CO129-370 - Governor Sir Lugard & Public Offices - 1910 [12] — Page 239

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Enclosure 2.

Report on the examination of Free Raigrants.

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Until 1902 all enigrants were examined in the Harbour Office, under the provisions of Ordinance Yo.1 of 1339, an officer from the Registrar General's Office attending in the case of women and children. At that time all emigrants who were not under contract of service were consider- ad "Free". but all had to board for 43 hours previously at a Licensed Boarding House. The procedure adopted in their examination as as fol-

lows.

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2. The intending eniérente assembled in the boat house of the old Harbour Office, where was placed a table, at which, in the case of male

Prof.21 JAN IL

emigrants, eat an officer representing the migration Officer (sometinee the migration Officer himself, sometimes the Assistant Harbour Master,

only sometimes the Chief Clerk, a Chinese speaking Portuguese, who was always

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prezent), a Chinese Interpreter, and a man with the Beigration Officer's seal - an embossing machine, an impression of which was stamped upon each passage ticket after the owner had passed the inspection. There were also present the Licensed Passage Broker, and some of his emplovées - reoraitera. Lists of boarders at Licensed Boarding houses, diving date of admission of each boarder, in Chinese: and lists of the intend- ing migrants, in Chinese and English, giving names, ades, names of native villades, occupations, and destinations, were on the table.

3. The interpreter first read aloud, to the assembled men, the terms of the passage ticket, and explained what was meant by it: he then asked thee if they all wanted to do, and told them that if anyone did not want

to go his money would be returnað tó bia, and he cant back to his native

village, if he so desired.

4. The would be enisrante then came up to the table, one by one, each producing his passage ticket, the details of which were then compared

with those set forth on the list. While this comparision was being

made, the man was asked, in his own language, certain questions - his

139, 828, occupation, origin, and destination, and sdain asked if he

wanted to go. On his satisfactorily replying to these questions (atten-

tion being paid to the man's general appearance, and method of reply, in

judging