8
January 30, 1904.]
was desired, but it would be well to give the new regulations A fair trial. After some discussion, it was decided to point out to the Government the necessity for the prompt boarding of vessels before coming to an anchor by the Harbour Office official, otherwise the efficiency of the new regulations would be impaired.
LICENSING PILOTS,
The following correspondence was read
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce.
Hongkong, 14th December, 1903. Sre, I have the honour to remind you that a long correspondence passed last year between the Government and this Chamber with re- ference to the suggestion put forward by my Committee for the pilots of this port to register themselves with, and prove their qualifications before, a Board having the requisite authority from the Government to act.
专
i
CHINA OVERLAND TRÅDE REPORT. coming down the Southern fairway to anohorage room, with the master on the bridge and chief officer on forecastle head, nothing was Botired indicating that a wrock was submerg d. The two salvage junks may have bad a red flag up, but in the calm prevailing this was not noticeable. Moreover, the two buoys were coloured a rusty red and were indistinguishable from the ordinary fairway buoy. It may here be remarked that the follow- ing day steps were taken to paint the wrecking buoys green, with Wreck" in unmistakeable
white letters.
Further, on account of the slack state of the tide, steamers were lying at their buoys in all the fairways or to find a suitable place to directions, it was undoubtedly difficult to define
anchor. The pilot eventually fixed on a space, but his knowledge afterwards proved to be at fault, as the steamer had eventually to move her ground to prevent fouling neighbouring
Vessels. On the 28th ultimo, be:ore the Harbour Master, the captain was fined $50- for negligent navigation in the Harbour, and ordered to make good any damage done by his vessel fouling the wreck buoys over the remains of the Pakshan. Had the
It will be remembered that stress was laid on the fact that the pilots of to-day are of inferior calibre to their predecessors, and that there was a growing tendency amongst them to disregard and wilfully ignore ordinary precautions necessary not only for the safety of the vessels in their charge whilst under way inbuoys been properly marked the captain and narrow waters, but of others either at anchor or chief officer would undoubtedly have kept alongside the wharves,
clear off the wreck and taken the ship out of the pilot's hands in time to prevent the mishap, but the pilot directed the ship between the buoys, thus proving by his want. of local knowledge that he was incapable of acting as such and, in addition, as shown above, he was unable to find a suitable anchorage.
At the request of the Government a scheme for holding Government examinations and granting certificates was drawn up by the Sub-Committee appointed (Messrs. E. A. Hewett, A. Haupt, and W. Poate), endorsed by the General Committee, and forwarded to the Government, who replied at some length to the effect that it would place the Harbour Master in an entirely false position if he had to give certificates for qualification which such officer cannot test. The Committee, in a further report, replied that at home and Asiatic ports this was satisfactorily managed, and that, if necessary. the Licensing Board need not be entirely composed of Government officials, but might be supplemented by outside experts.
It was also pointed out that, whilst there was a demand for pilotage in the Harbour, the Com- mittes were against the institution of compulsory pilotage, also that the granting or refusing to graut a certificate as suggested by the Govern- ment could not be acted on by private individuals without pecuniary responsibility, to which the Government would not be liable. Much to my Committee's regret, although the chief shipping firms and agencies in the port were in favour of the proposal, the Government finally notified this Chamber on the 30th of January last that His Excellency Sir Henry Blake was unable to support the scheme.
I am now instructed to bring to your notice. for the information of H.E. the Officer Administering the Government, further facts which have come to light relating to the recent prosecution by the Harbour Master of the Java China-Japan Line 8.8. Tjipanas for negligent navigation in the Harbour on the 24th ultimo, which the Committee of this Chamber consider strengthens their contention that the pilots | should be brought under the control of a properly coustituted licensing body. It appears from the information gathered by the Chamber that this ship arrived off Lyeemun Pass at 6 p.m. on the 26th ultimo and took on board a Chinese pilot provided by the Company's stevedore one of the leading firms of this class in Hong- kong. It is worthy of mention that there were several sampans about, whose occupants were signalling with the red-white pilot flag, signifying their willingness to act as pilots. On learning that the Tjipanas was from Amoy, the pilot affirmed, although the master strongly expressed his disbelief in the fact, that Amoy was an infected port and the ship must therefore fly the yellow flag and anchor in Chang Kwang Bay for the night. Knowing the penalties for ignoring the Quarantine Regulations, the master decided not to ran any risks. On entering the Harbour the following morning the Health Officer of the port boarded the steamer, demanded to know why the yellow flag was flying, and on being told the reason, said the pilot was a fool and evidently did not know his business. A8 the result of this incorrect information sup- plied by the pilot the ship lost 12 hours before reaching her anchorage, In
{
87
HONGKONG LAND INVESTMENT AND AGENCY CO., ED.
