CO129-328 - Governor Nathan - 1905 [1-6] — Page 572

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Ordinance it is customary here to appoint three Masters of

the Mercantile Marine as Assessors.

3.

The contention of the Guild that

the Marine Magistrate's Court should have on it one person

or more familiar with the details of Merchant Ships is met

by the fact that Captain Barnes Lawrence who has 36 years

experience of a Mariner's duties holds a Master's Certifi-

-cate and has served in the Mercantile Marine. The compe-

-tency of an Officer with these qualifications to deal

with a breach of the rules of the road of the nature re-

Gov

-ported in my Despatch No. 32 of the 8th. February can

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scarcely be questioned in good faith.

4.

With regard to the respective

responsibility of the Captain and the Pilot referred to in

the second paragraph of the Guild's letter, I have to

point out that the person known on the "Wing Chai" as the

Pilot was an unlicensed and uncertificated member of the

crew of that Ship to whom no responsibility whatever could

attach.

5.

I still hope that the Merchant

Service Guild will see fit to express their regret that

they should have been led to make the statement, to which

considerable publicity has been given, that "the decision

of