CO129-274 - Public Offices & Others - 1896 — Page 57

54

example, and these are every year taking a larger

PiW JEAT lliw 8982R

vid or own. Y

BC.

y bowe

Altrid en vatnowdruni no amoldnoirenor ge Jun

Sorbora RSİƐavioli to samo

.030

share of the coasting trade, it might well happen

that the Norwegian Consular Agent was also the

Agent of the Steamer.

It is a growing practice for Chinese to charter

foreign steamers by the month. Where such steamers

are partly employed in carrying passengers, the

Chinese charterers will naturally give the prefor-

ence to the flag whose Consular representative

interferes least with the internal economy of the

ship.

Again it not, unfrequently happens that for one

reason or another a steamer that is really owned

by Chinese, is put under a foreign flag; and the

nominal owners and local agents of the steamers

derive certain profits from such transactions.

Any restrictions which would cause Chinese to seek

the protection of the German or Norwegian flag

would to some extent injure our interests in

China.

902 binaloD srt

If it is necessary to legislate at all, my

opinion