Public Works coolies in the Eastern district continued troublesome yesterday, necessitating special precautions to be taken against disturbances in the Kashing Road and Wayside police districts. Some 200 of these workers, who are attached to the sewerage branch, are now on strike. The unrest is the outcome of the arrest of a former, coolie, in Yangchow Road on Tuesday, for alleged intimidation.
About 130 of the strikers assembled in MacGregor Road, near Baikal Road, at 8.30 o'clock yesterday morning to hold an indignation meeting. A squad of police from the Wayside Station went to the scene, but the attitude of the coolies became so threatening that the Reserve Unit led out. When the "red appeared, the strikers dis persed peacefully. One arrest was made.
Yesterday afternoon the strikers sent delegates to call on Mr. T. K. Ho, Assistant Secretary of the Municipal Council, It was reported that the men had vainly sought to interview Mr. Vu Ya-ching, who has mediated in many labour disputes in the past.
One of the reasons for the strike continuing was the changing of the coolies badges at the Sawgin Road Depot early yesterday morning, only about eighty of the 290 men being willing to make the change.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.