No. 186
Hongkong.
Enclosure, Concluded.
Enclosure 2.
(Duplicate, with 10 spare copies) 27th April 1904.
Government House,
Hongkong, 2nd May, 1904.
628
2
Sir,
I have the honour to transmit for the signification of His Majesty's pleasure Ordinance No. 3 of 1904 entitled "An Ordinance to provide for and regulate the employment of Pilots", and the Attorney-General's Report thereon.
This measure is the outcome of considerable correspondence with the Chamber of Commerce supported apparently by local Shipping interests. Its object is to provide for exercising control over persons acting as pilots in the waters of the Colony. There is at present a so-called pilot service but the men who ply for hire as pilots are not licensed or qualified in the sense of having passed any examination or having received the approval of any competent authority. Pilotage is not made compulsory but it is hoped to secure by this measure that persons offering themselves as pilots are properly qualified for the duties which are not at all difficult in these waters.
The Ordinance is a concession to the wishes of the Shipping Community, and practically entails no responsibility on the part of Government.
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
ALFRED LYTTELTON, K.C., M.P.,
&c.
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