CO129-379 - Governor Sir Lugard - 1911 [8-9] — Page 130

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wards, then going on to England, where she made a trip to Aust- ralia, then back to England, and eventually returned to Hongkong on the 31st May 1902, when the crew were paid off, on the day of Carrival. The head fireman Ching Hok had lent to the firemen ume amounting in all to $1,260, and this sum was deducted by ir Guterres on board, where the crew were paid off. Mr Guterres, yself and the compradore and others came ashore in the launch, nd so I had no opportunity to hand him the money, but I did so as he was getting into a chair after landing, handing him $65 in notes, folded up, which he took, and said

Thank you. In the beginning of August last I offerod money to him in the same way for having deducted money that had been lent to the crow of A vessel, but he refused to take it, and I think that he knows that inquiries are being made about him". (Conf 0.8.0. 4899/05). It was not, however, until the 27th November, 1908 that the charges against Mr Guterres took definite shape and were communi- cated to him in a letter of that date by Mr ## T. Sercombe Smith, Acting Colonial Secretary. The charges were as follows:-

"(a) that on or about the 31st May 1902 when the crew of

the s.s. "Alcinous" was paid off you unlawfully deducted from the pay of the firemen and others a sum of $1,280 or thereabouts, ent to them by the head firemen Ching Hok and that you received a commission of 65 for the services thus rendered:

"(b) that on or about the 10th November, 1906 you unlawfully refused to pay one Cheuk Foo the full sun of $44.20 due on the Account of Wages signed by the Master of the s.s. "Cranley" and presented by the said Cheuk Foo:

"(c) that you have habitually unlawfully deducted odd cents from the wages of crews when you have paid them off:

"(d) that you have habitually unkwfully substituted silver ollars short in value and/or subsidiary silver coins for the ank notes received by you from the masters of ships for the urpose of paying off the crews of ships, thereby making an llicit profit for yourself:

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