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signify what Company's steamer was to come alongside, and what berth she was to take up.
You will notice that I have allowed for a small police jetty and quarters, which will be found to the right of Sketch No. 3. There, I consider a berth for the fire float might be reserved and possibly on the other side accommodation for the new rescue tug. In such part of the depot would be your general control, your telephones, etc., etc., and everything necessary for the general management of the property.
Turning to Plan 3, I will explain how same would operate. In the first place, passengers leaving for a certain steamer would be advised by the Boarding House Keepers and runners and by signs, illuminated or otherwise, of what examination room to proceed to; they could come an hour, or two hours if necessary, before the departure of the vessel. You will notice that the two rooms on the right and left will accommodate 570 people each; that the outer room will accommodate 760 These numbers represent the sitting accommodation of the rooms, and in front of each seat has been arranged a low platform, some two feet high, on which each passenger would deposit their hand haggage. Within this well lit room, inspectors would walk along, open the packages, thoroughly examine them, search the passen gers and let them pass out on to the steamer for which they are destined.
At the corners of each pier will be found grilles which will entirely isolate the berth from other rooms, so there can be no possible confusion with regard to passengers going on the wrong vessels. You will also see offices arranged for the ordinary work connected with the depot, men's and women's lavatories, also a useful office for police. It would be necessary for this depot to be brilliantly lit and I would suggest that round each examination room a raised light gallery be built, round which an inspector could walk during the time passengers are assembled there, and from a position of vantage supervise the work carried out by his subordinates. The foregoing remarks deal with the departure of a vessel.
On arrival, the procedure is simply reversed, except that the examination would be conducted not only by Police but by Excise and a qualified medical officer, the latter as a preventive against passengers suffering from infectious discase passing into the Colony. A medical Officer's apartment has been provided,
I don't know gentlemen that there is anything I can usefully add in way of explanation, except to say that the plans have allowed ample room for the easy handling of passengers, and I would draw your attention to the vacant space between the first two rooms, which has been left there with a view to dealing with heavy luggage. This could be sent on ahead as is done by Europeans when travelling, stacked together, properly labled and examined in the same way as is done in most parts of the World, it could then be transferred to the steamer and locked up in pro- perly arranged baggage rooms.
I am hopeful that this proposal, if it is approved by your Chamber, may be the means of suggesting to the Public Works Department the basis of a depot which they can work out in exact detail, and I feel most strongly that some such organiza- tion will be of lasting benefit to the general control of the Harbour and may largely assist the various departments in regulating the passenger traffic of the Colony".
Nothing seems to have transpired in this connection until Mr. John Duncan presented his report on Harbour Improvements in December, 1924. In discussing improvements at West Point, he states in his report :-
"The underlying principle of this proposal is the control of river boat passenger traffic with a view to assisting the suppression of piracy, the Excise and Revenue Department in the searching of passengers and their baggage and the control of the spread of disease.
The scheme was discussed on the 15th July last in conference with the Hon. Mr. E. D. C. Wolfe (Captain Superintendent of Police), the Hon. Mr. A. E. Wood (Acting Secretary for Chinese Affairs), Mr. D. Lloyd (Superintendent of Im- ports and Exports), and Lieut.-Comdr. Hake (Acting Harbour Master).
It was ascertained that the scheme would not allow of any improvement on the present methods regulating the traffic concerned. Its introduction would meet with much opposition from Shipowners due to the fact that each steamer with cargo to