CO129-335 - Governor Nathan - 1906 [8-10] — Page 91

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Hongkong, 27th. June, 1908.

Hon: Mr. #. A. Hewett,

Chairman,

Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce.

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Chinese Baigration to Horeign Countries. Under the lmperial

Chinese Passengers Act of 1855, and the urdinance No. 1 of 1989, British

ships are prohibited from carrying Chinese labourers to Horeign Coun-

tries under contract service, and British migration ufficers at Treaty

Ports cannot grant a licence for a voyage of over thirty days Juration.

This constitutes a great hardship to British shipowners as

they cannot carry contract labourers to Mexico, Reunion, Vadagascar,

Cochin-China or other countries to which coolies are moving in consider-

able numbers, and consequently this business is confined to vessels

sailing under foreign flags. The laperial Act and the uriinances passed

were apparently enacted to meet special conditions prevailing in the

coolie traffic which were undoubtedly bad, and although the days of

coolie emigration sailing ships and low power steamers have long since

passed away, and the light of publicity is on all emigration, still the

obsolete regulations remain in force, and until the present Ordinances

are repealed or modifiel, British steaners cannot engage in such trans-

portation, and the whole business is thrown into the hands of the ship-

ping of foreign countries. Eritish ships besides are handicappel with

stringent regulations as compared with foreign vessels; still we are of

opinion that if the laws as regaris the transportation of contract

labour were molified, and Eritish vessels allowed to carry contract

labourers under proper restrictions, British shipowners would be able

to obtain a share of the business which they are deprived of under the

present laws.

Ae would mention a recent instance; the British steamer

"Powhatan" was chartered in London to carry 500 coolies from Noochow

to Santa Rosalia, Mexico. This enigration had the direction sanction of

the