Extract from the South China Morning Post,
Saturday, August 1st, 1931.
Distortions.
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Two prosecutions during the week have given rise to a good deal of discussion, and criticism of the authorities is somewhat contemptuous. In one case the master of a Macao steamer was fined for failing to observe the rule of the road, in that he did not give way to a 'sailing ship", the said sailing ship being a small yacht. In the other case a well-known firm (Watson's) was summoned for not entering into its Poisons book a sale of some tablets containing a poisonous substance. As though to provide a contrast, there has, simultaneously with the reports of these cases, appeared in the newspapers protests against an assault committed by a policeman who, insulted by a young Chinese cyclist, slapped him. commenting upon these cases, the declaration must be made at once that law must be upheld, and right-thinking people sympathise with the authorities in their difficulties of enforcement. At the same time cases like these suggest a distorted official perspective. With so many major evils uncorrected, so many criminals at large and active, so many exploiters battening on the Colony, so many selfish people breaking laws in complete disregard of public health, comfort, contentment and justice, the harassment of people who, in the things that matter, conscientiously try to be law-abiding, arouses the deepest resentment. It may be necessary to remind Master Mariners of their responsibilities in sea traffic, but if ships are to be held so closely to the letter of the law that they must be compelled to avoid every sampan that appears, shipping will be seriously handicapped. Within the harbour, steamers have to a certain extent, right of way, and the same licence should extend to a reasonable area in the vicinity of the Colony. At the very least, some discretion should be left to navigators and some reliance placed upon their judgment; and if no accident occurs the issue of a summons, in circumstances such as those disclosed in the case under discussion, is scarcely justifiable. If officials of the Harbour Office desire to bring about reforms, there are other and more important needs than preserving the dignity of yachtsmen. There are ships which smoke like factories, fouling the air and adding to the ill-health of the Colony. There are ships which strew the harbour with refuse and dress the salad liberally with oil. There are filthy sampans which crowd sections of the waterfront all day long. There are sundry breaches of laws which are common knowledge but to which Government seems discreetly blind. Some of these would be worth-while windmills for earnest official tilting. The right-of-way feature of the Sui Tai case, and the fact that the yacht's company was composed of naval officers, offer a reminder of the unsatisfactory state of affairs in the ferry lanes. The proximity of the naval anchorage means that ferries are frequently obstructed by warships, and confusion results. The necessity of giving ferry boats right of way does not appear to have suggested itself to energetic officials: yet here is a matter urgently calling for reform. As to the Poisons case, it is doubtless necessary to discipline pharmacists, protect the public and suppress anything that may suggest "drug traffic". Watson's, however, are a reputable firm, beyond suspicion and with too much at stake to be anything but law-abiding. Not even neglect has been proved against them, for it was shown that the law did not require a record of sales of these particular pills. For some reason, Watson's receive official attention when the Colony is full of vendors of patent
medicines/
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