Sessional_Paper_1901 — Page 813

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of the earnings of public and private coolies would tend to drive public vehicles off the streets, because we think that the earnings still procurable in Hongkong as compared with the earnings procurable in China, would continue to attract Chinese from the main- land.

24. It appears to us that the community's independence of private coolies' services would be aided by the establishment of a larger number of chair or ricksha stands or ranks. Take the Peak as an example. If stands or ranks for chairs were placed at such points as Plantation Road Station, underneath Craigieburn and at the bifurcation of the roads round Mount Kellett, it is obvious that this convenience would render Peak residents more or less independent of private coolies.

It would also aid in the same direction if the chair stand at Victoria Gap were on the public telephone system. An English-speaking Chinese should be put in charge who should depute certain chairs to go where wanted. The number and destination of the chair should be entered in a book kept by the Chinese in charge, and complaints of non-compliance with telephone messages should be sent to and investigated by the Captain Superintendent of Police.

25. We surmise that private coolies occasionally elude the vigilance of the Police and succeed in acting as substitutes for public coolies, or themselves employ what look like private rickshas in soliciting fares.

26. We recommend that the Police, when on ordinary duty, should more fre- quently, and especially at night, require chair and ricksha coolies to show their licences, and should arrest and charge all who do not produce their licences, or who produce licences not bearing the photograph of the person producing it,

27. We strongly recommend that one or more members of the Police Force, who might be called Inspectors of Public Vehicles (as there already is an Inspector of Weights and Measures) should be appointed and detached to exercise special supervision over all licensed public vehicles and coolies whilst they are plying for hire in the streets. These Inspectors should have travelling allowances and should be here, there, and every- where, calling on all kinds of vehicle coolies to produce their licences. This proposal is not intended to be in substitution for the recommendation that the Police on ordinary duty should constantly call for and examine the licences. It would be an additional help, we think, in cases where an unlicensed person is found plying a licensed vehicle, to make the licensed drawer, driver or bearer also liable to be heavily punished.

28. It appears from the evidence that the Chinese generally do not wish that any steps should be taken to register or otherwise control coolies in their employ: therefore, we have no recommendation to make on this point, though we venture the opinion that they will be likely to share in any benefits which may result from the adoption of our proposals.

29. If on consideration it is thought desirable, we see no objection to placing in the hands of persons approved by the Government the business of supplying private chair and ricksha coolies at a given rate of wages, and in accordance with a scheme submitted to the Government on 2nd August, 1901, by the Captain Superintendent of Police and annexed as Appendix G to this report. The rate of wages set forth in that scheme, however, might, in our opinion, be reduced, if the legislation and the remedial measures which we have submitted, are carried into effect.

30. Nevertheless, we are of opinion that our proposals, if carried out, might render a resort to such a scheme unnecessary, and that the market could be supplied without it.

31. As the preamble of the Commission issued to us recognises the existing difficulty of procuring and retaining reliable private chair and ricksha coolies, and we are of opinion that that difficulty, if firmly faced with a determination to remove it,