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27. Another, and rather novel, experience was gained during the year in connection with these Sunday permits. A "compradore order," having been tendered and accepted in payment of the fee, was on presentation by the Bank to the drawers refused acceptance, and the reason given was “First already paid." The order was afterwards passed on to the Crown Solicitor, and, I believe, with satis- factory results.
Compradore orders," however, are not now received in payment of these fecs.
28. The amount collected in fees during the year was $13,375, nearly double what it was in 1893. The intention of the Ordinance was, I believe, to put a stop, or nearly so, to Sunday work on board European vessels in the harbour, and the fee originally fixed was thought to be a prohibitive one. It is evident that it is not so, however, and, if I am correct in my surmise as to the intention of the Ordinance, I think the fee should be doubled.
SEAMEN.
29. 14,670 seamen were shipped and 15,835 discharged at the Shipping Office and on board ships during the year.
30. 239 distressed seamen were received during the year; of these 78 were sent to the United Kingdom, 1 to Sydney, 2 to San Francisco, 5 to Bombay, 7 to Calcutta, 4 to Singapore, 4 died and 131 obtained employment, and 7 remained at the Government Civil Hospital on the 31st December, 1894. $6,798.00 were expended by the Board of Trade in the relief of these men.
MARINE SURVEYOR'S SUB-DEPARTMENT.
31. Return No. XXIII shows the work performed in this branch of the Harbour Department, and in forwarding this, I desire to record my appreciation of the manner in which the work of this sub- department is carried out.
32. It is necessary that I should explain with reference to this return, that although the number of vessels surveyed during 1894 was less than in some previous years, the tonnage and horse power repre- sented by these vessels exceeded any former records.
33. I would further like to reproduce in this report extracts from a report made by me on the subject of the Government Marine Surveyors in a letter dated 14th June, 1892.
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"The duties of these surveyors, I am convinced, are very onerous, the inspection of boilers and engines, especially during the hot weather, being most trying.
"The conditions also under which these surveys are held at Hongkong are peculiar; owing to the 'short time that vessels as a rule remain in port. In order to save time, applications for survey are constantly received before the vessel's arrival, and it frequently happens that the completion of the "survey is the final act before she again leaves. They cannot even afford to wait for their passenger "certificates, clearances being frequently granted them by me on receipt of a report from the surveyor "that the requirements of the law have been complied with.
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"It is, therefore, most important that the work of surveying vessels should be carried on as expe- "ditiously as possible, and the importance of these surveys renders it imperative that the examination "should be thorough; in order to insure these conditions it is necessary that there should be an adequate and efficient staff. It will be seen from the report of Mr. DIXON attached hereto that the survey of a "vessel for passenger certificate occupies himself and his assistant 8 hours, spread over a number of "visits, about four. The time consumed, however, on this work is often considerably in excess of this 8 "hours, as the ships may be anywhere between the Hunghom Docks and Aberdeen. Other surveys
though not occupying so much time, in each case, are made under somewhat similar circumstances.
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There are four local Marine Surveyors carrying on business in Hongkong; in addition to these, "some of the steamship companies employ special surveyors for their vessels. The Government Marine "Surveyors practically do a very large proportion of the amalgamated work of all these, having at the
same time to so arrange that if possible there should be no delay or inconvenience to any one.
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No
easy matter in a place where, as may be expected, each owner or agent considers his own interest as "paramount,"
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These opinions expressed by me in 1892 I have to reiterate in 1895; the work of the Government Marine Surveyors goes on increasing, and "overtime and Sunday work are becoming more and more common. In 1890 the gross tonnage surveyed amounted to 168,098, in 1894 it was 204,623 tons.
Statistics issued by the Board of Trade show that, at Liverpool, during the eleven months January- November, 1894, there were 423 vessels surveyed for passenger certificate, with an approximate gross tonnage of 1,015,200 and indicated horse power of about 846,000. In the performance of this work I am informed there are no less than eleven engineer and shipwright surveyors employed.
During the same period at Cardiff the numbers were 169, the gross tonnage surveyed for passenger certificate was about 320,000 tons, and the horse power 140,000. At this port there are 6 surveyors.