CO129-490 - Public Offices - 1925 — Page 77

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THE

HE TROUBLE IN

CHINA.

FOREIGN OFFICE

STATEMENT.

Times June 16

M. SAMUEL, Secretary, Department -- Trade (Farnham), replying for the fine, informed Mr. TREVELYAN (New- tral. Lab.) that for some months be recent riot industrial unrest bad mous in the Japanese mills at There had also been disturbances kjanese mills at Tsingtao, which was ...se administration, where rioters upon and killed by the Chinese The unrest at Shanghai involved the Japanese mill-manager and, later,

W

employee. This last incident, curred on May 15. led to more violent

in which the students joined to

sup- employees. In doing so they came with the police on May 30. The unarmed, but was very large, and ing the lives of the police. The tempted to rush the police station, full of arms, in order to release the iente. Woming was given before

|||JORNE.—Is it not a fact that the fall this trouble in the beastly low id to the employees and the employ- atron of 11 years of U.)-Is ? Labour FM- Lookan (Basex, S.E..

control at present over the wages the foreign residents at Hong-kong

Mr. SAMUEL-No, sit. gmi?

The Svernment has done all it can as re- Conditions of labour within the inter- Outside the settlement end-mat.

3. Goverment has no control what- Toyen (Silvertown, Lab.).—-Then Both battleships there (Labour | Mmisterial counter cheers.)

DAVISON (Kensington, S., U,)— fact that, however poor the wages are better within the international than elsewhere in China; and. not M. Zinovief taken credit for Lhese riots ? (Labour laughter and hand Ministerial cheers.)

KINDER (Shipley, Lab.).—Is it become a habit to call a strike a Ministerial laughter and Labour

SBURY (Bow and Bromley, Lab.). any evidence that there was any the Chinese on the police station ms whatsoever, and have not Ameri-3 Înti-d missionaries stated that the¦ o were killed and wounded were | back, and therefore could not have i while trying to storm the police Labour cheers.]

UEL-I do not agree that it is hose who were shot were shot in the

Ale it is quite true to say they were it was a very large and murderous | Lasoolay—“How do you know ? and loud cries of not there! " The crowd tried to rush the police ich was full of arms, and if they del there in no doubt that greater would have taken place. (Ministerial LANBBONY. In order to preserve hen, will the Government organize ol shareholder to go and do their work (Labout cheers and renewed cries of "Order.") No answer was

!

BRITAIN AND THE POWERS.

Mr. W. F. MITCHELL (Saffron Walden, U asked whether our policy with respect to the trouble in China was adopted in concert with other Powers interested. Mr. SAMPEL Baid: The answer to the frat part of the question by in the affirmative. No points of difference have arisen. and E take this oppor tunity of expressing on heball of his Majesty's Government their appreciation of the firm and tactful manner in which the situation is being handled by the senior member of the diplo- matic representatives concerned at Peking," the Italian Minister.

Mr. J. JONES. Is the Minister prepared to say that British battleships shall not be used to back up international aweaters in Ching i (Labour rheers.) Mr. JOKER (Essex. S... ti.).—Is it not in accordance with British interests and in accordance with the policy at his Majesty's Government to asalat as for as possible the natural aspirations of the Chinese ? (Labour laughter and Ministerial

Mr. SAMUEL.-The attitude of bis Majesty's Government is one of respect for China, for Chinese Customs, and for Chinese civilization. The British Government desire the prosperity and peaceful condition of China and where possible will lend all support to that end.

Mr. JOHNSTON (Dunder. Lab,)-Arising out of the statement that the British Govern. ment have done everything possible to better conditions in the Ebanghai mills under British jurisdiction, will the hon. gentleman tell us what steps have been taken to enforce the conclusions of the Shanghai Municipal Com mittee; and why the committee could not get a majority to attend the meetings? (Labour cheers.)

Mr. SAMUEL--I can give a tough reply, which may not be quite accurate, but it is thereabouts. The British community and the British Consul-General have tried all they can to initiate A

by-law to be enacted by the Shanghai municipal authorities, and in the direction indicated, and the British Govem ment at home have

have supported that getion. Two ladies connected with welfare, one Miss Harrison and the other Dame Anderson,

well kaowo in

in Labour circles, have been members

A regulation was introduced municipal authorities, but

it was put

of the coraling

with child labour

and long

the

was not a quorum to it.

to pas ace each

April in

That

took

dow

again

for Jime 2 of this year, and would have come for discussion, and possibly have been passed with the good will of the British Government, but these unfortunate circum- stances aronę, (Labour cries of "Oh!" and Ministerial cheers.)

Mr. LOOKER-Is it not a fact that in the Birtish estton mills in Shanghai regulations sxist forbidding the employment of boys under 10 and glue under 12 years of age ?—Mr. SAMUEL That is so, but there are only eight mills out of 60 which are under Britsib jurisdiction.

