It is provided that the income of the association will be derived by 9 Tew. of five cents per shift per rickshaw, by which sum the rick shaw rental charge to pullers authorized by tha Council may be increased by the owners, The lat return for permission to mal this Levy, are asked to pay to the association monthly $1.50 per rickshaw owned by them, a receipt for this amount to accompany the own-cer's application for renewal of the rickshaw licence. in granting licences the Council will give preference to those owners who agree to cooperate in the scheme. This extra authorized charge will be made simultaneously with the reduction of the authorized rental charge from owner to puller to one hundred cents (small money).
One of the earliest functions of the association will be to assist and finance the pullers to obtain pul ers' licences. Without such aid it is probable that many pullers would be unable to make application for! Ucences. It is believed that there fare other good uses to which the funds of the association can properly be applied in the initial stages. It is emphasised, however, that all sociation funds will be used for: the sole benefit of the rickshaw puller The net result of the Board's recommendations, therefore, is that the hire charge to pullers from August 1 will be 100 cents (small money) per day, plus a surcharge 10 cents (small money) per day, instead of as at present 140 (small money), so that the pullers will be 30 cents per day better off, plus the benefits that the association can'
Council for licences. There are, Rowever, good reasons for allowing the owners to have some say in the selection of the pulllers to be licensed, as they have to entrust their property to them and, further. by so. doing the Board ensures that a large proportion of regular pullers will be in a position to continue to earn a living. As a compromise, therefore, it was agreed to allow' owners to nominate three pullers per rickshaw, and the balance of the number required (say 10,000) be made up by direct _application from those not so nominated.
Tt may be added that the Rickshaw. Board proposes to establish! two depots for the licensing of pullers, one situated in Sinza District and the other in Hongkew. As soon fas the premises can be adapted the censing will begin. Private pullers will be dealt with first. Further, the Board hopes to acquire at early date and on favourable terms a lease of land suitable for erecting the Pullers' Mutual Aid association quarters in a district Feadily accessible to pullers, Owners and the Association 'The Rickshaw Board's scheme for! forming a Pullers' Mutual Aid sociation was explained to one of the larger owners at an interview which he had with the Board on June 15, As the Board wishes, if at all possible, to work amicably with the Owners' Association in bringing about the reforms decided fon by the Council, it was intended to explain the scheme of the Pullers' Mutual Ald Association to several of the larger owners before making it public.
Unfortunately, the immediate result of this confidence was the summoning of a meeting of owners at Which the surcharge was condemned as being inimical to the interests of the pullers and as being principally, directed to paying the expenses the Rickshaw Board. That this is entirely contrary to facts is proved by the explanation of the scheme now given to the press. Incidental by, it may be mentioned that at the interview mentioned the owner referred to expressed himself wholeheartedly in favour of the formation of the association and pledged himself, in so far as his own interests concerned, to ce-operate with the Board in bringing it about.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.