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that it is, per se, the record of a money loan association. He considers that the sums involved are too small to represent the principal plus interest, and suggests that if indeed the list does relate to an association, it may represent outstanding debts on the repayments of principal and interest.
(b) The list is merely a list of debtors made by someone loaning money
Alternatively, Dr. Hase thinks it possible the sums merely represent small amounts loaned by an unknown person, who drew up the list as an aide mémoire to chasing up the defaulters.
The crossing out of the one name, implying repayment by the person concerned, could fit either of his interpretations.
To put these amounts into some kind of perspective, it may be helpful to compare them with the daily wages recorded at a particular time. For this purpose, I have taken the year 1900, this being, as Dr. Hase agrees, the mid point of the period 1870-1930, to which the scrap of paper most likely belongs.
In that year, according to the Hong Kong official Blue Book daily wages for labourers varied between 20 cents and one dollar. Wages for artisans were in the scale 20 to 75 cents, dependent upon trade, but unlike labourers' remunerations, theirs were with board and lodging.
Either way, these figures show that the sums shown on the list were modest, even paltry. Therefore, the chance that they represent small loans is high.
On the other hand, I still favour the money-loan association option, but with two possibilities regarding the small sums set down in the list. First, there is Dr. Hase's suggestion that they represent outstanding amounts due by certain members on principal plus interest, persons who had repaid most of the loan sum but not yet the whole.
Second, there is my own further thought that these sums only represent the interest due to be paid by the various parties on the list. This would presuppose that the principal sum was not included, but
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that it is, per se, the record of a money loan association. He considers that the sums involved are too small to represent the principal plus interest, and suggests that if indeed the list does relate to an association, it may represent outstanding debts on the repayments of principal and interest.
(b) The list is merely a list of debtors made by someone loaning money
Alternatively, Dr. Hase thinks it possible the sums merely represent small amounts loaned by an unknown person, who drew up the list as an aide mémoire to chasing up the defaulters.
The crossing out of the one name, implying repayment by the person concerned, could fit either of his interpretations.
To put these amounts into some kind of perspective, it may be helpful to compare them with the daily wages recorded at a particular time. For this purpose, I have taken the year 1900, this being, as Dr. Hase agrees, the mid point of the period 1870-1930, to which the scrap of paper most likely belongs.
In that year, according to the Hong Kong official Blue Book daily wages for labourers varied between 20 cents and one dollar. Wages for artisans were in the scale 20 to 75 cents, dependant upon trade, but unlike labourers' remunerations, theirs were with board and lodging.
Either way, these figures show that the sums shown on the list were modest, even paltry. Therefore, the chance that they represent small loans is high.
On the other hand, I still favour the money-loan association option, but with two possibilities regarding the small sums set down in the list. First, there is Dr. Hase's suggestion that they represent outstanding amounts due by certain members on principal plus interest, persons who had repaid most of the loan sum but not yet the whole.
Second, there is my own further thought that these sums only represent the interest due to be paid by the various parties on the list. This would presuppose that the principal sum was not included, but
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