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HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
dependents. As your Excellency is aware, the unofficial members of the Council had only time yesterday evening to consider this telegram for a comparatively short time before it was dispatched and, there fore, I would ask leave to make a few additional suggestions in aid of the pur- pose to be effected which, I hope, will meet with the approval of the Government. In the first place, in connection with the allowances it is proposed to pay outside the Colony. I should like to make two remarks. One is that I trust that the earlier words of the telegram applying to local allowances that is to say, that an addition may be made in special cases put forward by the Tribunaf-will also apply to allowances made in sterling to the wives of the men who, for reasons of health or other reasons, find it desirable to go outside this Colony and live in a more temperate climate. I should also like some assurance that in some cases passages will, if it seems necessary, be provided. Another point, Sir, which I hope it will be possible to take into con sideration is the question of making some kind of grant in respect of periodical payments, such 25 rent and possibly interest on mortgages. The great desire of the unofficial members is, as I say, that these matters should be adequately dealt with--and when I say adequately I think our view, our wish, is that the Government should incline rather to the liberal side than to the parsimonious side in the construction of the word adequate. With reference to the standard of men to be called up, I gather from what has just fallen from the hon.
and learned Attorney-General that Class Al only is, at present, intended to be called up, and I also gather-I am not quite sure whether I apprehended the learned Attorney-General correctly-that all these men who are called up under this Bill will be sent home to Great Britain and that none of them will be sent to India
THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL That choice is given to those who volunteered before the Military Commission.
terce
some
HON. MR. POLLOCK (continuing)-I believe that on this point the hon. mem ber representing the Chamber of Com- would like to address observations to the Council on the question of the place to which these men are to be sent. He mentioned the point to me this morning. I do not know, Sir, that I need say any more just now upon any question of general principle, except, perhaps, the point to which the Attorney.
General referred of the six months' exemption in all under clause 5, renum- bered 6, sub-section 6. It is the unani mous wish bf the unofficial members that the proviso at the end of sub-section 6- should be omitted because we consider that there may be eases in which it is desirable that the absolute limit, the definite limit, of six months should be extended, and they would like the Tribunal which it is proposed to create by this Ordinance to have the power to grant further exemption beyond the period of six months. There will be, no doubt, other matters to discuss when the Council is in Committee on this Bill. I will only make one other remark, and that is this. I understand that although this Bill will not pass beyond the Com mittee stage to-day your Excellency pro- poses, as at present advised, to take the third reading on Monday next. I men- tion this, Sir, especially in order that any members of the public who are affected by this Bill may realise clearly that it is very necessary for them, if they have any suggestions to make, or if they want the Bili remodelled on what they consider any material or vital point, promptly to approach either the Government or one of the unofficial mem bers of the Council for the purpose of making their suggestions known.
pre-
HON. MR. P, H. HOLYOAK-I do not know whether I clearly understood you, Sir, but in your opening statement you remarked that the men viously volunteered would be allowed to
who had go home and serve at home with the object of getting a commission, but would be deprived of the financial privileges qf those who come under conscription. I do not know whether that is so or not. but such is the impression I gained If it is so, it is so unjust that I can hardly think it possible.
the option of being treated as the men were H.E. THE GOVERNOR They can take treated who went away under the Mili tary Service Commission or of coming under this Bill. There is nothing unfair in that.
HON. MR. HOLYOAK-Any man who volunteered and was not allowed to go is now to be deprived of the financial pro- visions of this measure.
pleases himself.
THE COLONIAL TREASURER-He
THE HON. MR. HOLYOAK-Then you, force him under conscription.
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
37
THE COLONIAL TREASURER--We dollars, but the sterling equivalent is £30, and that seemed to us an unduly large minimum allowance for a person going
don't force him.
THE COLONIAL TREASURER-There is nothing unfair about it.
THE HON, MR. HOLYQAK. I submit outside the Colony, It is not unreason- that is grossly unjust,
able to suppose that many persons going outside the Colony will do so to join friends elsewhere, but it is A ques- tion upon which
an I have
open mind. When the Secretary of State ro THE HON. MR. HULYOAK-It is a mat.plies to my telegram I shall be quite ter of opinion. There is one point upon willing to discuss the matter further with which the Chamber of Commerce is very questions as rent and payment of inter- unofficial members. Passages and such determined and that is that the economic strength of the Colony shall not be wasted est on mortgages-these are all questiona on garrison duty in India or elsewhere.
which I intended to allude to in my open- It would be far better, if it were intended ing statement as some of the special con- to use conscripts for that purpose, that siderations which might be put forward they should remain here fulfilling their by the Tribunal. We thoroughly agree military duties in the Colony and carry that, as in England--as shown by the ing on the trade of the Empire at the extract which I read just now such same time. We should like an assurance assistance should be given, if necessary. that the men sent to India are to be used As regards the place to which men are on active service and not for garrison to be sent, that is really a question for duty either in India
or elsewhere the military authorities. It has been Nothing is mentioned in the Bill, and nothing has been said hitherto, on the stated that they have decided to send subject of repatriation. It would be
men to India to undergo training and economically sound that every man from
then to be drafted into a certain regi this Colony should be returned to this
ment. It does not say where. The regi- Colony at the close of the war at the
ment might be serving in Palestine or earliest possible moment. Labour here is in Mesopotamia or elsewhere. I would trained and specialised, and it would take like you to reflect that men are being years to replace the training and experi- sent from Shanghai and other places in ence which will go from our shores when China. I have not ascertained to what this contingent leaves us. We would ask place they are being sent, but there is for some assurance that the full force of no indication that the men are to serve this Government will be behind a request on garrison duty on India; it is simply that the men-after
peace has been stated that they will be sent there for declared and the war won, as we confid- training. If you wish, we can make a ently believe it will be shall not be de- representation on the point to the Secre- The tained for twelve months, as was the case tary of State for the Colonies. after the South African war, but shalt question of repatriation after the war is be given every assistance to return here one on which we have addressed the alt six months, and that every mad Secretary of State already and, I think shall have his passage paid back. A the Chamber of Commerce has done so, further point which I wish to raise is on too. I thoroughly agree with the hon. clause 4.
As power of appeal is given member that men who have had training under the Bill from any decision come and experience out here should be return- to by the Tribunal to the Governor-in-ed here as soon as possible, and when the Council no member of the Executiva time comes I will emphasise that point Council should be appointed to the Tri- as far as possible- There are one or bunal. I should like your assurance ou that point.
H.E. THE GOVERNOR-The hon. member who represents the Justices of the
•Peace spoke of the separation allowance, The reason we put in a sterling figure for the separation allowance outside the Colony is that it seemed desirable to fix some rate of exchange. Two hundred dollars in the Colony are two hundred
two other points which members men- tioned which I will leave over until we come to them in Committee.
The Bill was then read a second time.
Council went into Committee to con-
sider the Bill clause, by clause.
Clause 2-In the sentence, Civil Ber vant means a person "the word person was changed to British subject."
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