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To the Hon. Francis Henry May, G.M.G.
11.12.06.
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provisioning, fumigating, etc., etc., being carried out in Hong Kong before proceeding North to embark Emigrants, a procedure involving the landing of all Repatriates in the Colony or its neighbourhood for a greater or less time as may be the case.
As emigration to South Africa has been almost completely confined to Northern Chinese whose time for Repatriation now falls due it is naturally in the best interests of this Agency to return such to their original ports of embarkation, Chefoo or Chinwangtao, by the shortest and most direct route.
With these ends in view, therefore, I have, on behalf of the Chamber of Mines, the honour to submit for consideration an application that His Excellency's Special License may in future be issued at Hong Kong to the Transport in question on her outward voyage to Durban after having been North, instead of, as at present, previous to her coming North, thus necessitating her calling at Hong Kong twice.
It is understood that every Regulation in this respect and required by other sections of the Ordinance in question shall have been duly complied with, and as regards the essential fumigation a certificate that this has been carried out in the North will be produced at Hong Kong attested to by a qualified Medical man. I may here mention that each Transport is equipped with a Clayton Dis-infecting Apparatus.
With regard to the Hong Kong Passengers' Certificate granted under the Hong Kong Merchant Shipping Consolidated Ordinance of 1899, No.36 Part 3, Clause 10, Subsection 19, I understand that the following ruling was given through Lieut. Vells to Mr. Kempster, one of the Managers of our South African business who lately passed through Hong Kong on his way from South Africa to North China, by the Harbour Master, after consulting the Acting Colonial Secretary,