CO129-458 - Public Offices & Others - 1919 — Page 243

Any further communication on this subject should be addressed to-

The Secretary,

Ministry of Shipping,

St. James's Park,

London, S.W.

and the following number quoted,

MINISTRY OF SHIPPING,

18th January 1919

CO

3928

231

L2A/71508/19

Sir,

RECE

E. 20 JAN 19

1

I am directed by the Shipping Controller to refer to the recent decision under which the system of requisition, applied to Liner vessels by the terms of the Imperial Liner Requisition Scheme, will be removed at an early date. Under this decision, the vessels in question will revert to the management of their owners subject to certain conditions regarding reservation of priority over space for Government cargo and its carriage at rates not exceeding the Government stores rate now in operation and to the retention of a system of licence and direction to be exercised by this Department.

In view of this decision, I am to point out that the arguments put forward by this Department in the letter of the 28th September 1917 in support of the inauguration of a scheme for the management and control of the Coastal and other Trades in Indian and Far Easter Waters, will not hold good after the 1st March 1919. I am to suggest, therefore, that it would be desirable that the attention of the Governments of Hong Kong and the Straits Settlements should be drawn to the fact that

the release of vessels under the Imperial Liner Requisition

Scheme

begin to take effect a an early date and that in

the circumstances, they should consider the desirability or

otherwise of continuing the Local Requisition Schemes which they put into operation in relation to the classes of vessels Under Secretary of State,

COLONIAL OFFICE,

contained

London, S..l.