1918-06-07 — Page 2

Page

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A VICTROLA

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MOUTRIE'S

THE HONGKONG DAILY PRESS. FRIDAY, JUNE 7ra, 1918.

HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL-

CONSCRIPTION BILL IN COMMITTED.

AGE-LIMIT REDUCED TO FORTY YEARS

PROPOSED SEPARATION ALLOWANCES FOR WIVES AND CHILDREN.

BE INSURED:

ALL MEN

THE CONEÇRİPTIÖN BILL.

A meeting of the Hongkong Legislative Council was held yesterday afternoon at 1 HE. THE GOVERNOR-Before-

the Council Chambers

The following were present-

HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNO, SIR FRASOLS HENRY MAY, K. C.M.G.

H18 EXOBLLENCY MAJOR-GENERAL F. VENTALS (General Officer Commanding Troops in China)..

we

proceed to consider this important Bill on the Orders of the Day, I wish to make a short statement as to why no provision has been made in it for separation or pension allowances. It would not be com petent for this Government to providu by legislation definitely for such allow- anes without the sanction of the Secre tury of State. Then again it would have been necessary to draft very considerable provisions for any such allowances The. people in this Colony are various, and the circumstances of each ease which may C.M.Grise will differ very materially. More.

Hon Mr CLAUD Sevens, CALG. (Colonial Secretary).

Hon. Mr JH KEMP (Attorney- General).

Hon. Mr. A. M. THOMBON (Colonial Treasurer):

Hon. Mr. ER HALLIFAX (Scoretary for Chinese Affairs).

Hon Mr. W CHATHAM, (Director of Public Works).

Hon Mr. MoI. MESSER (Captain Buperintendent of Police).

Hon. Mr. H, E. POLLOCK, K.C.

Hon. Mr. E. SHELLIM.

Hon. Mr. D. LANDALE.

Hon. Mr. Lau CHU PAL

ze-s

Hon Mr. P. B. HOLYOK.

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*PAPERS,

The COLONIAL SECRETARY, by com- of HE the Governor,

Jaid upon the table the Report of the Asscas utent for the year 1915-19 and the Report on the Botanical and Torestry Depart ment for the veny 1917.

over, the Bill provides power for the calling up of any British subject in the Colony-although at present it has. only been decided to call up those of pure European descent and that will entail other complications. But the Government has stated on the first reading that it is prepared to view this matter sympathe tically. We draw a very broad distine-

Mr. A. C, M. FLETCHER (Clerk of tion between the men who went away from this Colony and those who now come Councils).

under the provisions of this compulsory law. It recognises that where the State compulsorily avails itself of the services of men it should make some adequate pro- vision-reasonably adequate provision for the maintenance of his wife and children, if he is a married man, and it is prepared to insure a single man's life. Therefore, after consulting the hon. un- official members. I sent last night the following telegram to the Secretary of Bath T

FINANCE.

The COLONIAL SECRETARY, by com mand of H.E. the Governor, laid upon the table Financial Minute No. 97, and moved that it be referred to the Finance Committee,

The COLONIAL TREASURER seconded, and this was agreed to,

and of

The COLONIAL SECRETARY, by con- mand of Hl.E. the Governor,, laid upon the table report of the Proceedings of the Finance Comfitics No. 3, and Inovec that it be adopted.

The COLONIAL TREASURER RCConded, and this was agreed to.

WATER SUPPLY.

The Hon. Mr. P. H. HOLYOAK asked With reference to the statement mude by the Director of Public Works on the 30th May regarding the Taitam Tuk pumping engines, will the contractors be held responsible for the defects in these engines?

The COLONIAL SECRETANY replied: The pumping plan as not yet been taken over by the Government, and the contractors are responsible for the dest fects of the engines: The question of the contractors infliction of a penalty on the

for failing to complete and hand over the pumping plant within the contract tani was referred to the Secretary of State for the Colonies on the 27th February with the request that the matter might be submitted to the Consulting Engineers.

The Hon. Mr. David Landale usked:-

married men and did not concern the trade for the trying and difficult period single man except in very special cases, after the war. The only danger is that in our local preoccupation we may, per- The chief object of the schenie was to keep a roof above the heads of a man's haps, sometinics be a little blind to the In view of wife and children. Consideration was larger Imperial interests. given to rent, insurance premium, those larger Imperial interrats the Chant- endowments, ratts, purchase by periodiber of Commerce in April addressed the cal payments of property and furni: Government and asked for the introduc ture Ginnts were made" ap to £104 tion of compulsion for the purpose of " per annum (paid 'quarterly). In the military service in H.M's. forces outside first place applicants had to obtain a the Colony This Bill was introduced 4 page foolscap form from their local in consequence of that request and it is Post Office and fill in the information a real attempt to find some more men asked for, and then forward to the for the Army. The main question which bartister appointed for the particular arises on the Rill is what is the standard county. At a later date the applicant to be applied? In the first place, as has was required to interview the barrister been already stated, it is only intended, and supply documents as proof of cor.

