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merely putting the suggestion to the Hong Kong Government. What we need first of all is to know what the possibilities of the United States market are and what steps would have to be taken by exporters to get into it. We wonder therefore whether you would like to consider getting the views of the Board of Trade's Commercial Servios in North America? No doubt samples could be sent to them from the trade here. We should certainly be ready to discuss this further with you if you desire.
As regards the question of labour conditions we have not yet had a reply from the Governor of Hong Kong on the question of the desirability of establishing a wage board, You may however be aware that Mr. Houghton of the Board of Trade is visiting Hong Kong to advise the Hong Kong Labour Department on negotiating machinery and wage policy (mong other things). Our experts on these questions are sure that this visit will be of value to the Labour Department. We must therefore wrait the outcome of these developments before considering any further action on the lines suggested in the last sentence of your letter.
I need hardly say meanwhile that the Colonial office, while doing everything that can be done to promote proper labour condition. in the Colonies, would naturally be cautious in accepting my condemnation of a Colonial industry on the grounds that its labour is "sweated" when these allegations emanate essentially from fear of competition rather than from any real concern with the welfare of the Colonial workers.
Yours sincerely,
(A. Emanuel).
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