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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, JANUARY 7, 1916.
APPOINTMENTS, &c.
No. 6. His Excellency the Governor has been pleased to appoint 2nd Lieutenant RICHARD JOHN STEVENSON, Hongkong Volunteer Reserve, to be Lieutenant, with effect from the 4th January, 1916.
6th January, 1916.
No. 7.It is hereby notified that the post of Assistant Medical Officer, Kowloon, has been rendered vacant by the absence of Mr. PALA DARA RAJ NAIDU without leave or reasonable cause, with effect from the 17th December, 1915.
7th January, 1916.
NOTICES.
COLONIAL SECRETARY'S DEPARTMENT.
No. 8. The following notice which appeared in the Board of Trade Journal of November, 11, 1915, is published for general information.
NEW ORDERS IN COUNCIL REGARDING MERCHANT SHIPPING.
The Board of Trade announce that owing to the increasing demands on merchant shipping in connection with the war, it has become necessary to take special steps to secure that an adequate supply of tonnage shall be available in case of necessity to meet pressing national needs.
With this object in view, two Orders in Council were made on 10th November, and their text is published on pp. 373-75 of this issue.* The first prohibits British ships from carrying cargo from one foreign port to another foreign port after 1st December unless licensed to do so. The second gives power to requisition ships for the carriage of foodstuffs and other necessaries.
The first Order lays down the principle that in this time of emergency British needs must have the first claim on British ships. It is not expected that it will be necessary to interfere with established services between foreign ports, and every effort will be made to avoid disturbing pre-existing business arrangements; but licenses must be obtained in every case in which it is desired to carry cargo in a British ship from one foreign port to another foreign port on or after 1st December, and owners and charterers concerned should apply at once to the Secretary, Ship Licensing Committee, Board of Trade, London, S.W. The members of this Committee will be gentlemen thoroughly conversant with shipping business, and Mr. Maurice Hill, K C., will act as Chairman.
The second Order gives power to the Board of Trade to requisition merchant ships in case of emergency for the carriage of foodstuffs and other necessary supplies to this country. This power will be exercised by a Requisitioning Committee of which Mr. J. H. Whitley, M.P., the Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons, will be Chairman. The Committee will be composed of gentlemen having close expert knowledge of ship- ping matters, and in order that the requisitions may not overlap, these gentlemen will so far as possible be the same as those who now advise the Transport Department of the Admiralty. The Committee's object will be to secure that tonnage shall be available in case of need for the carriage of foodstuffs, &c., and to prevent freights on such com- modities rising to prohibitive levels.
No. 9. The following Order of the King in Council is published for general information.
AT THE COURT AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE,
THE 10TH DAY OF NOVEMBER, 1915. PRESENT,
THE KING'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY IN COUNCIL. HEREAS a state of war exists between His Majesty and the German Emperor, the Emperor of Austria King of Hungary, the Sultan of Turkey, and the King of the Bulgarians :
W
* See Notifications Nos. 9 and 10.