03
No 44.
Kupe
C.O
8317
6 MAR 14
GOVERNMENT HOUSE,
HONGKONG. 11th. February, 1914.
273
Sir,
BI
43661
I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of 73
your Despatch No. 3 of the 3rd. ultimo enclosing copy of a letter from the Board of Trade on the subject of the shipment from long- -kong of 98 Chinese seamen, borne on the articles of the S. S.. "Talthybius" for transfer to two other vessels belonging to the owners of the S. S. "Talthybius" as part of their crews. 774913
BT.
2.
In reply I have to inform you that your tele- -gram of the 16th. of January, 1913, was duly noted by the Harbour Linster who, being called upon for an explanation of the extra crews being allowed to sign on the articles of the "Talthybius", has reported that as the crews were for ships belonging to the same owner (and not for a different owner as in the case of the crew of the "Empress of Russia") and as the articles provided for transfer to those ships and as that practice has been long established by many precedents, it did not occur to him that objection would be taken to such practice and precedent being followed.
3.
I regret that the 2 crews referred to were ship. -ped without reference to Goverment and instructions have been
issued which will prevent a recurrence of the mistake. Such crews
Frill
HE RIGHT HONOURABLE
LEWIS HARCOURT, M.P.,
&c.,
&C.,
&C...