12. The nationality of crews in British and foreign shipping using the port is shown in Table VII.
13. 31 ships were registered under the provisions of the Merchant Shipping Acts and 13 certificates of registry were cancelled. Details are given in Tables XX and XXI. The fees collected amounted to $2,935.00 as compared with $2,969.00 in 1938.
14. 27,834 seamen were engaged and 28,096 discharged at the Mercantile Marine Office and on board ships as compared with 30,222 engaged and 29,227 discharged in 1938.
15. 151 seamen were received and admitted to the Sailors' Home and boarding houses; of these the following were repatriated as distressed British seamen:- 35 to the United Kingdom, 41 to Calcutta, one to Bombay, one to Colombo, three to Sydney, two to Melbourne, one to Durban, three to Vancouver, two to Manila and four to Singapore; 12 were re-employed in ships being signed on Articles, one taken over by the Danish Consulate, one taken over by the Naval Authorities, 42 obtained employment in the Colony and one died whilst in charge.
16. $4,056.96 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 no meetings during the year, all business being dealt with by circulating the necessary papers to members. Two cases were granted relief throughout 1939 whilst nine were given temporary relief for periods varying from three to six months. Two officers were repatriated to Australia. The total sum disbursed was $5,272.12 which includes $1,016.36 for passages.
18. A statement of the surveys and examinations carried out by the Principal Surveyor of Ships and his staff is set out in Table XXX. The vessels surveyed for passenger certificates totalled 95 of 403,773 tons gross as compared with 97 of 407,428 tons gross in 1938, showing a decrease of two vessels of 3,655 tons.
19. 53 vessels were surveyed at Taikoo dockyard, 35 at Kowloon dockyard, five at Cosmopolitan dockyard and two at Chinese shipyards.
20. The following is a comparison of tonnage and nationalities of the various vessels granted passenger certificates at Hong Kong during the year 1939.
British 79 vessels of 364,822 tons gross Norwegian 12 29,607 Danish 3 7,763 French 1 1,58121. Passenger certificates were issued for the following trades:-
International voyages 18 Short 42 Coasting voyages 19 River trade 23 Class III River trade 1022. Four vessels of 25,452 tons (gross) were surveyed and granted bottom certificates during the year as compared with one vessel of 3,113 tons (gross) in 1938.