42
༈༙ ད་མབས་ཚེ
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY replied ∙as Allows:-
1. This is a question for the Military Authorities to decide. This Government is not prepared to make representations on the subject.
2. It spot proposed to give such option, except in the case of men who applied to the Military Bervice Commis sion prior to the 20th May, 1918.
3. (i) The answer is in the affirmative. (i) All Civil Servants who have gone home to fight fall under Head (1). Civil Servants now in the Colony who volun- teered their services prior to the 20th May, 1918, will be treated in the same manner as Civil Servant under Head (1), with the option, if approved by the Secretary of State, of coming under the new scheme, it they prefer it.
(i) In the case of the officers men- tioned, subscriptions to the Widows and Orphans Pensions Fund are and will be deducted from the pay due such officers.
HON ME. HOLYOAK-I have that reply.
to that reply is that the Government will H.E. THE GOVERNOR-All I can add
question of separation allowances and, as deal sympathetically with the whole at present advised, it is proposed, with the sanction of the Secretary of State, to deal with the question of injuries wholly or partly incapacitating a man under a pension system; that means to say we will sure him not only against death very complicated and we wish but against injury. The whole thing is fairly as far as we are permitted, and any proposal we take we will discuss thoroughly with unofficial members.
to act
HON. MR. HOLYOAK It is not a ques tion of married men only, but of the dependants on bachelors.
H.E. THE GOVERNOR- The pension scheme we propose to introduce would cover single men.
HON. MR. HOLYOAK--I am thinking of the allowances to a mother or sister re
HON. MR. POLLOCK Arising out of the third part of the answer to question No. 3 I know that in the cases of thos receiving pay the contributions will deducted, but I was rather referring toaining in the Colony, which ought to the fact that there might be cases of people who were not receiving
and yet might have to contribute, do t
I know whether that is so.
H.E. THE GOVERNOR, There are no such cases.
HON. MR. POLLOCK-Then there will be no difficulty.
Chamber of Commerce Resolutions
HON. MR. HOLYOAK--I beg leave to discuss the three resolutions sent in by the Chamber of Commerce.
H.E. THE GOVERNOR 1 do not wish to avoid discussion, but under the rules of this Council, it is not in order.
HON. MR. HULYOAK-I know it is not in order without the sanction of the Council, but I thought, having regard to the importance of the matter, the privilege might be granted.
H. E. rue GOVERNOR-1 have sent the reply to the Chamber of Commerce. It is to the effect-
come under the separation allowances As in the case of married men. The reapon- sibities are the same.
H.E THE GOVERNOR I cannot go further than to say that we will deal sympathetically with the representations made.
HON. MR POLLOCK--Also, there is the case mentioned since the last meeting to be some provision made in the case of of a widow and children. There will have the children.
H.E. THE GOVERNOR Yes, you might multiply these cases ad infinitum. It is a complicated question.
HON. MR. POLLOCK-All want is an assurance that these cases ll be con- sidered by the Government with a view to modifying hardship.
H.E. THE GOVERNOR-I think may say that every case that is brought before no we will consider fairly and sympatheti- cally.
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
The Conscription Bill Council then went into Committee to consider further the Conscription Bill,
moved
THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL that clause 2 and 11 of the Bill be re-com- mitted for the purpose of making certain amendments.
This was agreed to.
1
In Clause 2 the definition of "Com. petent Military Authority was omittedt
THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL proposed that the following should be substituted for clause 11:
+4
(1)-The said force shall be called the General Military Service Force of Hongkong.
(2.)--All the provisions of the Army Act, and of all orders and regulations for the time being in force thereunder, and of all other Acts for the time being amending the Army Act, shall apply to the General Military Service Force of Hongkong, and to all persons belonging to the force, whether within or without the limite of the Colony, and whether such persons shall have been transferred or attached to some other corps or not. (3.) For the purposes of the Army Act, and of the said orders and regula tions, and of any Acts amending he Army Act, and of this Ordinance, every person belonging to the force shall be deemed to have been duly enlisted in His Majesty's regular forces for general service with the colours for the period of the war."
In doing so, he said:-The reason is that it is thought that this new clause will be more in accordance with the section of the Army Act on which this legislation to a certain extent depends, and the new clause deals with other acts amending the Army Act and also refers to the Orders and "Regulations made under the Army
Act.
The clause was agreed to.
"
#
In clause 4 the words. "which shall contain
substantial commercial majority,' were inserted after the word Tribunal in sub-section I, and the words "bat the **substantial commercial majority shall always be maintained " were inserted after the word "perman ently" in sub-section 2.
587
HON. MR. HOLYOAK -I beg to move the recommitment of Clause 6 and propose as an amendment to sub-section 4 the addition of the words " and of British trade in the Far East." Exemption would then be allowed
un the ground that it is expedient in Imperial interests, or in the essential interests of the Colony -and of British trade in the Far East.
HON. MR. LANDALE seconded.
H.E. THE GOVERNOR--As regards the amendment proposed by the hon. member I had hoped that we bad finally got rid of this clause. It has been the subject of very long discussion.
in
HON. MR. HOLYOAK- Perhaps I ought to say that we all thought we had got rid of it, but we were so deeply concerned by learned Attorney-General the words which fell from the hon. and
his com ments on the Bill, and which we took to be more or less inspired by the Govern- ment, and as a direction for the Tribunal, that we felt it was essential exception to them. The words referred to tako
to are these
"Essential interests mean something very different from the maintenance of the present state of affairs. The old standard of Business as usual" which was swept away in England in the early days of the war is now to be abandoned here. Perhaps it has already been abandoned to a certain extent, but it now has to be abandoned to a much Now, Sir, I do not think we yield in
more stringent extent." patriotism, speaking as the representa tive of the Chamber of Commerce, to any man here, certainly not to any member of the Government, but your Excellency is well aware that from the commence ment of the discussion which led to this Bill a pledge was given by the Gover ment that essential commercial interests should be protected, and we view this pronunciation of the learned Attorney- General's with considerable feelings of alarm, the more so because it sounds like a direction to the Tribunal. There are two attitudes of mind--one which would send home every man possible and all the man-power available at the cost of all commercial interests, and the other which would maintain those commercial interests which, by their large contribu tions in the shape of excess profits year by year are helping to carry on the war While we do not want to keep one mað who can be spared, we must protest against the doctrine of obtaking men at
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