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LABOUR UNIONISM

ANTON.

[DY ORAIN TEITH TOE THE HONGKONG

DAILY PRESS

THE LATE MAJOR-GENERAL SIR GEORGE, EVATT,

[TROM, A CORRESPONDENT]

LONDON November 15th

THE MUI TSAI QUESTION STILL HECKLING THE SECRETARY OF STATE.

In the House of Commons on November The death was announced last week of 9th Colonel Wedgwood asked the Secre The first attempt to form a labour union. in Canton was back in 1909. The Major-Generat Sir George Evatt, K.C.B.,tary of State for the Colonies whether his a man who liked to who was for a time Principal Medical attention has been called to the latest then Tautai was be considered progressive and he received Officer to the garrison at Hongkong reported case of child torture resulting iddly the request of the machine shop General Evatt a tall man of magnificent from mui teas in Hongkong, and whether mer to form a union; he evon encour-proportions, was remarkable in many the Colonial Office intends any longer to ways, a bit of a faddist, perhaps, in some aged them.

But he took good care to respects, but tender-hearted and of a sanction this system! see that, after they were organized, they most loveable disposition, did not become too progressive and begin to accomplish things which might change

unduly the condition of the labourers.:

So, although the organization known as the Mechanics Union was formed at that time and continued its existence, no real progress, was made "until the last In February, 1920, the year or two, Hongkong branch of this union declared a strike to enforce their demands for higher wages After a brief struggle the employers agreed to a rise of 3 por cont. for all mechanics then receiving less than $100 per month, and a 20 per cent." increase for all who received more than that

With this example before them, the Canton branch immediately began to talk of asserting "themselves in the same way. But labourera! troubles were not of interest to the men in Power at that time. The Kwangsi militarists believed in pesce and order in their domain. Labour unious were trouble makers. Therefore they were sternly repressed.. All talk of strikes was 'prohibited and even their meetings were discontinued. The workingman was under the heel of the military

Cader these circumstances it was

to

be expected that the workers would wel come any change of government and they wept no teara over the defeat and ex pulsion of Mok and his followers, in November last. The next thing was to sound out the new rulers and see how they were inclined toward the labourers In December an and their aspirations. agitation for higher wages was begun. There was no strike, for both parties appealed to the government to interveno and decide the matter. In May a new The scale of wages was agreed upon. net results to the Union were highly satisfactory. All workers who had been receiving less than 50 cents a day were given a forty per cent rise: those who had received between fifty cents and a dollar were given an increase of thirty per cont. those between one and two dollars, twenty per cent and those above two dollars ten per cent.

The Mechanics Union is the largest at Canton. It claims 13,000 members in Kwangtung Province. A-close second however, is the Building Trades Union with 12,000 or more members. This organization, when it was evident that the new Government was not pursuing the repressive policy of the Kwangs A strike régime, "resolved upon action.

Was

WILS

G. Murray).

PROPOSED AMERICAN SCHOOL IN PEKING.

"CAMPAIGN FOR FUNDS.

..

CRIMINAL SESSIONS, [BEFORE THE PUISNE JUDGE (MR. JUSTICE GOMPERTZ)].

LOCAL FIRMS VICTIMISED.

A Straits born. Chinese pleaded guilty- to obtaining two

wo copying prosses, from

Mars. Kelly and Walsh and agypo- writer from Mustard & Co., by fraud.

It was mentioned that prisoner was 27 years of age and that he was die charged from Fesang gaol in July this year, after serving one year's imprison ment for a similar offence,

Mr. A. Dyer Ball, for the Crown,

mentioned that it was entirely due to the vigilance of the managers of the Sincere Company that the case was brought to Court Prisoner's procedure was to get forms printed on University paper or

obtain than from friends at the Univer sity and then to go with these forms to shops and obtain goods. There were a number of other charges which could have been brought against prisoner. The total value of the goods obtained on the charges before the Court was 8174. There was one point in prisoner's favour; when be was detected he gave all the assist ince he could to the police în tracing the

The

Mr. Wood: I have seat a report in the Press to which I presume the bon. I agree with every word of the follow ing paragraphs written of him by Mr- and plant member refers, and I am O'Conner, in the Sunday Times: communicating with the Governor on there has been 30-notice notgards the notion of beyond the three lines in the death the Government in relation to the general columns of the passing away of Surg. Gen, Evatt. He was to me one of the question of mus teas, F would refer the hon, and gallant member to the answer most remarkable and one of the most winning men ever met. A North of given on the 24th October to my hon. Ireland man by birth, Protestant by friend the Member for St. Roilox ( religion, and an Army doctor by pro- fession. He did not share the views of meat of his co-religionists in that intractable province; for he was strong Liberal and even a bit of a revolution- ary. When he had done with service in the Army it was mainly in India he gave himself up to all sorts of Causes which he deemed to be good.

