Sessional_Paper_1917 — Page 48

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We are agreed that the complete remedy is to be looked for in a very exact control of the Asiatic searchers, such as can be found only in sufficient and effective European supervision. Short of such supervision, the following suggestions seem to carry the control of Asiatic searchers as far as is possible:- 1. Searchers, either from the Captain Superintendent of Police or the Superintendent of Imports and Exports' department to wear uniform wherever possible. The District Watchinen not to be employed on searching.

2. The Cadet Officers of the department from which the searchers are drawn to make surprise visits as often as possible.

3. The notice, of which the following is a literal translation, to be distributed through Boarding Houses and wharves, and (where possible) ships :-

NOTICE.

HALLIFAX, Secretary for Chinese Affairs, in the matter of a notice :-

On no account should any policeman, revenue officer, or district watchman receive any money or gift on searching or on any other duty. If any policeman. revenue officer, or district watchman receives any bribe, and if any person bribes them with money or gift, both the giver and the receiver are guilty and will be punished upon discovery. All people should observe this. This special notice.

Dated the 17th March, 1917.

Notices as to S.I.E. permits are another matter and are hardly necessary in this connection.

4. Searching sheds (or at least counters) to be provided wherever possible.

5. Boarding House runners to wear distinctive marks.

(This matter is included in the new Boarding House regulations now being drafted by the Crown Solicitor.)

6. The attention of the Shipping Companies to be again drawn to the quantity of what is really cargo being taken as passengers' effects.

7. (A suggestion which may be considerably wider than the reference.)

To prevent double searching as far as may be, the Captain Superintendent of Police to confine the activities of his staff principally to exports, and the Superintendent of Imports and Exports of his principally to imports; exceptions being made when either department is dealing with special information received.

E. R. HALLIFAX,

Secretary for Chinese Affairs.

C. McI. MESSER,

Captain Superintendent of Police.

R. O. HUTCHISON,

Superintendent, Imports and Exports.

17th March, 1917., .