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Q.-Do you think that none but a Committee of respectable Chinese residents can effectively and safely grapple with the practices of Chinese kidnappers?
A.-Yes.
Q.-Do you think the Police could do it more effectively?
A.-No, decidedly not.
Q.-Do you think that its abolition would lead to an increase of that particular class of offence-kidnapping?
A. Yes.
Q. Do you think that such abolition would give rise to discontent among the Chinese populace?
A. Yes.
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Q.-Have you read the draft Ordinance?
A. Yes.
Q. Do you think that its operation would tend to increase the usefulness of the Society?
A. Yes.
Q.-Do you think that a Government officer should be associated with the Committee?
A.-By the draft Bill he is. I think his powers ought to be enlarged.
Q.-In what way would you suggest?
A. Perhaps I am not quite clear as to what his powers are. So far as I can see the Registrar General is President of the Permanent Board of direction, but he has only one vote besides the casting vote. The members of the Permanent Board are from 5 to 8, therefore if the President holds any opinion divergent from those opinions held by the other members of the Board, he may be out-voted. He is the only European on the Board, the only representative of the Government. Cases might arise where his opinion is of far more value than the opinion of any of the other members. Therefore I think the President ought to have a veto. There is another reason for it. The President has a great many other duties. He may not always be able to attend the meetings of the Permanent Board. Nor do I see that it is necessary that he should do so. If he had the power of veto a rule might be made that no resolution of the Permanent Board could be carried into effect unless it is signed by the President, he having the right of veto, subject to appeal to the Governor. That would of course throw a considerable amount of responsibility upon the President, but it would also give the President, and through him the Government, much greater power, and it would ease the duties of the President. He would not necessarily then feel compelled to be present at every meeting, as any resolution passed would be laid before him in writing, and he could exercise his right of veto if he saw necessary.
Honourable C. P. CHATER.-You stated that the Ordinance would do further good?
A. Yes.
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Q.And in this memorandum which you have sent in you state "whatever other drawbacks may attach to the present system represented by the Pó Léung Kuk, I believe that greater power given to the Registrar General in his supervision of the work of the Committee, and the Superintendent of Police in his control over the detectives, and parti- cularly the continuous and cordial cooperation of these two officers will reduce this to a safe minimum." When you approved of the Ordinance you did not think that it really was taking away some of his powers, did you?
A.-I do not know exactly what the powers of the Registrar General are at present. I cannot answer the question.
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