The following statement has been He was a little fanatical in teetotal-

handed to Reuter's Agency by the Ameri- | property. ism, and I think even had faith in can Legation for circulation--

The Judgo said he saw no use in send- Pussyfoot. He helped some of the

*The American Minister in his officiating the man to prison for a short time. Chinese revolutionaries, and he

capacity as an American citizen, invited He hoped that while in prison the man one of the men who helped to rescue the attention of all his countrymen to would be taught a useful trade. Scu Yat Sen from the Chinese Em.

the campaign that is now being conduct sentence of the Court would be seven bassy in London-and thus enabled ed under the, leadershop of Mr. Julian

years' imprisonment.. that extraordinary individual to make Arnold of the American Legation and first one revolution and then another Mr. Eeward of the Rockefeller Founds PRISONER ASKED TO BE HANGED. in China Evatt semed to me totion to raise funds for the establishment epend most of his time in running from one lecture platform to another in the vindication of some of his ideals.

"He was a great friend of Florence Nightingale; from his descriptions of her I learned more of her real charac ter than from even the wonderful biography by Sir E. T. Cook. He re- peated to me one of the wonderful say- ings of that remarkable woman. When Gladstone began the Home Rule fight she remarked to General Evatt that she was surprised people in England made so much fuss about the subject. Did they not know, she used to say. that Ireland already had Home Rule When asked to explain, she said that Ireland was really governed by bureaucracy which was responsible neither to English nor to Irish opinion. Evatt locked what he was a stern, robust, inexhaustible man; not alto- gether unlike those other great Ulster men--the two Lawrencea who governed Ladis in some of her darkest hours." The first time I saw General Evatt was in a crowded class-room in Marischal College, in Abereen University. Togetherzens, will realize the importance of this

work to their fellow countrymen, urge with Dr. (now Sir) James Cantlic, with upon them to make a fair contribution whom he had served in the Egyptian from their own means to this fund and Campaign, Evatt had taken up with his to invite subscriptions or pledges from wonted enthusiasm the project of form their correspondents at home or else ing the Volunteer Medical Corps which was to do such excellent work later in South Africa and in more recent times in the Great War. That was in 1885.or 1888. Cantlie and he stumped the coun-

Yeung Ox was charged with being found by night at No. 266, Dea Vaux Road West, attempting to commit a felony. There was an alternative charge of attempting to steal

of an American school for American children in Peking. It cannot but be re- alised the importance of the object of this work not only for the immediate present, but for the succeeding members of the American community in Peking.

The jury were Messrs. Job Witchell All American business houses, missions and individuals should consider this (foreman), F. J. Tavares, H. J. Hant,

and A. A. d'Almeida. question from the broadest possible angle D. G. Nicoll, H. A. Castra, R. Farrant Evidence having been given, the pris and invite the attention of their corres pondents in the United States to the.

oner was asked if he had any witnesses. growing need of such a school and the increasing demand for modern and ade. He replied that it was "no use to call He wanted the Judge to sentence quate facilities to train future citizens any." in a manner worthy of the traditions of him as soon as possible; to sent him to the public and private educational in- gaol or sentence him to be hanged.

stitutions at home. It is unfair that those who have benefited from the schools in America should not do their utmost to hand on this heritage of efficient and modern methods of educational work, for which the United States is famed, to its. younger citizens who may at any time be resident in Peking.

"Accordingly, the American Minister with every confidence that American citi

where.

THE

CHINESE DELEGATES

AT WASHINGTON.

THEIR RESIGNATION TELEGRAM.

The Eastern News Agency gives the following rough translation of the cable sent on December 9th by Messrs. Wang Chung-hui, Alfred Sze, and Wellington Koo, Chinese delegates to the Washington Conference, to the Peking Government:-

"Though we have been striving very hard night and day on behalf of the. 'country, we are now at a loss what to do, for, because of the present state of affairs in China, the standing of our country in international relations is anything but favourable and those pro- posals, which we have placed before the Conference, are not making progress as we desire.

"Moreover, as we are constantly re- ceiving strong opposition from various quarters in China, we have come to the conclusion that no good results favourable to our country are to be expected from the Conference. Hence, we tender our resignations, taking the responsibility upon, ourselves."

