CO129-569-1 New Territories Unemployed Seamen's Association- petition asking for preference to be given to members when... 21-11-1938 - 27-1-1939 — Page 8

8

to a fee of $8 or $9 paid by the members of the

association for their seamen's certificates,

whereas the actual fee for such certificates,

for as long as their issue continued, was only

$1. Such a rake-off is clearly exorbitant.

The despatch gives a general picture

of the situation with regard to the employment

of seamen at the present time. Unemployment

amongst New Territories seamen has been wide-

spread in the past, though paragraph 4 of the

despatch states that the situation with regard

to the employment of Hong Kong-born seamen has

improved considerably since last year.

It

appears still to be the case, however, that some

of the shipping companies prefer seamen from

Chinese Territory, on the grounds that the latter

are more amenable to discipline than the more

enlightened Hong Kong-born seamen (paragraph 3).

The reasons for this unemployment are

set out briefly in paragraph 4. One of the main

reasons seems to be the dominating position of

the Canton Chinese Seamen's Union, whose member-

ship is drawn more from China than from Hong Kong.

This is, of course, beyond the control of the

Hong Kong authorities.

As to the actual reply to be given to

the petition, I think there is no justification

whatsoever for intervention.

What the small

association, which is merely one of several, in

fact

Page

Page

9

fact seeks to obtain, is protection from the

competition of the larger long-established

Wang Kee Association that caters for seamen of all

classes and localities. There seem to me no

grounds on which such protection could be afforded,

nor does it seem to me desirable that there should

be such protection. I dan't think that to afford

such protection would necessarily help to

relieve unemployment of seamen in the Colony, and

this seems to me the only valid reason there could

be for intervention.

? Reply that in the light of the Governor's

obsons., the Secretary of State is not prepared to

grant the request contained in the petition.

A. N. Galsworthy

15/12

The issue

Seluxs

to be

between

thu

two organisations, of which

chinese feamus' Chion

Canton - is

notorious to as

a s

on the

Yu!

दू

pownful "racket

S. Chma Comet

and I'm the

- the present fathomers.

affeems to be

no less a

"racket" though in

Grodk

faven to

need f

to strengthen it