CO129-298 - Governor Sir Blake Administrator Major Gen Gascoigne - 1900 [3-4] — Page 343

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general belief among the Chinese that interpreters have

great power to influence the course of justice. We think this

power has been exaggerated, but interpreters have certainly

known how to take advantage of popular opinion. In the Supreme

Court, where lawyer's clerks with a knowledge of Chinese

are almost always in attendance, the possibility of a mis-

carriage of justice by such means is reduced to a minimum:

but even there, it is a constant practice to offer presents

to the interpreters. The only advantage European interpre-

ters have over Chinese is in their probity. But this

claimed

advantage cannot be stated by all Europeans. It is a

matter of notoriety that Inspectors of Police, Inspectors

in the Sanitary Department and Overseers

sers Public Works

have been in the habit of taking bribes. No benefit

therefore to the Public Service is obtained by engaging

as interpreters Europeans belonging to this class:

and this is a serious objection to the present system of

obtaining student-interpreters. Each interpreter costs the

Bovernment two thousand dollars, whilst a more efficient

Chinese interpreter could be obtained at less expense. We

are