- 2.
50
chartered to a Singapore Chinese Firm, the Hong Sing (?), whose agents in Hong Kong are the. Fu Nam (?). The
chartering was done by cable through Mr. G. Grimble.
Presumably the charterers knew nothing at this time
about the possibilities of trouble in Swatow over the
crew. The charter was a time charter, six months, between
Rangoon and Vladivostock.
The Seistan passed through Hong Kong northward s
early in this month, leaving for Swatow on September 5th.
She took with her the representative of the charterers,
surnamed Ko. In Swatow, the Union repeated their demand for the change of crew threatening boycott in case of
refusal; and on this occasion the Captain states that the
demand was for the new crew to be Seamen's Union men
supplied by the Union. He wished to retain his head
steward, and the Union representatives referred the matter
to a meeting, at which it was decided that the steward
could not be retained; the demand of the Union covered
every Chinese individual of the crew, excepting only the
charterer's compradore staff who had been put on at
Singapore. Incidentally it appears that these are Swatow men.
The China Traders and Ko then signed a Chinese document
agreeing with the Union to change the crew, and to take as
a new crew the nominees of the Union, Seamen's Union men.
Of this document also no copy was taken, and the original
was left with the Union in Swatow.
The ship then left for Hong Kong with her
original crew; it was intended to make the change in the
Colony during the few days the ship had to be in dock transferring from coal to oil fuel. She was followed by a letter from the Union in Svatov, on paper with the heading "Chinese Seamen's Union, Swatow Branch" and bearing
a chop (imperfect) to the same effect, saying that the new
crew