belorure A
Dress.. The Daily
HONGKONG, MARCH 29TH, 1895.
THE COOLIE STRIKE.
PUBLIC MEETING IN THE CITY HALL. Yesterday afternoon a public meeting con. reped by the Chamber of Commerce was held at the City ali to consider the orisis caused by the coolie strike. The room was crowded. The ilon. J. J. Keswick was unanimously voted to the olair.
The CHAIRMAN-As you have seen from the aufter this is a meeting called by request of those who are interested in the emploginent af labour in the clouy. It is not, I assume, the wish of any gentleman bere praseut either by word or act to say or cause to be done anything which will in any respect wken tus hands of! the Government as against the strong com- bination on the part of the labourers which is now taking place. (Applause). There can be no questiou that it is an exceedingly grave nocar- rence which is at the present time taking place, as it is impossible to say how it may end, and the daily losses are extensive. I think that every. one who may address the meeting will be anxious to make suggestions as to what steps should be taken to provide labour in the face of the position of the labourers property belonging to the colony.. I theref re hope that all speakers will moderate, as far as possible, their remarks in order to strengthen the hands of the Government and weaken the hands of the combination. (Ap-1 plause) may remark that it is a singular thing that these labourers who are now on strike are aboolairly unaware of why they have taken this stand. As a matter of fat they bare begn misled entirely by the head men and othor persous who are on strike without the smallest knowledge of what they want.
Mr. B. MACKINTOSH-There is no doubt that the pro eat occasion is a very rave one in the history of the colour; I may say, as far as the money making interests are concernod, far graver than the plagno we possid through last year, The combination that we bare to meet and which some causider is weak is, I am afraid, partionlarly strong These men have really no grievance. If they are properly tackled, if they are examined as to the various causes which caused them to knock off work, they will be found to have absolutely no answer. But there is at the back of these mon the guilds. These are the people-the strings-that ars working the whole conceru, and as long as we have guilds in this colony which are not supervised or in any way regulated by the Government we shall bave a recurrence of these disasters. (Applanss). I am not prepared to consare the Government. The Government's proposition is a reasonable † one, and is for the benefit of the coolies them- selves. But the Government had not grasped the subjt. 1 am not speaking of the unofficial members of the Council-and I do not say they are wrong. I think they were right from a philanthropic poiut, as the coolies are baddied and crowded together in a most shameful fashion in their dwellings. But they have been ac. customed to this for years, and I do not think the colony is worse off in its overcrowding than it was 30 years ago. I do not want to hinder the Government, but I want to see bow we are going to cope with the faulty. We are in a trouble now which will shake the foundations of the colony unless it is met. There is only one way of meeting this combina- tion, and that is by combination. Are you pre- pared to combine against this Chinese combia tion or are you not? It must not by a half- hearted combination, which you may stick to to-day and throw away to-morrow. It mual
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permate the whole culony, Unless you do that yon had far batter retire from the struggle. (Applanse). Unless we take steps to combat this evil-steps that shall be powerful enough to break once for all this series of strikes which the colung has been subjected to during the last ten or tweute years-wo way as well give ap our pofession hers. (Applause).
Mr. D. GILLIES-I have listened with very grout interest to the remarks that bays fallen from The Chairman and Mr. Mackintosh, There can he' no question that this is a very serious time that the colony is passing through at present, but' whether the line of procedura that has just beau given to us by Mr. Mackintosh is a proper one is questionable. It is perhaps better that we should look a little further into the matter, and I sea whether or not we are able to arrive at soma! setim nt with the Chinese. There has boen' no effort to come to some arrangement with the men on strike. No doubt they have an idea that the Government wish to increase the revenne by taxing them. by patting on them a poll tax, and by taxing them in various other ways, and I think if these matters were properly explained to the Chinese and their wishes obtained as to what they would like, we should arrive at some eatis- factory settlement. To-day I had a conversation with several of the h-ad men who were at the docks, and so far as they are concerned they have en grievance, but they say they are afraid If the coolies in Hongkong, and if they continue to work their lives may be in danger. There is no doubt that they wish to help the people in Hongkong, but at the same time they do not wish to lose their employment at the docks. I questioned them as far as I could to find out what it was they would like the Company to do in order that they might not go out on striko. They said they had no grievance and nothing they wished to receive from the Company. They are on a different footing from the coolies in Hougkong, as the Lodging ouss Act does not affect them, as the docks are not in Hongkong. Iso they did not feel the provisions no acut-ly as the coolies in this place. I would suggest for the consideration of this meeting that a com- mittes be appointed to meet a representative Committee appointed by the Chinese and see what the grievance is, and if it cannot be righted. I think the Chinese are not unr. asonable. In mauy cases they are stupid and ignorant, bat when the true facts of the case are laid before thom I have no doubt they will willingly ao- cept some little advice and do what is wanted. (Applause).
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Ton. R. M. Bussy-I must ask the. meeting in the first place to accept my remarka I am in an with a certain amount of allowance. official position, but as this is a public seting I have taken the opportunity of appearing at it, because this is a matter in which it might be considered-and I think rightly in my opinion -that I might have some interest. and I lava very great interest in it. I did not happen to be here when the meeting opavad, · hat I heard a few remarks that were passed, { and the conclusion 1 came to was that in the opinion of the speaker the Government was at fault, Well, as f commenced by saying," i have no business to be here in an offici capacity, and it may be that I shall have to answer to my superiors for having the as- danity to address this meeting at all: but I hope that those who are here will understand that 1 bg them to allow me to address them in an unofficial capacity-it I can be in the colony in an unofficial capacity. (Applause). There is no question that the position of affairs in the colony nst be a very grave one, but I think it is hardly fair that by-issues abould be brought into the question as to what the idea of the Govern- ment is in attempting to enfores the law relating I do not to the licensing of lodging houses. think that has anything to do with the question. We are all agreed tba coolies have no real grievance There is something below this. Mr. Chairman el gentlemen, I say the people we wish to gut hoki of are the influential Chinsmen
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