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Q.- -Have you noticed that in later years robberies by servants have been much more frequent?
A. Of late years we have been much better off than we were at one time. Gam- bling was responsible for much of the robbery by servants.
Q. Do you think that the public chair and ricksha employment has been the means of diverting many coolies from private employment?
A. Yes, I think so.
Q-Do they make better pay
?
A. Yes, I have totted it up and find that two men can make from $60 to $80 a month with a public ricksha.
Mr. Wilcox.-It seems incredible.
Witness (continuing).-They have offered one hundred dollars for a ricksha.
Q.-Then it would seem that the attractions of public vehicles are working aganst the supply for private purposes?
A. Yes.
Q. Have you thought of regulating the wages for chair and ricksha coolies?
A. Yes, I would have a tabulated list of wages.
Q. Do you think that, under the registration scheme, it would be practicable?
A.-There is this difficulty of course that some employers work their coolies so much harder than others and consequently pay them much higher. There are other employers that can't afford to give them the rate of wages that others do and a hard and fast rate might deter some people from obtaining coolies.
Q.-There is another thing I have thought of. The coolies at the present time, especially chair coolies, refuse very frequently to do any work not connected with the carrying of a chair. In many cases coolies are asked to do light duties such as water- ing flowers, picking up tennis balls, going errands, and perhaps sweeping up the veran- dah and doing little jobs about the house. In many instances they have nothing to do but take their master to the tram or down below and then take their mistress down in the afternoon. In such cases it seems particularly hard that coolies should refuse to do light work. Would you suggest, if the registration of coolies were recommended, that their labours be defined or the work that they are liable to be called upon to per- form be defined?
A.-I hardly think that is necessary, because the rule has obtained in Hongkong for many years that the chair coolies bring in water for the bath in the morning and sweep the verandahs and carry letters. It is an understood thing.
Q.-I know they absolutely refuse to do it sometimes; you know the old phrase "No b'long my pidgin"?
A. Yes; it has been more in vogue of late years than before.
Q.--Don't you think it would be better that with registration they should under- take to do a fair day's work for a fair day's wage?
A. You don't want to go into details with the coolies, but let them understand clearly that, in addition to carrying a chair, they shall do such duties as they may be able to perform when requested to.
Mr. Wilcox. Then there comes the question of establishing a coolie farmer. Would you suggest such a thing as that in order to bring coolies into the Colony to be available for employment? It might be an easy way of getting over the difficulty on the whole. The coolie would have to pay so much premium only.
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