THE CASUALTIES.

Mr. SAMUEL Informed Mr. LAWBON (Chester-le-Street, Lab.) that the camalties at Shanghai so far officially reported were 21 Chinese killed and 68 wounded, and one foreigner wounded, who was believed to be of American nationality.

75

CHILD LABOUR IN THE MILLS, - Replying to Mt. LOOKER, Mr. SAMUEL said that according to a report published Jast July by the Municipal Council of the Inter- national Settlement at Shanghai the number of British textile milla was 14. No

municipal regulations were in force governing the age at which young persons might be employed; bat stepa lind been taken by the managers of the British milla to give effect to the recommenda- tion BON of the Child Labour Commission. appointed by the Municipal Council, that the employment of children under the age of ten years should be prohibited. In the area covered by the Foreign Settlement and the two Chinese districts of Chapel and Poolung the only areas of the Chinese-controlled city of Shangbai regarding which figures were available), there were 273 mills and factories, Di which 26 were British, 188 Chinese, and 31 No municipal regulations Japanese owned, were in forte governing the age at which young persons might be employed therein.

Mr. J. JONES (Silvertown. Lab.) asked if in any of the British factories in China children were working under the age of eight. Mr. SAMUEL, said that, badly speaking, the British manufacturers in China cosired that the conditious ander which their business was conducted should be a model and an! example to the rest of China. (Cheers)

Mr. SAMUEL, replying to Mr. LIVISUBTONK (Western Isles, L) and Captain W. BESs (Leith, IL), wid such information as be had regarding the number of Chinese employed in the Foreign Settlement in Shanghai was cốn•

tained in au appendix' to the Report of the Child Labour Commission published by the Municipal Council. A copy of this report had been placed in the Library of the House. A statement showing the average hours of labour and wages of artisans and labourers of various classes in Shanghai was given in Appendix Y of Overseas Trade Report on the

of dustrial, and Economic H.. Station in June, 1924, published by

Mr. LANSBURY.-Were any policemen wounded? Mr. A. M. SAMUEL-I hope not ! (Ministerial theers) CAPTAIN GER (Bosworth, U.).Is it not a fact that many of these ques tiona are put at the instigation of Moscow to Cruse more trouble in

China?

(Labour laughter and Ministerial cheers.)

Mr. L

LAWSON. --May I draw your attention, Mr. Speaker, to fact that an insinuation reflecting on myself has been made to the effect that this question was put as the result of Bolshevist influence from Moscow on myself? (Labour cheers.) Is that an insinuation that ought to be made by member of this House, and should it not be withdrawn?

the

The SPEAKER.-! at once rose to say, that it was a very improper interjection to make, but I did not think it worth while to take any further notice. (Labour cheers.} CAPTAIN GEE.-With all respect, my question was dealing with some of the supplementary questions that had been asked. (Ministerial cheers.) The SPEAKER--Whatever it dealt with. It was not a proper question to put.

Situation of

Ofice. Further information regarding labour conditions in China was to be found in the chapter on Labour in the China Year Book, for which the agenta in London were Mesars Simpkin, Marshall, Hamiltou, Kent, and Co., Limited. No regula tions were in force governing the age of er- ployment.

CAPTAIN W. BENN asked if it would be true to say that quite young children were employed in China all day and for seven days a week merely to earn their keep.

Mr. SAMUEL was understood to say that labour conditions in China were deplorable.

CAPTAIN W. BENN.-Does the bon. gentleman think it is necessary to go any further to discover the cause of this trouble ?

SIR W. DAVISON (Kensington, S., U.). asked if it was not a fact that, however deplorable the conditions might be in China, they were better in the foreign settlements than in the Chinese areas, and was this not being | used merely as a pretext.

Mr. SAMUEL said that the foreign settle- ments were used as a model in order to bring the labour conditions în China on to a proper basis. They were certainly better than the Chinese areas, over which his Majesty's Government had no control whatever.

(Chester-le-Street,

Mr. LAWSON

Lab.) asked if the people who were responsible for these conditions which Mr. Sampel bad just condemned were not the real Bolsheviste. (Opposition cheers.) Mr. Looxsa isked whether it was not in the interests of the Chinese and the foreigners Bving there that nothing should be done in that House to add to the excitement.

No answers were given.

CHINESE CASUALTIES IN SHANGHAI.

Mr. A. H. SAMUEL informed Mr. PaTHICK- LAWRENCE (Leicester, W., Lab.) that no Chinese had been killed by British forces in the recent disturbances in China. The Chinese casualties inflicted by the police force of the International Municipality of Shanghai had been reported as 21 killed and 85 wounded. The moba coming into conflict with the police were reported to have been unarmed. His Majesty's Government were not in a position to i instructions to En international municipality.