CO129-397 - Public Offices & Others - 1912 — Page 6

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Companies Department respecting the draft Companies

Ordinance of Hong Kong, end to state that they under-

stand from tais correspondence that the Hong Kong Chief

Justice mas decided that, under the laws now in force

at llong Kong, companies carrying on business in Shanghai

(and presumably in other Chinese treaty ports) are not

eligible for registration at Hong Kong.

In these circumstances the Board would be gled

to be informed whether it is proposed to legalise, by

the new Ordinance, the registration of such companies at llong Kong, and, if so, whether these companies, to be eligible for registration, will be required to com- ply with any conditions respecting Britis. management, British control, or British character generally. Tule Board also desire to know in what manner such conditions

would be applied to existing companies.

It will be understood that if such conditions are formulated, and if machinery is set up for securing that no company carrying on business in the treaty ports can be registered or can remain on the register at Hong Kong unless it is and continues to be a bona- fide British company, the amendment of the Merchant Shipping Acts with a view to conferring on such compan- ies the undoubted right of registering their vessels as British ships will be materially facilitated, and the Board consider it desiracle that this point of view should be explained to, and kept in mind by, the author ities in Hong Kong who may be discussing the registra- tion under the new Companies Ordinance of the Companies

in question.

I have the honour to be,

Sir,

Your obedient Servant,

Walter J.

Stowill

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