CO129-508-5 Supreme Court of Hong Kong- slackness of registry accounting methods 28-10-1927 - 23-4-1928 — Page 179

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the attention of the Court and that it is usual for the

party causing the arrest to provide funds for upkeep of the

ship; failing which application should be made to the Court

for directions. He further said that he did not know the

source from which the First Bailiff was getting the necess-

ery funds until June or July, 1926; that the arrangements

actually made by the latter were no concern of the Registry,

and that the Registrar had no power to give authority for

any advances to be made. As regards the date when Mr.

Melbourne says he first became aware of how the upkeep of

the ship was being financed, there is a difference between

him and Mr. Hill, First Bailiff; the latter asserting that

he kept the former informed of what was being done by him,

(0.42 of the Notes of Evidence).

10. It is obvious from this resume of the evidence

that there is a serious difference of opinion between the

Bailiff on the one hand and Messrs. Hisbet, Melbourne and

O'Sullivan as to the source from which funds for the upkeep

of arrested ships are to be obtained. On the other hand it is clear that owing to the difficulty there has been in

finding a purchaser for the s.s. "Ling Nam" a heavy responsibility was undertaken by r. Hill, First Bailiff, and that none of his superiors in the Registry made any

attempt to control his action in the matter or to inform

themselves of what was being done by Mr. Hill.

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11. So far as the s.s. "Ling Ham" is concerned, the

heavy expenditure has been incurred. The primary cause of

it has been the difficulty of finding a purchaser in the

present condition of business in the Colony. The appraised

value of the ship was first fixed at $270,000.00 but this

figure