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materially alter the case except to favour my view, for the breakdown. or other delay might take place after leaving the last port of call when the ship would already have been several days out from her original Port.
The voyage from Hong Kong to Singapore is fixed for emigration purposes at 9 days, the direct distance is 1440 miles, there are several ports a ship might call in en route if she so pleases, but that would not absolve her from the provisions of the Emigration laws.
There is also, I venture to think, sufficient in the Consul's letter to satisfy that some safeguards are needed - 1,500 emigrants in a 2,100 ton ship for instance. The "Howshing" may have special accommodation for emigrants, but of all the ships carrying emigrants from Hong Kong lost or short voyages for the years, the largest number that any ship has been licensed for is 1250, except in the case of the S.S. "Parthia" which was specially allowed to be measured for space on a second deck, on account of exceptional accommodation, and even under these special circumstances she was only licensed for 1368.
These are the views of the Emigration Officer on the subject, I do not expect Messrs. Jardine Matheson & Co. to agree with them, nor indeed the Chamber of Commerce either,
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