CO129-489 - Governor Sir Stubbs & Sir Clementi - 1925 [8-12] — Page 300

¦

|

¿

293

405 22

compulsory registration but limits its application in such

a way as to avoid the main objections to the Societies Ordinance, 1911, as set out in paragraph 3 of the Attorney General's Report on the Societies Ordinance, 1920, enclosed in my despatch No.213 of 30th June, 1920.

3.

Some of the regulations which the new Ordinance will impose on societies ordered to be registered may seem exacting or vexatious. But it must be remembered that the organisation at which the Ordinance is aimed never hesitate to use criminal intimidation and assassination for the purpose of forcing their will upon the community and it is hoped that the fear of registration and photographic records which is undoubtedly very real among the lower classes of Chinese may check the most dangerous feature of these organisations, namely, their method of recruiting "roughs" from any and all sources irrespective of trade or calling, solely for the purpose of terrorism and extortion. The regulation requiring publication of accounts should deter from seeking office not a few leaders of the type described in the first paragraph of this despatch and at the same time tend to reconcile the law-abiding members of

suspect societies to the requirement of registration.

I have the honour to be,

Sir,

Your most obedient humble servant,

7.2. StaM

Governor,

&c.

Page 300Page 301