Nox CONFIDENTIAL.
Sir,
GOVERNMENT HOUSE,
2°
HONG KONG,
8
17th April, 1934.
I have the honour to refer to my despatch
No.257 of the 17th April, 1934, forwarding for the
signification of His Majesty's pleasure an Ordinance
intituled "An Ordinance to amend further the Railways
"Ordinance 1909".
2.
Section 5 of this Ordinance represents an
attempt to deal with difficulties which have arisen in
connection with the admittedly anomalous position of
the Chinese Maritime Customs Officers exercising their
functions at the British terminus of the Railway. It
is an obvious convenience to all concerned that passen-
gers to Chinese territory travelling by through expresses
should be able to pass their baggage through the Customs
before boarding the train; and facilities for this are
provided for in the Railway Working Agreement. At the
same time it is clearly undesirable that a foreign
organisation operating on sufferance in British Territory,
should be given power to confiscate articles placed upon.
the train without payment of duty. With the increase in
the Chinese tariff and the consequent growth of smuggling
into China the number of such articles discovered has
increased.
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
SIR P. CUNLIFFE-LISTER, G.B.E., M.C., M.P.
&c.,
&C.,
&c.