CO129-421 - Governor Sir May - 1915 [3-4] — Page 559

:

NO 159.

27434

15 JUN 15

553

GOVERNMENT HOUSE,

HONGKONG. 30th. April, 1915.

'08

Sir,

13474

In continuation of my Despatch No. 38 of the

3rd. February and with reference to your Circular Despatch of the

19th. December, I have the honour to invite your attention to a further matter in connection with the question of this Colony's

adhesion to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at

Sea.

2.

Article 64 of the Convention, read in connect-

-ion with Article XLVII of the Regulations, requires a minimum

number of certificated lifeboatmen for each boat or raft, the term

"certificated lifeboatman" connoting a member of the crew who holds

a certificate of efficiency, to the effect that he has, among

other qualifications, the capability of understanding and answering

the orders relative to lifeboat service.

3.

I would refer you in this connection to Sir

6097 Frederick Lugard's Despatch No. 14 of the 16th. January, 1908, on

the subject of the introduction in this Colony of the provisions of

the Merchant Shipping Act, 1906, with which Despatch was enclosed

a memorandum by the Harbour Master pointing out, among other

matters, that the requirements of Section 12 of the Imperial Act as to language qualifications of seamen were not being adopted in

Hongkong, because practically the whole of the crews shipped in

this port were Chinese, of whom but a very small proportion had

any

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

LEWIS HARCOURT, M.P.,

&C.,

&o..

&c...