CO129-457 - Public Offices - 1919 — Page 406

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gers allowed, I very much doubt that any accident, due

Cossive numbers, has occurred in the history of the enig:

from this port, and I can assert that none such can be re

during the more than five years in which I have been connect,

with the emigration work. Nor have any representations with

regard to overcrowding reached me from ports where the British

regulations are in force, and a fortiori, none from foreign

ports, This must not be taken to imply slackness on the part of

the British Emigration Authorities, because, on the other hand, I

have had irregularities pointed out to me by Singapore, e. f.

when, on occasions, deck cargo has been stowed right up to the

rail, thus obstructing the scuppers.

1

In regard to the alleged irregularities in the measurements

of the s. 8. "Haimun", the Hongkong Surveyor's statement refers to

AMOY, so I can only hazard the conjecture that the Hongkong Sur -

veyor knew the "Haimun" as a foreign passenger ship, and was reas.

oning from that point of view, whereas, as a coolie steamer, she

was in a very different position. She would in that case carry

Chinese cabin passengers, and one servant to each, in the saloon

cabins, all of whom would use the poop deck for airing space, in

which case the inclusion of a portion of the shade deck in the

passenger space is quite justified. This is the proper place to

add that the statement that the floor space of cabins is measured

for passengers is incorrect. Cabin passengers are allowed one

servant sach, to be with them in the cabin.

The Hongkong Harbour Haster's insinuation that an inducement

is offered coast port surveyors to allow the ships an excessive

number of passengers, is, at any rate as far as this port is con-

cerned, without foundation or justification. The surveyor's

fee is not affected by the number of the complement, but is cal-

mulated on the tonnage of the ship, on the basis that the measure-

ment of a larger ship takes up more of the surveyor's time than

does that of a smaller one. Hitherto the Surveyor to H.M. Govt.

has always been employed to measure foreign, as well as British,

coolie