Sessional_Paper_1901 — Page 959

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I would point to the example of the manner in which public chair coolies get licensed. Hardly any of them have even the small capital necessary to own and ply a chair of their own. They look to headmen to supply them with the chairs, their photographs and their licences. These headmen are the licensees of the chairs, and it is the same with the public jinrickshas.

The system which I sketched in my memorandum of the 2nd August would give a more complete control, but the next best thing to it is licensing without a monopoly of the supply of coolies.

To forestall a possible strike, some one or two of the present headmen of licensed coolies could be easily influenced by the Acting Captain Superintendent of Police to

· undertake to induce a number of the coolies who are in the Colony to submit to the licensing, or to bring into the Colony and get licensed a number of coolies to take the place of the strikers.

Once the ice was broken, the licensing would go on smoothly, if a firm front were shown.

His Honour

SIR,

pay

Mr. Justice SERCOMBE SMITH,

Chairman of Commission to enquire

into licensing of private coolies.

APPENDIX I.

I have the honour to be,

Sir,

Your obedient Servant,

F. H. MAY.

Chief Detective Inspector Hanson's Memo, to Mr. F. J. Badeley, Acting Captain Superintendent of Police.

CENTRAL STATION,

23rd September, 1901.

I have the honour to submit the following details, the result of enquiries about the

of chair and ricksha coolies in the private employ of Chinese residents :-

-:

(1.) The master of the "Hang Yuen" tailors' shop in Queen's Road Central pays for chair and/or ricksha coolies $10.00 each per month and lodges them.

(2.) Mr. Ho Fook, Compradore of Messrs. Jardine, Matheson & Co., pays four chair and/or ricksha coolies $9.00 each per month and lodges them. He supplies them with oil and firewood.

(3.) Mr. Fung Wa Chun has four coolies. Two old hands act as house- coolies in addition to being chair coolies and get free board and lodging and $9.00 each per month. The other two, newer hands, get $9.00 each per month and free lodging but not board.

(4.) The Yan Wo Co. pays two coolies $6.50 each per month and free board

and lodging.

(5.) Mr. Li Tsz Ming, a rich man living at "Greenmount," pays two coolies

$6.00. each per month and provides free board and lodging.