CO129-534-3 Report of Retrenchment Commission 4-5-1931 - 19-2-1932 — Page 106

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would be taken from this work and employed on the ordinary

work of the department.

9.

The Commissioners consider that the Harbour Master was

wrong in his estimte of the staff requirements of the

Government Marine Surveyors department; and that as a result

of his wishes having been met the department is now over staffed

The Commissioners do not advocate the abandonment of the IA

certificate, but they are of the opinion after having heard

expert evidence of a number of witnesses both from the Govern-

ment Marine Surveyors' staff and private shipping and surveyors'

firms, that a reduction can safely be made from fourteen

surveyors to ten without the efficient carrying out of the

surveys of ships for IA certificates being in any way

jeopardised. The posts of Draughtsman and two Tapemen should

also be abolished.

10. It was said in the opening paragraph that too rigorous

regulations may discourage shipping from using this port.

An instance of this occurs in the case of survoys of Coastal

ships. Hong Kong has as yet no regulations of its own for

these, - for the promulgation of which provision is made in

section 10 ( 6 ) of the Merchant Shipping Ordinance. Draft

regulations have been drawn up and are being considered by

the Marine Surveyors' department. Meanwhile however an

attempt is being made to raise the standard required of

coastal ships to that required by the Board of Trade at home.

Were the Marine Surveyors' Department not over-staffed it is

probable that this would not have occurred. Publication

of the Hong Kong Regulations should be made as soon as possibl

11. The work of the Marine Surveyors' Department could be

lightened by having annual instead of bi-annual surveys in

the case of non passenger carrying launches, with the right

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