CO129-498-8 Canton situation- speeches made by members of the Canton Government- and visit of the Fraternity... 13-1-1926 - 13-1-1926 — Page 28

3.

244h

(2) Education. One of our recent actions has

aroused much misunderstanding among the citizens, and I am afraid that some of you have also had

some misunderstanding. This is owing to our campaign to take overthe property of the charitable Institutes, and misunderstanding has given rise

to rumours that the Government is about to

practice Communism. In reality, the Government is only restoring to the public their property which has been usurped by the selfish gentry. However poor the Government may be, she would not dare touch any of the charitable funds. I desire to secure a gentleman of high reputation to look after them, and our attempt to restore the property of various charitable institutes to the control of the Public is to safeguard it against fraudulent misappropriation by scoundrels. This will certainly be welcome by our fellow- countrymen abroad, especially those who are enthusiastic philantropists.

Several weeks ago, the teachers of Public Schools in the City proposed a strike to demand payment of all wages owing to them. At the lat establishment of the Municipal Government, the salaries of these teachers were already in arrears for seven or eight months, and at that time the Government promised to pay them their new salaries in full every month, and their old ones by instalments. However, the Government could raise no money to pay the instalments of their old salaries, and therefore the teachers hada desire to set up a strike, but they were calmed down after the Municipal Government and the Kwok Man Tong had warned them as to the right course they should

pursue