at present, to call up men who would rectness of staterrents made, e, In-fill in the class of At men in England, conic-Tax receipts, receipt for rent,inen who are perfectly physically fit and insurance, etc. Il satisfactory, the suitable for the front line. Unfortun, barrister recommended that a grant ately that will restrict yory considerably the number of uten available, but for the be made, with the Committee's, ap time being that is the only class, which proval. Granta were not to enable one the military authorities in England re- to carry on " and save as well, but quire from Hongkong. In the second ptags, there is a question of age. The just to cover absolute necessities. For

age, of course, in Great Britain, until- instance, a man with a wife and three recently was up to the forty first birthday." children earning £2 per week On his tant is the age which has been taken under the scheme which has now been becoming a soldier, the wife would applied to British subjects in China. It receive £175 per week and the husband is the age, as far as I can ascertain; adopted in the rehomo in force in Shang 3s ed. his food and clothing. In cash hai, but in view of the terms of the -alone this is only 9s Gd. Jess than his telegram, it is proposed to take here only up to the 40th birthday. I would like to pre-war income, and be himself is say that it is intended to call up every clothed and fed by the inverament, man between the ages of 18 and 40 years

who is physically fit-t for the A1

pure Obviously this man cannot claim fun and

European descent cial hardship, and therefore does not selection beforehand, or omitting to call There is no intention of making any

All come within the scope of the C.L.C.

up any darticular class of men. As an illustration of when a grant is coming within the class specified will bo called up to come before the Tribunal. made. I will instance my own case. As The third print on the question of I was, previous standard is a much more difficult one. I would like to point outingain that the

a commercial eceipt of £240, but need which this Bill proposes to macet fu

to the war. in

owing to the my salary fell to £150 per annum. With a wife, and one child the Government Separation Allowance of £ 1s. was insufficient to keep my home running during my absence while a soldier. I made application to the C.L.C. as follows:

Rent and Rates Insurance Premiums Housekeeping and Clothing. Expenses (self) ForRainy Day

On existing I naturally had to delete the

Rainy Day Expenses (self)

exs

Your telegram May 20th. It is essen- tial that provision should be made from public funds for wives and families of men conscripted under bill now before Legislative Council for period of such he's service Proposed to grant in the Colony $200 0 per month to each wife, $25 per month for each child under following years of age-10 for boys, 30 girls as minimum with addition in Own share housekeeping special cares put forward by Tribunal In addition to separation allowances. payable under army regulations. Cases probably will not be numerous. Allow. ances paid outside the Colony should be £90 per month and £2 10s. tively. It is proposed also to insure each man's life for £2,000 if married, £1,000 if single, apart from any military pension. Unofficial members of Legis

fu lative Council unanimously concur thes, proposal. Should be glad to have

your approval of them.

-respec-

MAY

Per annum. £38

f£98 required by wife to

"carry on." Separation allowance at £1 is.

per; work

68

30

25

£180

*£43

amount claimed and allowed in my own ease.

I read that to show you the sort of eircumstances at home and how they are dealt with. Here it is proposed to make a minimum, grant of the sum mentioned In connection with the remark that I | in the telegram and any additional grant made as to the distinction between those that may be decided upon in a special who want voluntarily or who wiɛked to caes put forward by the Tribunal. These as at present advised, I shall go voluntarily and the men who go cases, as at under conscription, I wish to draw atten-transfer to the Treasurer to examine and tion to the proviso which has been made inquir,, into and to come to sorte deci in clause 9, that it should be lawful forsion as to the total sum required. I hope, the Governor to omit from such enrol gentlemen, this statement will prove satis

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1. Were any steps taken to approachment list the name of any person who any of the local engineering firm with a view to their repairing or replacing the damaged cylinder referred to by the Director of Public Works in his state..

before the 1st day of May, 1918, applied to the Military Service Commission for permission te volunteer for active service

au Imperial need. It is a great need; an urgent need. It is not only an Imperial need, Sir, hut it is our need. too.

It is unthinkable that we should ever give up this struggle in which the nation end the Empire is engaged, for it we were beaten British trade interests. in Hongkong would be at the meres of an entirely unscrupulous enemy audi would not be worth many months pur chase. The Bill, of conese, recognises, one ground on which exemption bis

inny granted, one ground on which men are to be kept here the ground of Imperial interests: That, I think, will not give rise to any difficulty. Clearly, if a man. is directly helping on the war by his Occupation here, he must be allowed to remain here, in fact be must be made The Bill goes further and

to

Eennin.

recognizes, as I said just now, that the

Colony in handy A

Imperial aseet, and

Pintere

essential to the continuous cxistence

of

the rol also recognised as ground

for

of

s

There are, therefore, two-

ment at the feeling of the Council held outside the Colony. The men who so ing of a force the members of which shall

grounds, the ground of Imperial interest and the ground of essential Colonial. interest, but I think one must never for get the underlying reason for that second ground and that is the question et Imperial interest. That must in all caser What do the be the final touch-stone: essential interests of the Colony, ntean? Clearly they include trade interests: they include British trade interests in China 54-5 which are controlled from Hongkong.. The word essence means, of course, some- thing which remains after something else has been taken away, and essential interests met something very different, from the maintenance of the present state. affairs. The old standard of Business

usual which was swept away England in the curly days of the wat is now to be abandoned here. Perhaps it has already been abandoned to abandoned to a much more stringent certain extent but it now has to be extent. The result will no doubt be loss Thes larger businesses may have to be cur- to some and hardship to others.

