Se
!
The Secretary,
Board of Trade.
sir,
JOHN
C
41647 lear
SWIRE AND SONS LIMITED,
8, Billitëř Square,
London,
E.G. 3.
10th March, 1921.
93
Wireless Telegraphy Act 1919.
The Steamers of our Company on the attached list appear to came within the scope of this Act and we wish to apply for their exemption on the following grounds;-
(1) Wireless will be practically useless to them station, as none of the local coasters Norwegian or British - carry it and
on their
Japanese, Chinese,
Hong
with the exception of a small wireless station Kong there are no shore stations available for general use. The Naval station at Hong Kong and those put and Peking by the French and Japanese. for political purposes up in Shanghai are not available for general purposes.
(2)
As none of our competitors of the above nationailities carry wireless, it follows that the adition to the already high Portage Bill of each steamer of at least from £37 to £66 per month in accordance with the employment of the vessel will be a very serious handicap. In addition to the operators for each steamer we should excese staff of 16%, as one of the general conditions of have to keep lan service in China is nine months lento after every five years.
-
(3) The pay of our officers and engineers · all British - is already A heavy burden, as it is much higher than the correspondeing pay on competing vessele and you will realise that in small vessels of this description any such addition to the high pay of the Europeans already on board falls much more heavily than in a large Ocean going steamer. The average pay per steamer of these men is about £195 a month, in addition to which there 18 the proper proportion of pensions, leave pay and passage money.
: I
(4)/