CO129-432 - Governor Sir May - 1916 [3-5] — Page 239

No 112.

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20261

¡REC

REG MAT TO

Sir,

B.T.

1330

Availa

GOVERNMENT HOUSE.

HONGKONG. 17th. March, 1915.

I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Despatch No. 21 of the 22nd. January forwarding for my ob-

-servations a copy of a letter from the Board of Trade on the subject of the manner of dealing with claims under the Workmen's

Compensation Act 1906 by dependents of Chinese seamen, and in reply to inform you that certificates of the nature referred to are occasionally issued to the Naval Authorities in Hongkong in con- -nection with Chinese employed in the Navy and there is no reason

why this practice should not be extended to other claimants so that no new arrangements seem to be required for Merchant Shipping.

It must however be pointed out that the

certificates have no pretence to finality, they are indeed only the conclusion which the Secretary for Chinese Affairs hos found it possible to arrive at after conducting enquiries. In order to make them final legislation would be necessary but I am of opinion that it would not in any way improve their real value and I see no reason why the present practice of issuing certificates for what they are worth should not be continued,

I have the honour to be,

Sir,

Your most obedient,

humble servant,

加

Governor,&c..

HE RIGHT HONOURABLE

ANDREW BONAR LAW, M.P.,

&C..

&c.,

&c...