CO129-523-6 Criticism of Hong Kong Administration 29-1-1930 - 3-3-1930 — Page 36

9.

36

people consulted together and were responsible for the design

of this particular boat, which was never intended to be

available at a moment's notice, but was constructed solely

to rescue shipping in the harbour during typhoons that and

nothing more.

wwws

Much as the "Hsin-wah" disaster was to be regretted,

it is not really incumbent on the Colony to provide craft

available at a moment's notice to deal with a mishap of this

sort. The shipyards do have tugs usually available at short

notice and they are perfectly capable of rendering in an emergency assistance of this nature.

While one realizes that Roard of Trade requirements

insofar as Hong Kong is concerned stand in need of considerable

revision, nothing will convince me that the vast amount of money

now being spent in this direction is really necessary.

British shipowners in China are in all conscience faced with

more than enough competition and if Board of Trade regulations

are too acutely tightened up, such will unquestionably react

on the British shipowner, particular as regards emigration

from China ports to say Siam. In this trade foreign shipowners

will have a distinct advantage over their British competitors

unless the Board of Trade exercises the greatest possible

care in legislating against their own Nationals.

I comment upon

this under Harbour because it is under this Department that

these surveyors are working. No one is foolish enough to

suggest that the Government are not quite right in doing their

utmost to make the regulations as effective as possible in

Hong Kong, and, while I believe the Authorities at home are

quite alive to the conditions which prevail and are prepared to

make things reasonably easy for the shipowner, the Harbour

Department, I am afraid, is not imbued with quite the same ideas.