CO129-508-5 Supreme Court of Hong Kong- slackness of registry accounting methods 28-10-1927 - 23-4-1928 — Page 49

•

until the 27th November, 1926, at $80,837.91. This sum includes wages and provisions fr the crew retained on board and a claim by the Master, Captain Weston, in respect of his services from the date of his obtaining judgment against the ship until the 27th November, 1926. These figures became of the highest importance when it is realized that the gross proceeds of sale are unlikely to

exceed $150,000.

At the end of June, 1925, the master informed the

First Bailiff that he had not the means to pay the crew of fifty eight men or to provide supplies for them. It is understood that the owners of the ship reside in Peru and that they had not at that time any representative in the

Colony other than the master.

On or about the 7th July, 1925, an arrangement was

made by which the Hong Kong & Whampoa Dock Co. and the Asiatic Petroleum Co. (judgment creditors) put up $2,068.26 for wages of the crew for the period 18th June to 17th July This money was paid to the First Bailiff and duly disbursed by him.

The First Bailiff says that Mr. Melbourne, then Acting

Registrar, was consulted as to this arrangement. Mr.

Melbourne says that he has no recollection of being so

consulted.

From that time onward, until quite recently, the

judgment creditors furnished no further funds for the wages

of rationing of the crew.

On the failure of the judgment creditors to supply

funds the First Bailiff arranged for the Auctioneering &

Brokering Co. Ltd., who at that time were conducting the

bulk of the auctions for the Court, to supply funds for

wages of the drew. As the Company was at the time eerry