CO129-592-10 Future Policy in Hong Kong- Port Administration 10-4-1946 - 15-4-1947 — Page 226

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Dangerous Goods Permits, Official Signature Fees, other Official Permits and the like.

The charges for Sunday Working Permits should go to the Trust.

The "Ship's Report", or X(A) Form as it is called in Hong Kong, would no longer be collected by the Boarding Officer but would be handed in at the Marine Office on Entering the Vessel.

All figures required by the Trust for the compilation of their statistics could be furnished with the miniman delay.

6.

looked: -

I will now touch on two functions which appear to have been over-

(1) The Gunpowder Depot on Green Island.

(ii)

7.

Government can store about 1,000 tons of explosives on Green Island, and the service has been most popular in the years gone by,

I think we should continue this facility and it really does not matter who takes it over. Personally, I think it should go to the Trust together with all fees derived from that source.

Maintenance of all Goverment Launches and Craft.

This is a job for the Marine Department together with the provision and training of crews (including Police Launches).

I am of the firm opinion that the best interests of Government would be served by the retention of the Slipway at Yaumati, and I should like to see more minor maintenance carried out there.

While the docking and general overhaul of such craft as the Police Cruising Launches (Extended Patrol) would always be let out by tender and executed under the supervision of a selected Engineer Surveyor, it will be appreciated that the better running efficiency of all craft and the periodical overhaul of the smaller launches would best be assured at our own slipway. The more up-to- date yards are not anxious for such work, costs are excessive and delays have been experienced which have either caused inconvenience to the Department concerned or necessitate the hire of an outside launch. It is not my intention to suggest anything in the nature of a dockyard, but only to provide for rapid bunkering, engine adjustments, etc., the slipping and painting of the smaller craft and the usual repairs to fittings and appointments.

It will be appreciated that there is plenty for a Marine Department to do without any suggestion that a special department is being created to meet the occasion. There is no overlapping of functions for, as I have said, one is concerned with the Commercial and Economic problems of the Port while the other is dealing with all craft using the port from the Official Require- ments point of view.

If the Head of a Marine Department had a seat on the Trust there would be no problem which Shipowners, Importers and Exporters, etc., could raise which could not be dealt with expeditiously.

8. I submit you give my Comments your earnest consideration, and I respectfully suggest you again run through my "Memorandım on the Future Administration of the Port of Hong Kong" dated the 12th February, 1945, for there are points in it which I feel are of some service in view of the fact that I also have studied Port Administration for some years.

I have the honour to be,

sir,

Your obedient servant,

(Sgd.) J. Jolly

(James Jolly, C.B.E., R.D.) Harbour Master, etc., Hong Kong.

Blackpool,

7th January, 1946.