TELEPHONE NO.
88 CENTRAL, LIVERPOOL.
FFICIAL.
The Merchant Service Guild.
(CAPTAINS AND OFFICERS)
13265
RED
Rec 22 4PR 06
*+
MSC
Ke+
SECRETARY: CAPT. JOHN O. MOORE.
ADURESS TELEGRAMS DOLPHIN, LIVERPOOL
The Arcade, Lord Street, Liverpool.
282
20th April 1900.
The Secretary of State for the Colonies
sir,
}
I am directed by the Guild to respectfully inform you that they have been strongly urged by Captains of merchant ships which trade on the Coast of China and on the Rivers there, to represent to you the necessity of instituting some Regulations requiring the Pilots more particularly Chinese Pilots sailing out of Hong Kong to show, before Licenses or Certificates are granted to them, a thorough knowledge of the Regulations for preventing collisions at sea. It is alleged that at present such Pilots are by no means adequately possessed of this essential knowledge for the safe navigation of British Merchant ships, and that consequently the Captains and Officers of these ships are at times placed in circumstances of extreme danger and difficulty.
The Guild have therefore ventured to represent the matter to you, as a result of which perhaps you would be kind enough to submit it to the Governor of Hong Kong for his notice; and they trust that this may be the means of something being done in the way of ensuring Pilots having, besides local knowledge,
a knowledge also of the Rules of the Road which are of such
great importance in manoeuvring vessels approaching each other.
I am, Sir,
Your obedient servant,
Why &. Monk
Secretary ·