CO129-358 - Governor Sir Lugard - 1909 [10-11] — Page 97

94

allowed, the daily number of arrests under this Section alone, will be so immense that the strength of the force, the time of the courts and the accommodation of the gaol will be taxed to their utmost limit. Moreover the enforcement of the law will give rise to considerable friction between the European Firms and their Chinese customers, who are in almost every transaction represented by their servants. These servants, more or less addicted to the habit of spitting, form a very important factor in business. Should they be driven into avoiding the premises occupied by European Firms a dislocation of business and a rupture of the friendly relations existing hitherto between the European merchants and their Chinese customers will inevitably result.

XV. at your petitioners submit that although the opinions and arguments put for- ward by all the Unofficial Members of the Legislative Council save one, who opposed Section 8 of the said Bill during its passage, have failed to carry weight with the Official majority of that Council, yet they are endorsed by, and have the support of the whole Chinese Community as well as of a considerable and influential section of the European Community represented in Council by the Unofficial Members.

XVI. That your petitioners do not question the general principle that the habit of spitting is a nuisance and to be discountenanced whore possible. But in order to mitigate such a nuisance your petitioners firmly believe that under the present conditions and circumstances, and in view of the situation of Hongkong, time and educational measures will be found more effective than coercion by legal enactments. His Excellency the Governor appeared to entertain similar views, when he graciously promised that no regulations would be made for a period of six mon- ths; but your petitioners are humbly of opinion that it would appeal more to the Chinese, if Se- ction 8 itself was deleted and the consideration of passing such a law postponed. The adoption of the former course luas still a tendency to wound the susceptibilities of a large section of the Chinese Community, while the adoption of the latter will clearly demonstrate that His Majesty's Govern- ment has no intention, at any time, to harass the Chinese Community with irritating Legislation or to coerce them into compliance by threats.

XVII. That your petitioners' belief is based on past experience. For many years the adoption of stringent sanitary measures and the expenditure of strenuous endeavours to enforce them were not rewarded with the commensurate success to be expected. But in recent years with the assistance and co-operation of the leading Chinese and a relaxation of the aforesaid stringent measures, the sanitary laws have been effectively and harmoniously enforced and have produced far better results.

XVIII. That your petitioners therefore respectfully subunit that in the carrying out of all sanitary ineasures whatever may be their nature in this Colony, success can be attained by no better means than by a thorough explanation to the Chinese of the evils to be combated and of the measures to be adopted, and by enlisting their sympathy, willing co-operation and support by moral suasion rather than by legal coercion. It is well known that the Chinese of all classes are easy to lead but hard to drive.

XIX. That your petitioners further submit that promiscuous expectoration is only a thoughtless habit, and, as such it can be in time provented or done away with by issuing notices of warning in public places, and providing spittoons in public buildings: that your petitioners' experiences are that, where such precautions have been taken, the nuisance has rarely occurred; and that during the discussion of the said Section, an Honourable Member of the Council stated that similar precautions, since taken by some European Firms here, have proved to be satisfactory.