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B
VED
The petition of Cheung Yuen, Chairman, of the New Territories Unemployed Chinese Seamen's Association, No. 34 Jordan Road, ? Kowloon, in the Colony of Hong Kong, praying that adequate measures be adopted for the relief of members of the said Association who in time of emergency, especially during the great war in 1915, have rendered their most loyal services to the Colonial and Home Governments in face of greatest personal risks and in con- sequence many of their fellow-workers or forebears have sacrificed their lives in the cause of the British Empire.
Sheweth:
Your humble petitioners beg most respectfully to submit that the local gentry in the New Territories have, in view of the number of the unemployed seamen there having reached to a proportion of no less than 80% of which nearly one half are unable to keep their body and soul together, viewed the situation with most grave con- cern some time about October last, and addressed the Government on the matter with an appeal for urgent relief to the miserable mem- bers of the Association that have been thrown out of work through the recent trade depression and some other causes. Thanks to the Government and the various officials concerned a system has been adopted by issuing Certificates of Nationality and Identity to the Colonial seamen of the Chinese race to enable them about 1,000 in number to get employment in priority to the non-British subjects. To their surprise, not only the private-owned shipping companies refused to co-operate with the Government by employing holders of such certificates, but even those vessels which are more or less under the influence of the Government, such as those of the Bank Line, Government tank-vessels, tug-boats, and vessels of the Royal Navy, gave no encouragement for the employment of such Colonial Seamen.
Your humble petitioners beg most respectfully to draw the attention of your Honour to the fact that the members of the above Association, after spending a sum of between
sum of between $8 and 89 each for such certificate,
$9 earnestly expected that they might sooner or later enjoy the privilege of being employed in preference to those coming from the interior of China who have had no property in the Colony and would in case of emergency clear away when called upon to render any service to the Colonial or the Home Government.
Your humble petitioners beg most respectfully to point out that in 1915 when the great war broke out all seamen that were non-British subjects, were scared by the war risks and deserted their ships upon arrival at the Colony. At that time, not only merchant ships were unable to move about on account of the shortage of a crew, and had to lay up idly, but even transports, hospital ships, and men-of- war of the British Government (which were originally manned by a British crew, who being called away to the front was subsequently replaced by the Chinese) had to enlist inexperienced hands to fill up vacancies caused by desertion. Such inexperienced hands were, however, found to be incompetent for the service, and Mr. A.E. Wood, who was then the Assistant Secretary for Chinese Affairs was called