COPY.
Enclosure No.“ to Governor's Despatch No.407 of the 14th October, 1901.
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce.
Hongkong, 12th July, 1901.
129
Sir,
I am instructed to draw the attention of the Government to the hardship entailed on shipping by the difficulties placed in the way of vessels requiring sand or stone ballast, which are now so serious that they are either put to great and entirely needless expense or compelled to clear without ballast on account of the delay experienced.
Under the present system, application has to be made to the Public Works Department for a permit, and frequently a considerable time elapses before this is obtained and the stevedore receives authority to load ballast at some out-of-the-way place where stones are scattered and scarce. Junks are then sent to this spot to collect the ballast, and as a rule from date of application fully four days pass before it can be placed on board. A practical royalty of six cents per ton is charged by the Government, and, owing to the remoteness of the beaches prescribed in the permit, the cost of loading has advanced from 40 to 80 cents to about $1.40 per ton. The loss caused by detention of the vessel is of course still more serious, and entails positive loss and grave inconvenience on the shipping interest.
As an example of what takes place, I may mention the case of the troopship "H. A. Meier" in March last. Although application was made to the Public Works Department on the 7th of that month, the Agents were unable to get a permit to load ballast in time, though the steamer did not arrive until the 13th, and eventually she had to leave on the 14th idem without ballast.
The Committee respectfully submit to His Excellency the Governor that in matters relating to shipping, time is necessarily of first importance, the loss by demurrage being very heavy. In a harbour of first-class importance, everything possible should be done to facilitate the movements of shipping, both in order to protect the interests of trade and to maintain the reputation of the port for freedom from obstruction as well as from duties. My Committee would therefore venture to suggest, in the interests of the port and the Colony, that the Government should frame some regulations rendering it easy to obtain ballast and sand from places near the harbour at a reasonable cost and without any delay. Taking into consideration the fact that there is no lack either of stone or sand in the Colony, there should be...
The Colonial Secretary.