New enterpuses, however tailed. mising, may have to us restricted, and in the case of one man businesses and cecapations it may he that some of them timo being.“ Essentini, of CORISE does not will have to be closed altogether for the Dican essential to the individual but occupation may belong to the class of essential to the Colony, and the one wan which the Colony must have some, but The ATTORNEY-GENERAL-I beg to move though some of that class may be neces

to have the number at present the second reading of the Bill intituled say it may not be necessary for the

An Ordinance to provide for the ra which to stay. There is

existing and, in such cases, the Tribunal have to decide which men are to go no intention, applied or endeavoured to apply-will be liable to service with His Majesty's of course, to sacrifice the smaller for the larger, but if a man happens to be have the option of being sent to England Forces outside the Colony during the pre- engaged in an occupation which is not with second-class passages and the pro-gent war" In doing so be said: The essential then he would have to suffer for

good

of the Empire. That brings me. 2. If no such steps were taken why were spect of obtaining a commission, or, on

Army is in

need of men. It is fighting sir, to the question of temporary azomp-

they not taken t

the other hand, of coming under the with our Allies for the cause of those tion. The only two grounds of absolute exemption are the two grounds of interests and essential Colonial The COLONIAL SECRETARY replied: compulsory provisions of this Bill and Allies and of civilisation. It is fighting Imperial

third ground of exemp were taken because the

obtaining the financial privileges which to defend our fortunes and our means of interests. No such steps wer

is only for temporary contractors were and are unde tion to greet the engines and to run

add that members of the Civil Service thing we can do to help the Empire in financial or business obligation or domes can last for a longer period them under certain specified trials, who have up to the present time been this great struggle we must do and the the position No exemption granted on before handing them over to the Guvern exceedingly liberally treated as regards only reason we can have for holding back than six months. The English Act does

months

but it recognises that exemption ment As the contractors representa their pay when joining H.M's Army, will a single fit man is that such man is of not contain that definite period of six tive, who was in charge of the matter, in my view be treated in exactly the greater service to the Empire here than granted on these grounds must be tein- Civil he would be in the fighting-line That porary and the reason for some limita- did not apparently deem it advisable to samo way as the men who are

exemption for three or six mouths would

be ready for the fighting. approach local engineering firms, any Servants conscripted under this Bill, must be the guiding principle, I submit, tion of time here is that men who get direct interference in the matter on the That is to say, the exceptional privilèges in all our decisions, and that note

any longer exemption would defer too part of the Government might have led as regards pay which they have enjoyed should vibrate through all our delibera-year or fifteen months from now, and for the present need which is great to a repudiation of liability on the part up to date will not be continued. Itions. It was the note struck in the long the man from being made available -

know of the contractors, but the following would like to read you a memorandumi Committee of the Chamber of Commerce and so urgent. I do not profess to telegram was sent to the Crown Agents furnished me by I do not know whether when they asked for a policy of com- what the conditions of the Colony are. I do not profess to know how many or on the 11th October, 19173be was an officer or a man (A voice: A pulsion to be introduced. It is easy to how few this standard I have suggested

My telegram 23rd March. Pumpinggeant) of the 26th Middlesex descrip. set up this ideal, but not so easy to keep will realise, but I am convinced it

standard, and the final test in every plant urgently required for duty. Dyer i tive of the arrangements made at home clearly in mind amongst the conflicting case must be that of Imperial interests. sick Suggest that Simpsons entrust

Bill, I think it is completion of erection and trials to to meet such cases as we propose to mest claims of local conditions. We are proud Coming more now to the detail® ef

procedure, under the to think that this small Colony is a well known that the intention is to set Dock Company or make other arrange here. This memorandum states:-

The Civil Liabilities Committee was Imperial asset; is an Imperial interest. ups Tribunal, to contain a substantial Instituted by the Home Government to It contributes to the prosecution of the Commercial majority, to deal will the men in the class which I have described. The Tribunal: relieve financial hardships of the war now and it is maintaining British who will come before it.

he 30th May regarding the on the ment of the water supply?

eurtzil

ments

under obliga have been mentioned. I would like to livelihood, our liberties and lives. Every the ground of exceptional

The Crown Agents replied that the contractors were arranging for their Shanghai agent to visit Hongkong.

that

true

line for a

the