CO129-512-2 Political situation in China- and Canton 31-5-1929 - 13-11-1929 — Page 20

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strike settlement, and no complaints had been received from

any quarter of the refusal of owners to pay pre strike half

pay; none from the owners concerning any difficulties over

the manning of their ships: and none from the Seamen's Union

concerning seamen unemployed after the strike.

There was

no reason to dou the generally accepted impression that the

settlement had restored normal conditions of employment, that

the owners had observed its conditions, and that at most only

a very few seamen could have remained to become a charge on the

post Settlement Fund.

In these circumstances the Chairman of the Seamen's

Union was informed by the secretary for Chinese Affairs that

his bill of some $340,000 which included half pay for

thousands of seamen for the whole of both the pre settlement

and post settlement periods was purely imaginative.

parts required division: and rather Lore precise evidence of

liability would now be required than would have been looked

for in the orijinal bill if it had shown any reasonable

relation to accepted facts.

The two

It was recognised as not impossible that there might

still be cases which would become a proper charge on the

post Settlement Fund: and perhaps a few cases (such as those

of ships at sea) where pre strike payments may have been

overlooked, but post strike unemployment pay in this latter

class of case clearly could not appear. The Union Officials

were informed that any case which they could produce showin

prima facie a sund claim would be dealt with without delay

under the Agreement: and were urged to proceed with all

possible expedition in the matter, if only in the interests

of the Seamen themselves.

No further representation on the matter from any

source has been received in Hong Kong: and it is desirable to

make known the facts here given to correct distorted views

of the matter which have been allowed publication:

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