D 2
13. 49 ships were registered under the provisions of the Merchant Shipping Acts and 17 Certificates of Registry were cancelled. Details are given in Tables XX and XXI. The fees collected amounted to $2,969.00 as compared with $1,119.00 in 1937.
14. 30,222 seamen were engaged and 29,227 discharged at the Mercantile Marine Office and on board ships as compared with 30,921 engaged and 31,725 discharged in 1937.
15. 223 seamen were received and admitted to the Sailors' Home and boarding houses, of these the following were repatriated as distressed British seamen :- 52 to the United Kingdom, 56 to Shanghai, 7 to Calcutta, 6 to Vancouver, 13 to Singapore, 2 to Aden, 1 to Malta, 1 to Marseilles, 1 to Kobe, 1 to Rangoon, 13 were re-employed in ships being signed on Articles and 70 obtained employment in the Colony.
16. $3,776.96 was expended by the Harbour Master on behalf of the Board of Trade in the relief of these distressed seamen.
17. The Mercantile Marine Assistance Fund Committee held one meeting during the year. Three cases were investigated, and five were granted temporary relief. One officer was repatriated to Singapore and the widow of an officer who died in 1937 was granted a passage home. The total sum disbursed during 1938 was $6,727.94, which includes $1,299.51 for passages.
18. A statement of the surveys and examinations carried out by the Government Marine Surveyor and his staff is set out in Table XXX. The vessels surveyed for passenger certificates totalled 97 of 407,428 tons gross as compared with 92 of 374,896 tons gross in 1937, showing an increase of 5 vessels and 22,532 tons.
19. 49 vessels were surveyed at Taikoo Dockyard, 39 at Kowloon Dockyard, one at W.S. Bailey's Dockyard, three at the Cosmopolitan Dockyard, four at Chinese shipyards and two at Japan.
20. The following is a comparison of tonnage and nationalities of the various vessels granted passenger certificates at Hong Kong during the year 1938.
British 83 vessels of 372,939 tons gross.
Norwegian 10 vessels of 25,145 tons gross.
Danish 3 vessels of 7,763 tons gross.
French 1 vessel of 1,581 tons gross.
21. Passenger certificates were issued for the following trades :-
Passenger & Safety.
International voyages 17
Short voyages 39
Coasting voyages 19
River Trade 24
Class III. River Trade 15
One vessel of 3,113 tons (gross) was surveyed and granted a bottom certificate during the year as compared with four vessels of 23,145 tons (gross) in 1937.
79 passenger vessels and 70 cargo ships were surveyed for radio-telegraphy certificates during the year as compared with 72 passenger vessels and 54 cargo vessels in 1937.
24. 74 vessels, of which 43 were British and 31 Foreign, were surveyed for emigration certificates during the year as compared with 95 vessels in 1937.
25. 39 vessels were surveyed for load lines during the year as compared with 36 in 1937. Of these, 26 were British vessels registered in Hong Kong and 13 Foreign.
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