CO129-442 - Governor Sir May - 1917 [4-6] — Page 334

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J.

COPY.

Dear Petrie,

Condosure 2.

332

Government House,

Hongkong, 17th. April,

1917.

і

I enclose for your information a copy of a

Bill which is being prepared for the registration of Indian

Watchmen.

You will observe that it contains no

provision for the repatriation of dismissed or undesirable

watorren. The Indian Government would not consent to any

general repatriation. But under other powere taken in connect-

ion with the war, we have at present the power of repatriating

individuals whose presence in the Colony is undesirable.

The question now arises whether the Bill

as it stands is worth enacting. Indian watchmen who have lost

their employment but against whom there are not sufficient

grounds for deportation would either become destitute in thạ

Colony or more probably would drift away to the coast ports of

China or elsewhere in search of employment. Away from the

Colony they might be a greater source of danger than they would

be here except for the fact that save at Tientsin there would

be no Indian troops for them to contaminate.

As far as Hongkong is concerned the Bill

as it stands would probably be useful; its effect would

probably be the gradual elimination of the employment of Indian

watchmen on the ground of expense alone but its effect in

shifting Indians from the Colony might be very undesirable.

In these circumstances I shall bs flad of

your advice as to whether the Bill should be proceeded with cr

not.

Youre eincerely,

(sd.) F. H. May

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