B.
56
landed without inspection, and without leave. The master
of the ship thereby committed an offence under Section 1(5)
of the Act. The Immigration Officer subsequently became
aware of this occurrence and drew the attention of the
Company to the matter; but in the circumstances of the
case it was decided not to take proceedings against the
Company.
It is, no doubt, to the communication from the
Immigration Officer just mentioned that the Company refer
in their letter of the 12th December last, but they
apparently fail to appreciate the situation. They suggest t
that in order to escape inspection under the Act they will
decline to carry in future more than two alien distressed
seamen. A deliberate proposal such as this to evade
inspection is improper in itself and in this instance
meaningless, seeing that, as explained above, the inspec-
tion under the Act, though applicable to such distressed
seamen, places no hardship or liability upon the Steamship
Company. There is no reason to doubt that if the
seaman in question had been duly submitted for inspection
they would have been given leave to land,
I am,
Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
(Signed) E. BLACKWELL.
zas.