CO129-542-12 Smuggling from Hong Kong into China 21-1-1933 - 21-8-1933 — Page 3

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intervene with a view to enforcing the regula-

tions contained in the Hong Kong Order in

Council, No. 733 (copy enclosed in (2))

made under the Importation and Exportation

Ordinance 1915 as amended by the Importation

and Exportation Ordinance, 1932.

The shipping companies appear to be

unwilling to give the Hong Kong Government the

assistance which it asks in enforcing the

regulations. The companies are reluctant

themselves to undertake on their own ships

the search for unmanifested cargo, the export of which

the Hong Kong Govt has now made illegal.

The

Governor states that their attitude appears to

be largely dictated by two considerations:

(1).

The desire to ascape trouble

with their crews.

(2).

The desire to avoid the cost and

inconvenience of having to employ special

searching staff.

The Govr. considers that, even apart

from the question of cost, the Hong Kong Govt.

would not be justified in accepting the

responsibility for searching, but should act

only when the existence of unmanifested cargo

is brought to its notice.

I do not entirely agree (with either

with

the companies or the Govr. It seems to me

that, so far as the cost is concerned,

should fall mainly, at any rate, on the

this

companies, who alone (apart from the Chinese

}

Customs) stand to gain anything by the strict

enforcement of the law. By introducing

legislation