8
time when the value of the dollar
about
was/2s/63d., and it does not appear
'to him unfasonable that the rates
should be increased to correspond
with the depreciation in the value of
the dollar. At the same time he
realises the importance of encouraging
the shipping of the Colony, and he is
forwarding a copy of the correspondence
to the Governor, for his information.
I am etc.,
(Siguel, WALTER D. ELLIS
Page
JOHN SWIRE & SONS LTD.
TELEGRAPHIC ADDRESS,
TEMSELOAF, FEN, LONDON.
My Lord,
Ri
29/11
8. Billiter Square. London November 28th, 1930.
ECS.
9
age 9
!
And.
تنا
Cobre to
bli.
(3
Hong Kong Colonial Taxation.
While the matter was still under discussion, you received representations in strong terms from all quarters against the increases in the pay of Hong Kong public servants, which were eventually forced through by that Government, and, beyond drawing
your attention to the attached newspaper cuttings, which show that
the feeling of public indignation still exists, we have no desire
to refer to that matter further.
The effect however of these increases on shipping, on which
the Colony of Hong Kong depends very largely for its existence,
cannot help being germane to the subject. The light dues are to
be increased from 2 to 4 cents a ton and the buoy hire from $8 to
$16 a day. As a result the annual expenditure of the China Navi- gation Co. Ltd. on these two services, which is about $31,000 and $13,500 respectively, and of the Blue Funnel Line, which is about $16,700 and $2,900, will be doubled. We speak as Managers of the China Navigation Co. Ltd. and agents for the Blue Funnel Line and we further understand that the Indo-China S.N. Co. pay about $12,000
and $7,600.
The cost of the Harbour Department as shown by the draft
estimates is for 1929 $314,000, for 1930 $339,000 and for 1931 $445,000 and, so far as we can make out, this increase is not due to expenditure on plant, but only to increase in salaries.
In
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age 9
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J. S. & S. LTD.
- 2
1
ge 10
10
28.11.30.
*
1921 the Harbour Department appears to have had 7 sterling paid officials and in 1930 17, while the figures for the Marine Sur-
veyors' Department are 4 and 14. While we realise that for the latter the Hong Kong Government is not primarily responsible, you will no doubt be aware these increases in staff have been strongly criticised by those in a position to speak from practical experi-
ence.
It will have been obvious to you for some time past from a
perusal of the public press in this country that British shipping in general is experiencing very difficult times. Owing among
other causes to the unsettled state of China and the fall in
silver British shipping in Chinese waters is suffering even more
and on top of all this came the restriction of immigration from
China imposed by the Straits Government in consequence of the
trade depression there, in which they seem to have taken particular care to give British shipping no advantage over foreign shipping.
We submit therefore that, so far from increasing the burdens
on shipping in however small a degree, this is a time for reducing
them, if only in the interest of the port of Hong Kong alone, and we must urge that, if salaries cannot be reduced again to a level compatible with the present resources of the Colony, the essential savings must be made by drastic reductions of staff and that the Retrenchment Commission should be actively pressed to find ways
and means of effecting this.
As showing that apart from shipping we have some stake in
the welfare of the Colony, we may mention that in Hong Kong alone
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