CO129-476 - Acting Governor Claud Severn & Governor Sir Stubbs - 1922 [8-12] — Page 218

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of this Colony refused to endorse the Hongkong Government'a suggestion, and consequently the proposal was withdrawn and the second reading passed,

and hav

to

From & reference to paragraph 16 of the printed Petition it will be seen that the shipowners concerned have notwith- standing the payments made by the Hongkong Government sustained enormous losses, and our clients therefore submit that, having regard to the enormous losses which they have sustained, to the terribly depressed state of the shipping trade in the Far East to the enormous foreign competition which they had t contend with, it is only right and just that the monies now in the hands of the Government of Hongkong should be returned to the shipowners concerned. It will be noted from clause 15 of the Printed Petition that at the present two of the above ships have been laid up as the depressed state of the trade and keen subsidised competition will not warrant the working of them.

Our clients protest most strongly at the present attitude of the Government of Hongkong in passing the Ordinance in question so far as the shipping control scheme is concerned thereby making for themselves a defence to their action which our clients contend and they are legally advised the Government. would not otherwise have, Furthermore we would point out that the Hongkong Government are attempting to legislate in respect of ships registered in Shanghai and therefore foreign ships so

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