Sir Montague Ommaney, K.C.M.G.
(2)
30/8/01. 111
The 200° Flash Point insisted upon by the Harbour Authorities is a wholly arbitrary one. As a matter of fact 150° test is equally safe, and the Liquid Fuel supplied under that test is far more efficacious, because raising it to 200° involves making the oil of a consistency of treacle, whereas it is of very great importance that it should be limpid and liquid.
At our instance, many steamship companies are now using Liquid Fuel, notably the North German Lloyd steamers navigating between Singapore and Bangkok, a very large proportion of the Koninklijke Paketvaart steamships navigating in the Netherlands India, and the Hamburg American Line have now built four steamers expressly for Liquid Fuel, running from Hamburg to the Far East.
As the oil which they receive in Singapore may not conform to the 200° test instituted by the Hongkong Harbour Authorities, these steamers would be excluded from using the Harbour, and would inevitably in consequence abandon the use of Liquid Fuel, to the very great loss of this company, and to the progress of a business destined to be of enormous benefit to shipowners generally.
It appears to us quite outrageous that the Harbour Authorities in Hongkong should seek for inquisitorial powers such as those asked for under the Ordinance of which we complain. In the Kerosene business our steamers have very frequently been delayed 24 hours, and on exceptional occasions even longer, pending the report of the Harbour Boards and Analyst. How grave a drawback this would be to an ordinary steamer, not allowed to enter the Harbour until an analysis of their bunker oil was made, you will, we are sure, readily realise, and we venture to