CO129-359 - Governor Sir Lugard - 1909 [12] — Page 162

OP Y.

со

3385

RECE

REG 2 FEB 10

Hongkong,9th.November,1909.

150

Notes by J. A. Hewett on the proposal put

forward by the Harbour Master that all Native Seamen should be

aigned on, or off, ship's articles before the British Shipping

Master and not before the Consul of the vessel, as heretofore.

f

So far as I can ascertain it is almost an

universal Custom for seamen to sign articles before the Consul

representing the ship's flag and not before the port authorities.

There are so far as I can ascertain only two exceptions to this

in the East,

P. & 0. 8. N. Co. All seamen sign articles at Northern Con-

-tinental ports, Marseilles, Egypt and Japanese Ports before the British Consul and no report is made to the local authoriti-

mes.

M. M. Cie. and all other French vessels at all ports sign their

men on and off before French Consul.

Nippon Yusen Kaisha sign all Japanese subjects before their

Consul. The Manager believes that "foreigners" are signed on in

England before the Port Authorities. The reason for this no

doubt is that the erews of the N. Y. K. vessels are usually

Japanese officered by British subjects. These latter would

naturally prefer to sign articles before their own shipping

Master, rather than before the Japanese Consul.

The French Consul informs me that in all

foreign ports all members of the crew are signed on before the

French Consul and that in all French Colonies and home ports,

British Seamen sign before their own Consul.

British vessels in the Philippines sign their man before the British Consul and no report is made to the

American Authorities.

In Tacoma and Seattle, British seamen sign

at the British Consulate, but an official from the American

Shipping Office is present.

The two exceptions mentioned above are (1)

the