlord's new figure Amongst these legal curiosities of $190, why was an action under may well be included the case de- the Rents Ordinance not brought cided in the Summary Court by immediately? One newspaper re-accept one-third of the ordinary 1/9d. and half at 2/0d. Further, of wages, the European staff would Mr. Justice Wood yesterday. It port of the case states that rent is remarkable to And that four was reserved pending "the judg- years after the Rents Ordinance ment of the Court, but the period was placed on the Statute-book, of such reservation is not given. and on the very eve of its with- In any event, as the Rents drawal by the Governor-in-Coun-Ordinance appears doomed to be cil, an entirely new point should "retired," it is not likely that other crop up for judicial elucidation. cases of a similar nature will That point was:-What should be arise. But, as was said at the be. the standard rent of premises, ginning, the point just raised has each floor of which was in separ- & particular interest as a legal ate occupation before the days of curiosity in the annals of the local the protection of tenants afforded Judiciary.
by
•
and
RENTS LAW.
the Renta Ordinance,
a3
let which were one complete house to a new tenant, the three previous indi- vidual tenants having quit? An aggregate rent of $93 a month was "drawn for the three indi- vidual floors, but for the house as
a whole a Chinese firm was asked to pay $190, It was contended that this latter rent was excessive and-recourse was had by the Chinese firm to the Summary Court.
THE BOYCOTT,
GOVERNMENT AND THE
PUBLICI
WHY BE SILENT?
To the Editor of the China Mail.
Senior Master ..... Senior Chief Engineer "Senior Chief Officer .. Senior Second Officer Senior Third Officer
577.60
377.14
282.85
282.85
SINGLE MEN..
(Pay Only.)
Senior Master Senior Chief Engineer Senior Chief Officer Senior Second Engineer Senior Second Officer Senior Third Engineer. Senior Third Officer....
1
57.75
18.86
14.14
14.14.
.8605.36 contributes $60.53
526.00
D
342,86
342,86
17
52.50 34.28 34.28
257.14
">
257.14 257.14
26.71 26.71
25.71
Mr. R. Oliver le to succeed Mr. Lafrentz in the direction of the Hongkong firm's affairs.'
actually on articles could not be altered except by mutual consent, and it seems inexplicable to me why a mere statement that our floating staff were not prepared to renew existing articles at a f'e- duced rate of pay would not have met the case, unless of course, the Guilds desired to make a demon- stration.
4J
This would have amounted in remembered that our present rate all to $10,642 per month and the of pay is still on the highest seale general managers were prepared in vogue during war years and is „As it was, however, the reply to contribute a similar amount, paid at the favourable exchange stated that unless the company con- tinued to pay the same rato The directors also were willing to of half the sterling amount at
fees; that is £500, to be divided the following additional floating amongst them, instead of £1,500. staff expenses were borne by the
In this connection it must be company during 1925:—
Home Leave and Passages Safe Navigation Bonus Wives' Passages
..
Married Men Shore Allowance Pensions
At our meetings with the staff it will of course be understood that only comparatively few could attend. We invited discussion
our
.£20,086' 78. Ed. 1,664 s. 6d. 3,232 108. 3d. 4,432 1s. 6d. 5,093 14s. 6d.
cease work, and it would seem, abandon the vessels, not at their operating base, such as Hongkong and Shanghai or terminal port of their voyage, but at any way-port. they might touch at after March 1. I hesitate to comment upon such an organised movement which could not but have caused incalculable loes not only to the company' but We are directed to hand you and native, to say nothing of possi to shippers of cargo both foreign A reply to the question asked by ble suffering to large numbers of your Mr. Bernard at the inter-native passengers who patronise view of the 12th inst., as to what action your floating staff will take when the circular, a nouncing a reduction of their salaries, is made effective on March 1, 1926.
and integrity associated with the our vessels, conndent of the safety British flag.
Specious Argument." The termination of the negotia-
but were very disappointed that there was no comment except that negotiations must be carried on through the Guilds; so another consultation took place with the
"The answer is, that, having tions in such an abrupt and un- local Guild. Officials on February received all the correspondence pleasant manner after the friendly 12, when we asked what action which has passed between the nature of the discussions was a men would take if the pro- company and both guilds, as great surprise and disappointment
on / posals were made effective
well as a report of the luterview and I cannot believe that the threa- considered March 1, bearing in mind the ex- of the 12th inst., if the salary toned action had the tremely bad effect of a strike reduction announced in the cir support of the majority of our em under the conditions then exist cular is not cancelled in its en-ployees, who have proved them- ing. In reply we were told that tirety on or before March 1 and solves loyal and good officers for the question would have to be sub- the Guilds notified before noon many years. But we could not risk Sir-When there was a crisis mitted to the members of the on February 27 that this is the lay-up of even a portion of the being done, there will be no al feet under these conditions and at Home, the Government took the Guilds, and the local officials pro- people into its confidence. Hongmised to convene meetings as soon
ternative but for the company's had to accept the situation we were floating staff to cease work im-faced with and abandon the scheme kong does just the opposite.
as possible to consider the matter.
mediately their respective ves-for reducing the pay. Beyond the duty to us,is there any
The Guilds' Reply.
sels are safely berthed, docked. In our various interviews with Without the slightest pretence The Home Government evidently trying to obtain was an expres- object to be gained by secrecy? What we had been all along
or moored at their next port of the Guild representatives and I to that "legal mind" so essential did not think sc.
call after March 1, 1926.
note in articles in the public press, sion of öpinion from our own men | in commenting on-cases in the Law
the question of high cost of living You say that the Government but this we were unable to do?....
has been put forward as the prin- Courts, it may be said that it is has not handed out a communique. and the matter had therefore With reference to what I have cipal consideration for not reduc difficult to see how Mr. Justice Everybody is anxious to know again to be voted on by the Guild just read, I would explain that no ing pay. This I venture to say is what Mr. Brenau is down here members as a whole although our | circular such as referred to had a somewhat specious argument in- Wood could have reached any for, unless he has come on per-contention was that it was a mat- been issued. Notwithstanding qur | asmuch as all members of the Boat- ather decision than he did--a decl-] sonal affairs. Has Canton asked tter that rested solely between earnest endeavours to bring about ing staff are messed by the com- sion, by the way, that is a model for peace, or is it all hot air Just this company ad its employees, co-operation between the Company pany, the amount spent last year
what exactly has the Government for brevity and clarity that are done and what will it do? I am all too frequently ignored by not waking for state secrets but Judges in general. His Lordship reasonable enlightenment. Yours, etc., pointed out that the object of the Legislature was to protect exist Hongkong, June D
T.T.
"No Circular Issued.”.
The reply came in the form of and its employees during bad being $209,692.05.; The increased a letter dated February 26, aigned times, and reply was presented in cost of essentials of living-really by the assistant secretary China the form of a platol at our heads only applies to the familes of mar- Coast Officers' Guild, and branch I submit that there were various, ried man, say 25 per cent, of the secretary. Marine Engineers ways in which an answer might staff, and these, enjoy #spacial Guild of China The letter reads have been given. Obviously the grant of 10 per cent of their l'as follows:-.
rate of pay in respect of men 'salários as a married allowance,
از
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