CO129-572-6 Hong Kong Seamen's Union- proposed proscription 22-1-1938 - 30-8-1938 — Page 11

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societies" which were required to register.

The latter

included six rattan workers' clubs, the mechanics' union,

and the Chinese type-setters' and compositors' union, which

had been in existence since 1911, and two societies which

工社). or

appear to have been the first to use the title of labour

union (1

These were the Barbers'

Union and the Eating House Waiters' Union, both of

which were subsequently suppressed owing to their

criminal activities.

In April 1920, the Secretary for Chinese Affairs

proposed the repeal of the Societies Ordinance insofar as

it dealt with registration of societies. He pointed out that registration had not achieved its object, which was the acquisition of reliable information regarding the associations registered. The people normally in control were generally figureheads; the power to call for the production of records was useless, since, once it had been used to procure information, records relating to dangerous activities were kept secret and only formal matters were entered in the minutes; acts of violence had increased; and the spurious respectability conferred by registration had made it more difficult to deal with gambling clubs. He added that he was occasionally embarrassed by applications for recognition by societies which he did not want to recognise. A society refused registration (or exemption from registration) became ipso facto unlawful. There were political organisations, (such as the Kuomintang) which might be tolerated as long as they did not engage openly in political activities but which could not be given formal recognition.