CO129-368 - Acting Governor May - 1910 [8-9] — Page 189

P Y.

Report on the Junk Traffic.

185

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As a Preamble to this report on the Junk Traffic and

before entering into the "Modus Operandi" I cannot do better

than to quote from the Memorandum addressed to the Government

on the 31st. March of this year by Mr. A. H. Harris, Commission-

-er of Customs. It reads as follows:-

"As regards the numbering and licensing of junks I

venture to think that there appears to be some con-

-fusion and duplication. Junks # may bear two numbers

and carry two classes of certificates. Certificates

arc issued at several offices and apparently without

relation to each other and without knowledge of the

class of Certificates already possessed and Junkmen

are only too ready to hide çertificates when it suits

their purposes. The undersigned suggests that every

Junk, certainly every Junk above a given minimum

size, should possess a "Birth certificate" correspond-

-ing with the number painted or better still Branded

on every such vessel. The "Birth or Registration

Certificate should only record essential particulars,

e.g. size, rig, owner, master's name, number of crew,

amount of arms carried, address of owner and of

guarantor, etc., the vessels history in brief and a

legal document required in case of sale, mortgage,

etc. Such a certificate is found, but not as yet

complete in every detail, in the Customs Pass Book.

This Book might be improved, renamed and adopted by

the Government and by the Customs jointly and serve

as a Register or Certificate which must always be

with the Junk. In addition to this Register any

Trading, Fishing, or other licence can be issued to

bear the same bumber as the Register and the issue of

which should be noted in the Register. The Register (and its corresponding Office Record) should only

be prepared and issued by the Central Office, the

Imports and Exports Office, but a subsidiary licence

could