Page 351
(Copy) F.7791.
HARBOUR DEPARTMENT,
Hong Kong, 10th June, 1895,
Sir,
I have the honour to inform you that I have this day engaged a Shroff, i.e., an expert in local coinage, for the receipt and paying out of Board of Trade money, at a salary of $15 a month.
2. I trust this appointment will meet with your sanction and approval as I propose to charge his wages to my Quarterly Accounts with the Board of Trade.
3. The custom out here is to pay largely by Cheque and Compradores Order, which entails the necessity of a trustworthy man to collect the money. Crews have to be paid in coin and the amount of spurious coin in circulation is very great and also of many Nationalities; hitherto the departmental Shroff has discharged these duties, but as he is secured only for departmental monies, I am of opinion that he could not legally be compelled to make good any Board of Trade losses; further, under new and altered conditions, he will not be able to do as heretofore.
4. The man I have engaged is secured to the extent of $1000 for Board of Trade money.
5.
Page 351
was removed and is added to delineate paragraphs, some minor spacing issues were fixed. The text is now formatted according to the given instructions.