Sessional_Paper_1901 — Page 767

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Appendix A.

以便稽查有無瞞報之弊 一我等街坊宜求華民政務司將以前所誌之册抄出刊印成書使衆咸知

毆肆於本港者不能無觀望之虞 别店而債主莫奈其何故此貿易場中屢爲窒碍而翩埠之殷商富戶欲 一本港行店舖戶邇來報窮或逃匿隱諱紛紛不絕債賬未償則公然又開

如不遵依憲示立即懲究設法辦理 新報拆而不報明册房及登新報者該店遇有虧缺則仍作股東論 以後如拆股合股新張行店亦要在註册房報明幷限日內將情由登 東及正副司事人一概書明某府某某鄉或原籍現居均須註寫自今 一請由華民政務司署出示諭令自今以前闔港不拘大小行店均要將股

於初

得用堂名 同察之亦難知其確實至於報册則更難全名故以後報册必用人名不 一 内貿易如各行店多有初立合同時不以正名或用某堂等名雖以合

虧空銀兩罪重勢有不得已者也 主題得自認全店是司專人開設寕行賬免累東家何則以報窮罪輕

一各行店司事初報册時全無別意及至虧空銀兩之際捫心自問有虧東

輕東

互頭旣

一既將報之書詳細

鳥於股東開事人及闔港貿易大有裨益股東當

滯之虞矣 互相檢點則各掙來港貿易者更樂於深信如此信行相学則生意無阻 頭則生意銀兩安心相信計明司窮人里居姓氏者遇有虧:缺亦易稽查

1. Cases of

TRANSLATION.

the Masters of firms and shops in Hongkong, declaring themselves bankrupts or absconding,

or using false names in order to avoid detection, have been very frequent of late, not only do they refuse to

pay their debts but boldly open new shops, their creditors being unable to do anything. The result is that trade is much hampered, and wealthy merchants and families from other ports, though wishing to open shops in Hongkong, are deterred from doing so.

2. The Registrar General should be requested to issue a Notification ordering all shops at present in existence in Hongkong whether large or small, to register the names of the partners, the managers and assistant managers, the names of their villages, districts, and prefectures, or their original abode or present residence: the name of any one who withdraws from a partnership or is admitted as a partner : and all shops that are opened. This information should be duly reported to the Registration Office and published in the Press within a fixed time. If any one has withdrawn from a partnership without having made a report to the Registration Office or without having the fact published in the Press, he shall be still regarded as a partner in the event of the shop failing in business. Any person who does not comply with this Notification should be punished and steps should be taken to compel him to comply with it.

3. The Chinese Community should request the Registrar General to have a Register kept for general information of all those who have already registered, so that any evasion of registration may be detected.

4. In Hongkong, when a business partnership is formed, it is a common practice to use some fancy names (family hall names) instead of the personal names of the partners so that it is impossible to ascertain the real names of the partners when examining the partnership agreement.

In registering partners, it will be still more difficult to secure the declaration of the full names of partners. In future, therefore, the registration of personal names and not fancy names should be insisted

ipon.