Prisoner was sentenced to 18 months' hard labour. I should like your Lordship to hang me," he said as he was led away, because when I am sent to gaol my life won't last long."

HABITUAL OFFENDER SENTENCED.

Lau San was indicted for "stealing four pieces of clothing and being found by night in possession of a number of house-breaking implements.

Prisoner pleaded guilty and asked for onioncy, but Mr. Dyer Rail suggested that the mat was living a criminal life and asked for a severe penalty

The Judge said prisoner appeared to be a habitual offender and in view of his bad record he would sentence him to.. 5 years' imprisonment with hard labour.

RETURNED BANISHEES

SENTENCED.

Four banishees, who pleaded guilty to returning to the Colony, contrary to an order of deportation, were each sen- tenced to five years' hard labour..

FIRING CRACKERS, COOLIE'S DANGEROUS PRANKS..

At the Magistracy, yesterday morning, a ricksha coole was charged before Mr. JB. Wood with firing crackers in Spring Garden Lane, a praction which is considered dangerous to the public.

The defendant said that he was driv- ing hja, empty ricksha through the lane when some ope threw a cracker into it.. Being afraid that it would damage the cushion if allowed to explode in the vehicle, he throw it out,

called in July. It lasted two weeks and resalted in a dat raise of fifty per cent, for all men in the building trades There have been a number of other strikes since, that time, although the num bers involved have not been large. Etry and visited all the universities and medical schools in furtherance of their ployers have sometimes employed strike project, and were received with so much breakers and there has been some resort enthusiasm by professors and stadents to violence on the part of the strikers.

that the Corps not only came into exist Once or twice it has been necessary to ence but was a matured success almost call out the polico. A general plan of from the start procedure is working itself out, however, Coming out to Hongkong in 1991, I was so that such actions will be less and less

In spite of-the deci agreeably surprised to find Dr. Cantlie and less necessary.

established there in partnership with Drs. sions of the Government, which so far

Hartigar and Rennie. A few years have been quite favourable to the unions, later, Dr. Evatt (now holding the rank employers seem to have sufficient con of Surgeon-Colonel) arrived to take over fidence in the fairness of the administra- the duties of Principal Medical Officer, tion to accept its mediation and its final and, if I am not mistaken, it was due judgment. So when a dispute arises Boy largely to his advocacy that the Mount bath parties go at once to Governor Chen. Austin Hotel was taken over by the milt- He has his Chief Becretary call a confer tary authorities. I think it was in 1956 ence which undertakes to thresh the mat that the Colony was struck by a severe ter out. With all the cards on the table typhoon, the storm raging for two days, it is possible in most cases to secure an and doing a great deal of damage, agreement of the partlea. While this especially in Kowloon. The track of the method of adjusting disputes has proved storm lay right across the peninsula, and Favourable in the main to the labourers, everything in its track-including the still the feeling prevails that the Govern- matshed school which the Kowloon resi ment will not go too far in that direc-dents had erected at their own expense tion. It has had no hesitation in throw as the first purely European school in ing out unreasonable claims which if the Colony-was flattened out as if a granted would constitute a burden upon steam roller had gone over it. Held up industry,

for two days on the Island, I was oroes It is almost needless to say that the ing to Kowloon by the first Taunch to Jaboulers are heartily supporting the pro resume passanger service to see how my sant Government. They raised funds boaseball had fared; and with me, s among their own members to help finance the only other passenger was Colonel the campaign against Kwangsi last July Evatt. He was much concerned as to and when General Chen returned trium- how his "poor boys" had suffered, and, phant they held a grand celebration. was much distressed to find that about They are also unanimously behind the half of the hospital of the Hongkong Northern campaign. They want to see Regiment had been blown to smithereens, the Southern Governmental ideas extend- as well as a considerable portion of the ed to all China, because they think the lot of the workers" would be far better

As a Radical and a Gladstonian Home than under the present régime The Ruler, he tried to get into Parliament E "MARK”- IN COLOMBO, abolition of gambling, the measures on several occasions, but his downright against opium-smoking, the road in-views on many questions did not commend

A FORTUNE TO BUY A BANAMA. provements, and the other indications of him to politicians who know how much enlightened rule on the part of the Can of polities! life-is-made up of compro-

Although German passengers are now ten Government have appealed strongly mise. to the workers. “

The last time, I saw him was in St. allowed to land in Colombo, few are able Unionian has already reached the Pancras Station during the Great Warto do so on account of the low value of federation stage in Canton. The Federn. He was in mufti, but I have no doubt the mark, says a Colombo paper.

