CO129-329 - Governor Nathan - 1905 [7-12] — Page 69

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RrG 30 AUG 05

67

Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce,

hongkong, 17th. February, 1905.

I beg to inform you that the question of

the New Pilot Ordinance (No. 8 of 1904) has recently been again considered by the Committee of the Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce, and 1 have been instructed to lay before you the following facts in connection with the working of this Ordi-

-nance,

I would beg to remind you that the reason

the Committee of the Chamber originally requested the Govern- -ment to license pilots in Hongkong, was with a view to checking the growing evil of incompetent and ignorant native boatmen, boarding vessels outside the harbour and representing themselves to the Masters as competent to act as pilots.

It is hardly necessary to point out that this state of affairs not only caused at times considerable inconvenience and loss to ship-owners, but the risk of damage to valuable property and possibly heavy loss of life also influenced the Committee in approaching the Government with a view to having these incompetents weeded out.

There were however a number probably some 40 at least of Chinese boatmen who for years acted as pilots, bringing in and taking out of the Harbour the largest vessels visiting this port, berthing them alongside the wharves or docks, and generally performing the duties of pilots to the Hon. E. B. May, C.M.G.,

entire Colonial Secretary.