CO129-510-12 Proposals to establish Labour Advisory Council in Hong Kong- present situation and progress 14-11-1928 - 14-11-1928 — Page 5

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officials, etc., in each case, and to devise

machinery to keep this information up to date.

The Sub-Department at the same time has made

some attempt to tabulate over a period of nine

months the retail prices of commodities consumed

by the working classes wit.the object of providing

producing a basis for calcul tion of changes in

the cost of living; and has endeavoured to secure

figures to show as nearly as possible the average

monthly rate of wages in different trades. The

information thus ained has proved of considerable

value in dealing with such labour disputes as have

occurred since the institution of the Bureau.

uch investigation of details has been necessary owing to the prevalence under various forms of

the truck system, as well as to the unreliable

character of the different labour organisations many

of which are indistinguishable fundamentally from

secret societies specialising in all forms of

blackmail.

4. The second line of action taken was in

the direction of establishing a Committee to act as

2 Labour Advisory Council. To this end loading representatives of the Chamber of Commerce were consulted and it was explained to them that it

was desired to form a Cormittee to aid in the

settlement of economic labour disputes, as distinct

from political agitations, and to advise the

Government