A German officer of the German vesse) tion of Labour Unions is composed of his great experience in medical work. eighty-three unions and represents a and organisation bad been placed at the Halle which was in Colombo, recently, total membership of 400,000, about 10,000 service of his country in its period of had a woeful tale to unfold. Owing to of whom are women employed in the silk trial. He was the same robust stalwart the low value of the mark," he said, we filatures. The monthly dues in the I had first seen in Marshal College, the are all chained to our ships. As an officer. separate unions run from twenty to fifty same upright figure with a keen eye and I am in receipt of a salary of 1,400, cents. The Federation is financed by full of alertness in spite of his years marks a month, while an ordinary mem-means better health and better _reaulte payments from the various Unions and and campaigns If ever there was aber of the crew gets 100. In exchange the income is betwees 82,000 and $3,000 man who lived for others and the for a month's salary, I should get less from your work, and if your eyes require per annum. This is hardly as much as amelioration of the lot of his fellow men, than £2 if I went ashore. I did go on

cantonments...

Sergt. Post said that he saw the accused throw a cracker among a crowd In answer to the foregoing, the Pekingof naval men. He had another lighted. Government despatched a telegram to the in his hand when accosted."

Inspector Blackman said that cracker delegates requesting them to reconsider their doctaion to resign. In this con- firing was an almost nightly occurrence nection, it is reported in reliable Chinese in the lane. He had had several cases quarters that the Peking Government recenaly, in some of which Europeans added, in their telegram, that, although were concerned. In his opinion sailors. it would be premature for the Chinese were the principal culprits. delegates to resign now, it might not be inadvisable for them to do so in case China's contentions should become hope

less.

The Magistrate: What is it done för? Inspector Blackman: It is done for fun, but s very dangerous. I have a sailor outside who was struck in the eye by "one of the crackers thrown by the accused.

William O'Connor, of H.M.S." Merlin, said that the first tracker thrown by the accused struck him in the eye and then exploded. Accused was about to throw a second when the Sergeant arrested him. Neither the witness nor his friends fired. any crackers in the lane...

A fine of 37 with the option of 10 days" hard labour was imposed.

MYE COMFORT

the monthly income of the larger unions, it was Evatt. May the scd lie lightly shoro to day, but finding I could buy glasses you have careful and expert. such as the Mechanics The separate upon him

nothing returned-to-my-ship, immed examination in fitting the proper corroo iately. I found it would cost a small

unions are inspired with the desire.

4

to erect buildings to house their

fortune to buy a banana, and a lunch at tion. Eye comfort requires also just an offices, to furnish club rooms and rooms for the night

ight classes, which are an im- chief engineer on a river steamer. Now the Grand Oriental Hotel would run expert care in the manufacture and.. portant activity. The Mechanics Union, to his his own shop-and-employs about sway with the best part of a month's adintment of your glasses. You will

running every night, eighteen or twenty workers In spite of salary." One in Chinese, one in English; one in his obvious interest as an 'employer and Referring to conditions in Germany, he find it worth while to consult a reliable mathematics; and one in mechanical

"capitalist

he retains the unbounded said the position there was very bad. He firm, devoted exclusively to optical work; drawing. These are free to the members confidence of the workers Ho is Presi- found it absolutely impossible to make over ten years experience in the Colony. of the "union, In addition there are dent of the Mechanics Union, of which ends meet with the pay he was drawing. frequent lectures on mechanics and he was one of the founders, and he is The shortage of coal was acutely felt Tou will find no better equipment say physics for all members

Met d]: General-Secretäry (there is no president) and prices of all essential commodities where than in the office and factory of The father of Cantoness Inbour union of the Federation of Labour

Unions

ism, the "Gompers of Canton Is Wang His kindly, pock-marked Lace gives one z enormously high. He was, however, The Hongkong. Optical Co., successors to Wan Ting. He was born in Kwangtung much the same impression of benevolent optimistic regarding the future, saying Province about Ally five years ago and ugliness that Gompers sometimes does shead and that in a year or two German fracting Opticians, located in 63, Queen" that factories in Germany were forging Clark & Co., Manufacturing and Re- Zas been in machine shops most of the And like Gompers be is strongly in

Road Central—ADVT. time since though for a while he was favour of a slow healthy growth rather goods would food the markets of the

Continued at foot of next column.) than a resort to extreme measures.

world.