Hansard, 1957-02-13

MESSAGES FROM THE - GOVERNOR - (Governor's Assent to Bills passed) I have received two messages from His Excellency the Governor dated 18th January, 1957, and 2nd February, 1957, respectively, informing me that His Excellency has, in accordance with the provisions of section 62 (2) of the Singapore Colony Order in Council, 1955, assented to the following Bills: (i) City Councillors Indemnity and Validating Bill; (ii) Municipal (Amendment) Bill; (iii) Final Supply (1955) Bill; (iv) Singapore Industrial Promotion Board Bill; (v) Singapore Improvement (Amendment) Bill.

ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS - SOLICITOR-GENERAL'S POST - (Malayanisation) asked the Chief Minister whether it is the intention of the Government to Malayanise the post of Solicitor-General which has become vacant. The Chief Minister (Mr Lim Yew Hock): The post of Solicitor-General is not one of those posts set out in Sessional Paper No. Cmd. 55 of 1956 to be malayanised immediately. It is a post to which local officers and expatriate officers who are asked to remain in service can aspire during the next five years. The Member for Tanjong Pagar is referred to the heading "Legal Service" in the Schedule of the Sessional Paper referred to, and also to the conditions under which expatriate officers are asked to remain in service, as set out in paragraph 11 of the same paper.

ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS - SOLICITOR-GENERAL'S POST - (Malayanisation) Does the Chief Minister not agree that if we are to malayanise the job of Attorney-General in the not too distant future, it should be desirable to have a Malayan Solicitor-General now?

ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS - SOLICITOR-GENERAL'S POST - (Malayanisation) Sir, the position of the Attorney-General is dependent on the constitutional talks in London early in March.

ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS - SOLICITOR-GENERAL'S POST - (Malayanisation) Is the Chief Minister aware that the question is not the position of the Attorney-General, in the new constitution, but the colour of the skin of the holder of the post?

TRADE UNIONS - (Legislation to remove disabilities) asked the Minister for Labour and Welfare whether the Government intends to introduce legislation to remove the existing disabilities of Trade Unions to participate in political activities.

TRADE UNIONS - (Legislation to remove disabilities) Sir, legislation to permit trade unions to set up political funds is being drafted, and the Government intends to introduce a Bill at an early date. With regard to the affiliation of trade unions with political parties, trade union organisations are being consulted as to their views and as soon as these are received, the Government will give immediate consideration.

CRACKER FIRING INCIDENTS - (Police precautionary measures) asked the Chief Secretary whether he will state the number and nature of the incidents caused by the indiscriminate firing of crackers during the Chinese New Year period, and whether he is satisfied that adequate precautions have been taken by the police in this matter.

CRACKER FIRING INCIDENTS - (Police precautionary measures) Sir, incidents caused by cracker firing as reported by the departments concerned are as follows. The police received reports of only nine incidents. Three were of public brawls over cracker firing, two of burns to children, three of crackers causing damage inside buildings and one of nuisance to women in the streets. Thirty-six cases of injury from crackers were treated as out-patients at the hospital. There were two ambulance calls but one of these was probably not due to cracker injury. There were eight fire calls. In four of these, serious fires could have developed, and in the other four there was no risk. I am satisfied, Sir, that the police took such precautions as were possible to deal promptly with incidents involving danger to person or property.

CRACKER FIRING INCIDENTS - (Police precautionary measures) Mr Speaker, Sir, in view of the widespread public concern in this matter, will the Chief Secretary give an assurance that Government will take very careful steps to see that hooliganism does not take place during the traditional firing of crackers in future?

CRACKER FIRING INCIDENTS - (Police precautionary measures) Sir, we shall certainly do all that we can to prevent the traditional firing of crackers on this festival being used as an occasion for violence and disorder by hooligans, but I am sure the hon. Member will agree with me when I say that the question of limiting nuisance over this festival must depend very largely on a sense of responsibility by members of the public, particularly parents, and on the cooperation of the public in seeing that the proprieties are observed.

DAILY DIGEST OF NON-ENGLISH PRESS asked the Chief Secretary whether he will make available to the English-reading public of Singapore by public subscription the Information Services' Daily Digest of Non-English Press.

DAILY DIGEST OF NON-ENGLISH PRESS Sir, the request to make the Daily Digest generally available to the public raises a number of problems which I have not yet had the time to resolve, and I regret, therefore, that I am not yet in a position to give the hon. Member an answer to his question. I will, however, inform him as soon as a decision has been reached.

DAILY DIGEST OF NON-ENGLISH PRESS Will the Chief Secretary give some indication as to the probable period when he may be in a position to inform me of what his decision is?

