367
(Copy) .1172.
2603
Puckhurst Hill;~~?
12.1.07.
To Assistant Secretary,
arine Department,
7, Whitehall Gardena, S.V.
Sir,
#%*
*elbourne
I have yours of 11th instant returning a Age". The account in that was to support the idea of my first letter(to the President of B.of T.) in favour of proposal to let seamen of British Ships have a spokes- man in Shipping Office .
The Hong Kong Shipping Master's methods which I mentioned were not, I am aware, evidence, but were ad- duced to support the proposal, and of coursefimplied that if my statement could be verified it should be seen
to.
:
I consider your proposal to send my letters to Governor Nathan of Hong Kong a cood may to discover the custom I aver. I have a great belief in him, as a far seeing and fair seeing man. His brother, "olonel Nathan, saw ne during the stress of the first Chinese Transvaal Coolies' selection in Tientsin in 1904(June) and car estimate my accuracy. Taturally I do not want my friends implicated and should prefer that evi- dence be sought from all Ships l'asters, Captains trading, and shipping or discharging crews, in Hong Kong.
The custom seems to be accepted as natural in the East, and gives Captains ease of which this following
was an example I knew of: Captain Jennings of £.S."Ikbal" in June 1904 had to send home his white crew(by a blue funnel boat). He "as in great anger because the Ship-
ping Faster opposed him, and declared that he would not
ever come on his ship. On the next trip the new Cap-
tain (Robertson) who had succeeded on the death of
Captain
eas
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