ANNUAL MEETING,
kong Land Investment and Agency Co., Ld., The fifteenth annual meeting of the Hong-
Hon. C. W. Dickson (chairman) presided, and was held on the 27th inst. at the Company's offices. there were also present Hon. Sir Paul Chater, C.M.G., Messrs. J. H. Lewis, N A, Sieba, A. J. Kaymond and E. Shellim (directors) 1. Arnold, G. M. Bain, W. H. Gaskell, R. K. Leigh, J. R. Michael, S. J. Michael, M. H. Northcote, Fook, Ho Kam Tong, Ho Tung, Ho Cheong W. Parlane, H. W. Slade, F. R. Smith, Ho Shiu, and A. Shelton Hooper (secretary).
The SECRETARY having read the notice call-
notice ing the meeting,
The CHAIRMAN said-Gentlemen, -It is matter of regret to your directors that the
short of its iminediate predecessors. The chief result of the past year's working falls so far deficiency is in the profit derived from sales of compared with $392,000 the previous year and property, which amounts to only $86,000 as $275,000 in 1991. Tight money, the uncertainty local legislation, and more recently fears en. as regar is exchange, doubts as to the effect of
gendered by the political outlook, have all tended to inactivity in the demand for property. only two properties. Then again our rent-roll The profit shown is derived from the sale of
has been disappointing. We have unlet at the
at reasonable, rentals, would bring in not less present time houses ready for occupation, which,
than $84,000 per annum, and for which so soon as the law dealing with the over-crowded dis- taicts of the City is enforced there should be no difficulty in finding tenants. We are in short a little ahead of the times. In addition to this I would remind you that our practice is to charge to revenue each year all interest on. development expenditur so that when buildings are completed they stand in the Company's books at their actual cost, exclusive of interest, a policy which, though it seriously affects earnings during the period of construction, will I feel As has been pointed out in the past. many sure appeal to you as a sound one to follow. commanders are obliged, on arrival at the en Our outlay on properties not as yet fully trance of the harbour, to take the first man as developed is over 17 lacs, but some of these will pilot who boards his ship, without having any be completed during this year, when, instead means of knowing whether he is capable of of Leing a drag on he Company, they will yield handling the vessel properly or not. Certain an addition to our income. Turning to the commanders, 88 the commander of the debit side of the account you will see that our Tjipanas, learn too late of the utter in-charges have not increased, but the amount competence of the men they have employed. This is not possible at Penang, or Singapore; why, then, at Hongkong? Hongkong has an unenviable record as the only British port either at home or in the Colonies where un- licensed pilots are allowed to ply for hire.
masters of steamers coming into this in- It will be apparent to his Excellency that creasingly crowded Barbour must rely to a great extent on the advice of a local pilot, otherwise they would not employ these men. It is therefore very hard on the masters not to be allowed to bring the pilot up before the Harbour Master for punishment, or at any rate to give evidence as to the facts in the case of an accident. and it does not alter the fact that here in Hongkong. with au amount of shipping exceeded by only two ports in the world, we have uncertifie pilots placed in charge of shipping.
The Chamber hopes that His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government may see his way to consent to the licensing of all pilots plying for hire within the limits of the port, and thus rid it of a danger which meaaces its shipping.
I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your obedient servant,
(Sd.) A. R. Lowe,
Secretary. The Acting Colonial Secretary replied on the 19th of December, 1903, as follows:-
"I am directed to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 14th inst, regarding the question of the licensing of pilots, and to inform you that the matter is now receiving the attention of the Government,"
FIFTH CONGRESS OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE,
The Official Report of the proceedings at the meeting held in Montreal on 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th and 2 st August last was laid on the table.
.NEW GERMAN CUSTOMS TARIFF. A letter was read from the Acting Colonial Secretary stating that the German Government had issued a notification indefinitely prolonging the existing arrangements relating to the
General Customs tariff.
AUDITORS.
It was agreed to invite the previous year's auditors, Mr. J. Y. V. Vernon, and Hon Ger- shom Stewart, to certify the accounts for 1903.
expended on repairs is some $4,600 more. The depredations of white ants, which during 1903 were from some Ca 150 unknown un- usually great, especially on the higher levels, entailed this additional expenditure in order to keep our property in first-class order, Oar outlay in respect of fire insurance remains about the same, notwithstanding the 25 per cent. increase in rates, to which I alluded at last meeting. The saving We effected by ourselves carrying a portion of the insurance on our best risks, upon which we for- tanstely escaped any loss, more than counter- balanced the extra premium paid at the higher scalę. Rates having again been reduced to their former level we have now reverted to the insuring in full of all buildings. Those remarks will I trust tend to elucidate the published statement now before you. You will recollect, gentlemen, that at our annual meeting in 1901 you approved of the placing of $500 000 to equalisation of divided fund, with the object of insuring a steady retura on your investment for. some time to come, and having regard to that understanding your directors recoguise that it is incumbent at 12 per cent. with the assistance of a portion of that fund, hence the trans- for therefrom of $250,000, which will start the current year with a balance in hand of an amount approximating that carried forward to 1903. They trust that in the near future con- ditions will so change as to admit of their show-
ing a larger sum at ore it under the heading of profit on sales of property, as well as of rents, and are hopeful that if they have to encroach upon equalisation of dividend fund in order to maintain the return to you, it will not be neces- sary to do so to the same extent. In connection with the scheme for the improvement of the Eastern district, to which I alluded last year,
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