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them in the past end of their gratitude and all hoped that we would assist one another in the future. But it became manifest that they would not negotiate with us unless we were Hongkong delegates with full power and ppointed by the Hongkong Government. One of them Mr. Jong Ping said that as regards the amount of strike pay, the strikers were looking into the figures which Could not be available for few days, but he thought he could easily work out that sum because we were famili with Hongkong conditions, and knew roughly what were the werge unges of the labourers. The strike pry would so be an mount representing the wages of 11 strikers ho struck for theperiod of the strike. He said that is regards reinstatement there is no question bout that. Could Hongkong raise that sum ?
Towards the close of the meal the whole feeling o. the party was very cordial and Mr. So Siu Ching and all the others exhorted us to impress,with all emphasis at on command, upon the "Hongkong delegates" that they (the strikers) were sincerely desirous of an early settlement and would welc.me meeting them as soon as possible and that they (the Hongkong delegitos) should never have any fear of whatever nature as regards meetin, coming up to meet them. They thoroughly grood with our suggestion that under the circumstances, we had better return to Hongkong as soon as possible to report on the views the strikers had expressed.
In the course of the various speeches it was medo abundantly clear that when the Hongkong Plenipotentiaries come up, the strikers were prepared to discuss the terms together as a whole, or separating the political from th economic; they were also prepared to discuss tho
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