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A.As it happens I have nothing whatever to do with the pay and allowances. It seems a large sum certainly.
Q.--£400 a year might be taken as about equivalent to $180 a month. Do you think they get what is worth that, taking pension and everything into consideration?
A.-I am not ready to answer that.
Q.-But still you would say they are well paid?
A. Yes, I should say they are well paid. They have a very good position. They have good quarters. I should say they are well paid, decidedly.
Q.-Those are trained men, I believe?
A. Yes. First of all they are skilled men from the sappers, from the recruits, and then they go through a regular school at home, and of course they acquire experience.
Q.-Then I should suppose these men are really very valuable assistants?
A.-Very.
Q.-This was a question Mr. FLEMING said he would rather not answer: Do you think it is ever made worth the while of these men, by Chinese, not to look after the work too particularly to see the orders are not too scrupulously carried out?
A.--No, I don't think so. They superintend directly, but at the same time it is my duty to see the work is properly carried out, and I should say the foremen are decidedly strict. From what I see of them--of course I don't know, but I don't think they gain much by bribery or otherwise: There is a great check on them.
Q-Any neglect would be very soon discovered?
A. Yes.
Q.-Then would you say they have very little opportunity of being dishonest?
A. They have plenty of opportunity in a small way, because when works are going on, a great deal must go on that is not immediately under one's eye. They have opportunity undoubtedly.
Q.-I presume any one of these foremen could make himself very unpleasant to a Contractor?.
A. Certainly.
Q.-So it is worth the Contractor's while to be on good terms with him?
A.-Certainly.
Q.-And do you think you would detect any presents given for that purpose?
A.-I think one would detect it. You would see the man had a bias in favour of
the Contractor, and you would suspect there was something wrong.
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