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Q.-How many in a month would you say roughly?
A.--I should say two or three or four on the average.
Mr. Maitland.-Different kinds of stalls?
A. Yes.
Q. Are the Government in the habit of giving notice to people to quit their stalls?
A.--No.
Q.-As a general rule stalls are only vacant by the will of the tenant?
A. Yes. Unless it happens that it appears that a stall is not paying sufficiently. Then a certain percentage is put on, and the stall-holders almost invariably accept anything of the sort.
The Chairman.--When in the opinion of the Registrar General's Department a stall is not bringing in as much as it ought to do he will put something on to the rent and give notice to the stall-holder?
A. Yes.
Q. On what principle or on whose advice does the Registrar General base his conclusion that a stall is not bringing in as much as it ought to do? Is he told by a competitor--by someone who wants the stall?
A.--He forms his conclusion very much by the way stails are letting whether certain stalls are paying less than they would pay if put up for tender. Occasionally, stalls change hands without tendering.
Q. How does that happen?
A.--Well, of course the Registrar General has power to do what he likes about it, and if a man dies sometimes the Registrar General considers it his duty to let the family carry on or let the brother take it up.
Mr. Maitland.--Are there any stalls leased?
A. Yes.
Q.-For a term of years ?
A. We can lease for a term of years and occasionally we do lease for a year.
Q. How many stalls in the Central Market are under lease?
A.-I cannot say offhand how many are leased for more than a month's time. Q.-About how many?
A.--I should say about 20.
Q.-Will
you see what your book says about No. 1 beef stall?
A.--It is put down as leased.
Q-Does it not say for what period?
A.--It is not stated here.
Q. What is the rent?
A.--$35.75.
Q.--Look at No. 5.
A. It is put down as monthly, and Lee Sing appears as the tenant, and he pays $10 a month.
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