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"3. It would be convenient if in your reply you would be so good as to nominate a witness or witnesses who would elaborate it orally as may be required."
The replies, which appear in Appendix I, to this letter may be summarised as follows:
Unqualified support for what is known as the "Minority Report", (see Appendix III), was given by Messrs. Butterfield and Swire, the China Coast Officers' and Marine Engineers' Guilds, the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce and the Chinese shipowners; and a qualified support, though in effect covering all the important points, by the Hong Kong Canton and Macao Steamboat Co., Ltd. The Hong Kong General Chamber of Com- merce forwards Mr. R. Sutherland's Searching scheme and various individual opinions of members of the shipping sub-committee. It makes particular reference in the covering letter to the possible conflict between the Piracy Prevention Regulations and the Board of Trade Regulations, and it draws attention to the value of Wireless.
The question of wireless and other signalling is dealt with exhaustively in Lt.-Comdr. Hole's memorandum (Appendix II). The suggestions made therein clearly deserve care- ful consideration by owners, so long as the installation of wireless telegraphy remains op- tional. The part of the Government should be to encourage such installation in every pos- sible manner, not the least important being the reduction of charges for anti-piracy mes- sages. But the Commissioners wish to go further and to recommend for the favourable consideration of the Government that the carrying of wireless telegraphy be made compul- sory on the lines of the enactments in force in the United Kingdom. They are of opinion that compulsory installations will quickly develop into a powerful and general anti-piracy measure, and the recommendation is the more readily made as it appears only to carry to its logical conclusion the suggestion contained in the letter from the Chamber of Commerce. The Minority Report is dealt with exhaustively in the memorandum by Lieut. Commander Pitcairn Jones, D.S.C., R.N., which forms Appendix III, and the Commissioners wish to record their concurrence with the criticisms and conclusions of that memorandum. The question of the possible conflict between the Piracy Prevention Regulations and the Board of Trade Regulations has been dealt with above under section V paragraph 1, and it remains to consider Mr. Sutherland's scheme and the opinions of individual members.
The Commissioners, whilst having a full appreciation of the care with which Mr. Sutherland's scheme has been elaborated, can but agree with the suggestion on page 35 of his memorandum (see Appendix I) that "the proposal as put forward possibly goes beyond the scope of your reference.
The Commissioners are concerned with the scheme solely 2$ an anti-piracy measure, and it is therefore only the improved searching facili- ties suggested that they have to consider. They note in the first place that the blessing given to the scheme by the Chamber is only a qualified one. The Chamber would welcome the practical development of such a scheme, with due regard to general con- ditions affecting shipping" (letter dated 10th March, 1924, from the Chamber of Com- merce to the Government)--- if it can be made to dovetail into existing shipping organisations without injuring economic working, the proposal has much to commend it". (the Chairman of the Chamber at the Annual Meeting on 24th March, 1924).--“This Chamber, on 10th March, 1924, informed the Colonial Government that it approved this proposal in principle and would welcome its practical development, with due regard to general conditions affecting shipping". (letter dated 11th February, 1927 from the Cham- ber to the Commission). The qualification is apparently due to the inconvenience and extra expense that may be caused to shipping by the necessity for steamers to move from wharf to wharf, if the proposal as to searching is to be carried out, since it is difficult to conceive how the provision of extra wharves and godown facilities, with which the re- mainder of the report is concerned, could occassion such apprehension as appears in these three quotations. This deduction is not a good augury for the success of that part of the scheme dealing with searching, which calls for the fullest co-operation of all concerned; but indeed the Commissioners doubt whether the scheme, even if completely developed, would have any appreciable effect in the reduction of piracies. The information in the hands of the Commission, and the description on pages 33 and 34 of Mr. Sutherland's memorandum of the methods of search employed by the Hong Kong Police, show that in this matter of searching Hong Kong is at least as thorough as any port on the China coast, and is more thorough than the majority. Piracies out of Hong Kong are comparatively rare, and there has been no case since January, 1924; while the Police search, aided by an efficient detective service ashore, has been definitely responsible for preventing more than one attempt. It would appear therefore that pirates already avoid Hong Kong,-