CO129-552-7 Chinese Seamen's Union- request to set up branch in Hong Kong 2-1-1935 - 19-7-1935 — Page 39

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P Y.

CANTON SEAMEN'S UNION:

again creating trouble with

39

Butterfield & Swire: reports upon

No. 86

(& 3 copies)

Copies to:

Sub-Legation No. 53

Hong Kong No.57 C-in-C No.15

Commercial Counsellor,

Shanghai No.69

Trade Commr. Hong Kong No.65

Sir,

H.B.M. Consulate-General,

CANTON,

26th June, 1934.

I have the honour to inform you that the

Canton Seamen's Union have recently been adopting a

minatory attitude towards Messrs. Butterfield & Swire

at Canton owing to the fact that the Boatswain and

No.1 Fireman of the S.S. "Shantung", both Northern

Canton Sea- men, declined to join the Union at Canton. men's Union

2.

to Butter-

field & Swire

5 June 1934

On the 5th June the Chairman of the Canton

Seamen's Union, Leung Kwok Ying, addressed a letter

to Messrs. Butterfield & Swire, in which he demanded

that the Boatswain and No.1 Fireman of the S.S "Shan-

tung" should be told to visit the Union immediately the

steamer next arrived in port. I enclose a copy of

this letter. To this letter the Company replied that

they had passed on this information to the men concerned

but that of course they had no power to compel anyone

to join the Union.

3.

I was in Hong Kong on June 7th on a visit

to His Excellency the Governor, and I took the opportu-

nity to discuss this question with Mr. C.C. Knight,

The Honourable

Sir Alexander M.G. Cadogan, K.C.M.G., C.B.,

His Majesty's Minister,

British Legation,

PEKIN G.

the