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Malayan ports. Passengers and baggage joining those three ships at intermediate ports, .e., (Haiphong, Hoihow and Kwong Chau Wan), are searched by Indian Guards.
Other ships in the passenger trade from Malaya and beyond are not fitted with grilles and carry no guards. They do not call at any ports between Singapore and Hong Kong and pass through Hong Kong without taking on any Passengers.
The vessels in the coolie trade between Java and ports in the Piracy Zone are all Dutch. They are fitted with grilles and carry a guard of ten Javanese soldiers under a Dutch Military Sergeant.
2. I am informed by the Superintendent of the Imports and Exports Depart- ment that his staff does not search cargo except with a view to protection of Revenue and his men only board out-going ships for search when special information has been received. There is no examination of in-coming cargo.
3. I regret that this reply has been unavoidably delayed".
As already explained, the berthing of steamers and examining of passengers by the Police and Health Authorities, possibly also by the Revenue Department, is purely a matter of detail and organization, but in order that the Commissioners may grasp the volume of the traffic to be coped with, I would quote hereunder letters exchanged with Commander Hole, Harbour Master, and I cannot see from the statistics afforded, any reason why the passenger trade could not be conducted on the lines of my suggestion.
Letter to the Harbour Master:
We have been requested by the Commissioners on the "SUNNING" Piracy investigation to submit our views on the present Piracy Regulations and to make any suggestions we may have for the suppression of the present evil. In this connection, we shall be glad if you can provide us with the following statistics :-
1. Numbers of River Steamers arriving and departing each day in Hong Kong
from Canton and ports of the Canton Delta including Kongmoon.
2. Estimated number of Chinese passengers conveyed inward and outward by the said vessels. Inward and outward passengers being shown separately.
3. Can you inform us approximately, the number of passengers leaving or arriving by Coasting Steamers calling at yours within the zone covered by the Piracy Regulations?
4. We should be glad of approximate numbers of steerage passengers arriving in the Colony from Overseas ports, such as America, Java, Singapore, etc, and the numbers departing.
These particulars may be stated either per diem or per annum".
Reply from Harbour Master
Answers to Questions.
No. 1
"River steamers to and from ports of Canton Delta including Kong-moon:
Week-days.
Arrivals.
Departures.
About 14 steamers.
About 14 steamers.
Sundays.
About 8 steamers.
About 8 steamers.
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