CO129-501-3 Chinese situation- Protection of British subjects of Chinese race 23-10-1926 - 21-12-1927 — Page 59

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without success, and one section of Low's land

was actually sold. I then requested His Majesty's

Consul General at Canton to secure the cancellation of the

sale, the recognition of Low's title to the foreshore and

the settlement of the case by the payment by Low of a

Mr. reasonable sum to cover the cost of filling in.

Brenan's representations resulted in the "postponement" of

further auction sales of Low's property, though the sale

of the section already sold has not been cancelled and he

is unable to make use of any portion of his property.

4. Last October, on the instructions of the Mayor, a

road 80 feet wide was driven through another piece of Low

Peng Kiah's property in the city, without consulting him,

the road being formed from earth dug up on either side of

it, thus forming deep trenches, which of course materially

reduced the value of the land. Not content with that,

the Mayor demanded that Low should pay for the labour of

constructing the road, on pain of confiscation of a strip

of land 100 feet wide on either side of the road, to be

sold by the Mayor to others. In this case, again, the

Vayor maintained that Low was a Chinese citizen, but my

representations led at last to the Commissioner for

Foreign stating in May last that "as foreigners had not

complied with the regulation concerning payment of the

cost of constructing roads, Low Peng Kiah would not be

required to comply for the time being".

5.

These cases are still in suspense and are merely

referred to in order to show once more the attitude of the

local officials towards British subjects of Chinese descent.

My object in writing this report is to bring to your

notice a flagrant case of extortion from Low Peng Kiah

by a Government Department.

6. On the afternoon of the 10th instant, Low Peng

Kiah's /