245
Tung
HEZIORANDUM
As dirested at the meeting of the Hong Kong Port Consultative Committee held on the 15th November, I have ascertained how the functions formerly controlled by the Harbour Master, Hong Kong are dealt with in a mumber of other ports.
2. There is a lack of wiformity in the allocation of duties and in the titles given to the officers controlling these functions, and for the purposes of this memorandum my enquiries have been directed to finding out which of the functions are controlled by the equivalent of the Harbour Haster in other ports and, where possible, to whom the residual functions are allocated. The information which I have collected is sumarised, very briefly, in the following paragraphs.
3. Londen. The Port Authority is not responsible for lights, navigational buoys er pilotage, but the view was expressed to me that these should be under the control of the Harbour Kaster, The Chief Harbour Master is known as the River Superintendent, He is responsible for soundings and surveys, the enforcement of the river by-laws inoluding petroleum and explosives regulations, mooring and berthing in the river (except at private barths), the examination of lightenmen and watermen, the surveying, measuring and registration of river craft (except barges and tugs covered by a Board of Trade Certificate), wreck marking, notices to marinors, advice to the management on intended encroachments or accommodations - and the collection of tonnage dues and pier and rivor tolls. Ho is not responsible for navigation in the approaches to the dock systems nor within the dooks, which is controlled by Dockmasters responsible through Dock Superintendents to the Chief Traffic Manager. Dredging and wreck raising, in pre-war times controlled by the River Superintendent, are now carried out by a separate department in accordance with the requirements made known by the River Superintendent. The River Suporintent ent and his Assistant Harbour Masters are precluded from acting as expert witnesses in collision enquiries without the express permission of the Fort Authority.
4. Liverpool. The Karins Surveyor and Water Bailiff to the Mersey nooks and Harbour Board has similar responsibilities to those of the River Superintendent of the Port of London Authority but in addition he is directly responsible for salvage, dredging, lighting and buoying. In view of the demage done to the dook facilities by tugs, the Board has recently obtained powers to license and survoy tugs and other river craft and to satisfy itself as to the competency of their orews. The Docks and Harbour Board is also the pilotage authority. The pilots are examined and licensed by a Committee set up for the purpose. Their employment is controlled by a Superintendent of Filots appointed by the Board, but the Pilots themselves are not employed by the Board,
5. Legos. The port facilities are controlled and operated by the Nigerian Government through a Director of Marine with a large technical staff. The Marino Department undertakes pilotage, towage, mooring, marine surveys, the licensing of boats and lighters, and maintains lighthouses, buoys and beacons.
6. Mombasa. The port facilities are controlled and operated by the Kenya and Uganda Railways and Harbour Administration, which is a separate administrative and financial unit responsible to the Governor as High Commissioner for Transport. The Railways and Harbour Administration is responsible for the provision of pilots, lights and buoys, and undertakes mooring and the registration, licensing and surveying of dhows; but is not responsible for the Mercantile Marine fumotions.
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7. Singapore. The Singapore Harbour Board is concerned mainly with the control and operation of the berths, quays and varenouse facilities in the harbour area. It is not the conservancy, lighting or pilotage authority. The principal officera of the Straits Settlements Government include a Kaster Attendant who is responsible for the Hercantile Marine (Shipping) Office, Registry of Shipping, Licensing of River Boats, Marine Court, Court of Inquiry, Licensing of Pilots, the operation and maintenance of lighthouses and the application of the explosives regulations. The Surveyor General of Ships is responsible for marine surveys, and an Immigration and Passports Officer is responsible for the collection of landing
The Director of fees and fines, and the issue of certificates of admission.
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