CO129-540-5 Water supply- Shing Mun Valley Waterworks scheme 11-5-1932 - 7-12-1932 — Page 99

HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

Objects and Reasons.

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The "Objects and Reasons" for the Bill were stated as follows:-

1. The object of this Ordinance is to make such amendments in the Merchant Shipping Ordinances of the Colony as are considered desirable before the Ordinances are consolidated.

2. Section 2 substitutes the words "a marine magistrate" for the words "the marine magistrate" in section (2) (f) of the principal Ordinance.

3. Section 3 amends section 3 (8) of the principal Ordinance so as to enable the Governor in Council to prescribe the fee for certified copies. A similar amendment in section 44 was enacted by Ordinance No. 11 of 1931.

4. Section 4 adds provisoes to section 5 (3) of the principal Ordinance which are derived from section 38 (e) and (f) of Straits Settlements Ordinance No. 125.

5. There is reason to believe that in some cases the certificated master, who must be provided under section 4 (2) of the principal Ordinance, in the case of every British ship and every foreign ship holding a passenger certificate under section 10, is carried because the Ordinance requires it, but is either encouraged by the owners, charterers, agents or compradores to leave the control of the ship to uncertificated persons or is liable to dismissal if he interferes with such control. Sections 5 and 6 of this Ordinance therefore amend section 10 of the principal Ordinance by making the issue of passenger certificates discretionary and also by making such certificates revocable in any case where the Governor has reason to believe that the certificated master of the ship is not exercising, or is not permitted to exercise, proper control of the ship.

6. Section 10 (23) of the principal Ordinance is transferred, as section 19A, to part V of the principal Ordinance by section 11 of this Ordinance with the substitution of the words "steamship or motor ship" for the words "passenger ship." The position in section 10 of the principal Ordinance of the sub-section so transferred is filled by a new sub-section (23) enacted by section 7 of this Ordinance which requires the owners, agents, charterers and master to report structural alterations in passenger ships.

7. Section 8 of this Ordinance re-enacts section 10 (25) of the principal Ordinance with the substitution of the words "owner, agent, charterer, master or compradore" for the words "owner or master."

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