CO129-405 - Public Offices - 1913 — Page 448

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Shanghai to an Imperial officer there, with Sir H. May

and Sir W. Rees Davies, both gentlemen were in favour

of this course, mainly in view of the expense which the

appointment of an officer from Hongkong will entail,

but also in view of his duties which will be the better

done for a certain amount of local knowledge. It 18

certain that an officer who had nothing to do but look

after companies and register them would sit idle for a

large part of his time. The importance of having an

officer who would devote considerable attention to the

conduct of companies in this country has been rightly

insisted on by Sir E. Fraser and Mr. Bourne and I do

not see how the control of companies foreshadowed in

the despatch, No. 155 of the 23rd December, can be

attained without him.

4.

I am not sure what is the object of this

article. I take it that it is designed to confer in

China on this Supreme Court the powers exercised by

the Supreme Court of Hongkong in the Colony. As it

stands it would deprive Provincial Courts of their

mary jurisdiction, which ought to be preserved,

and

aibly the Registrar sitting in summary jurisdiction.

If