CO129-328 - Governor Nathan - 1905 [1-6] — Page 777

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am informed by the Italian Consul-General that, even as it

was,

some of them suffered from their ill-fortune or im-

-providence during the short time they were here. The

Cook's boy had all his money stolen from him and some others

were reduced to spending their nights in the Public Gardens

for lack of money to get lodging. Three, as I have already

stated, were detained as vagrants and it is probable that

others followed the by no means unusual practice of unem-

-ployed Europeans in this Colony that of appealing to

1

Chinese charity.

(3).

Is it clearly the case, as Captain Barnes-Lawrence states, that under their agreement the men could legally have refused to be paid off, if in paying them off, the terms of their agreement were observed and what became of the two men who refused to be paid off ?

The men's agreements were for a

period of six months. At the expiration of that time they

were to be discharged and either sent home or given a

month's wages at the port of discharge. Before the expira-

-tion of that time their discharge could only be by mutual

consent. The men were willing to give their consent if

they were sent home but the owners refused to do this.

They were also willing to consent on payment to them of

their arrears of wages and the month's bonus but this the

Harbour Master refused to allow unless some part of the

payments accruing to them was set aside for their mainte-

-nance

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