DAILY DIGEST OF NON-ENGLISH PRESS I am sorry, Sir, that the Member for Cairnhill should imply that I am not making a serious attempt to give an answer. I hope to give him an answer within a fortnight.

DAILY DIGEST OF NON-ENGLISH PRESS Thanks.

MEDICAL SPECIALIST FEES asked the Chief Secretary: (i) to state the total amount of professional fees earned by each of the following medical specialists: surgeons, ophthalmic surgeon, orthopaedic surgeon, radiologists, ear, nose and throat surgeon, pathologists, physicians and gynaecologists and obstetricians, whether employed by Government or by the University, for each of the years 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955 and 1956; (ii) what amount of the fees earned in each case is retained by the medical specialist mentioned above, and what amount is paid to the Government or to the University; and the basis of allocation of those fees.

MEDICAL SPECIALIST FEES Sir, this information is regarded as confidential since it is supplied by the officers concerned on the strict understanding that it is kept confidential. The amount of fees earned to be retained by the officer concerned is governed by Regulation 27 of the Fees (Public Officers) Regulations, 1951 which were published as Council Paper No. 26 of 1954.

MEDICAL SPECIALIST FEES Is the Chief Secretary aware that there is great public concern at the fact that it is reputed that some of these specialists earn, with the use of public equipment, specialists' fees in the region of $70,000, $80.000 and $90,000 a year?

MEDICAL SPECIALIST FEES Sir, I am not aware of such public concern.

MEDICAL SPECIALIST FEES If the Chief Secretary knows that these figures are true, would he not be concerned that such fees are being earned with the use of public equipment and public funds?

MEDICAL SPECIALIST FEES No, Sir. I cannot accept the implication that the specialist officers in Government employment earn fees which are out of proportion to their specialist knowledge and skill, or out of proportion to the earnings of the medical profession in private practice.

MEDICAL SPECIALIST FEES Is the Chief Secretary aware that, in the case of a large number of local men who are specialists, they were trained to be specialists at enormous public expense?

MEDICAL SPECIALIST FEES We are getting into a debate. That is not allowed. The hon. Member will have an opportunity, perhaps on the Adjournment or some other occasion, to raise the point.

CHEST PHYSICIANS AND - RADIOLOGISTS asked the Chief Secretary whether the chest physicians and the radiologists of Tan Tock Seng Hospital and T.B. Clinic, the Medical Superintendent of Trafalgar Home, and the Medical Superintendent and Physiologist of Woodbridge Hospital, are Medical Specialists, and what is the total amount of professional fees earned by each of these Medical Specialists for each of the years 1955 and 1956.

CHEST PHYSICIANS AND - RADIOLOGISTS Sir, the chest physicians and radiologists of the Tan Tock Seng Hospital, and the Medical Superintendents of the Trafalgar Home and Woodbridge Hospital are specialists. There is no physiologist at the Woodbridge Hospital. The amount of fees earned by each officer is again based on the confidential returns made.

CHEST PHYSICIANS AND - RADIOLOGISTS Will the Chief Secretary agree to a special committee to investigate this matter and make a report to this Assembly?

CHEST PHYSICIANS AND - RADIOLOGISTS Sir, perhaps I should tell the hon. Member that we are already engaged in reviewing the present regulations governing the retention and earning of fees by these specialists. I do not want to imply, when I say that, that there is any question or any suggestion that these officers - many of whom are very distinguished members of their profession - are earning fees which are out of proportion. But there are a number of unsatisfactory features about the present regulations. One, for example, is the discrepancy between the fees earned by officers of comparable distinction in different branches of the profession, and we are now, and have been for some time, engaged in a review of these regulations with a view to revising them.

CHEST PHYSICIANS AND - RADIOLOGISTS Is the committee that the Chief Secretary has referred to aware that the Municipal Analyst was earning $5,000 a month in fees until the City Council decided to abolish the right to collect fees?

CHEST PHYSICIANS AND - RADIOLOGISTS I am afraid I cannot tell the hon. Member whether the committee is aware of that.

LAND TITLES IN BEDOK SETTLEMENT asked the Minister for Local Government, Lands and Housing when titles to the land now occupied by persons under Temporary Occupation Licence in the Bedok Settlement will begin to be issued.

LAND TITLES IN BEDOK SETTLEMENT Mr Speaker, Sir, the Survey Department is already surveying the Bedok region according to present occupation and, on completion of this work and agreement on occupation boundaries, title plans will be prepared for the issue of leases.

LAND TITLES IN BEDOK SETTLEMENT Is the Minister for Local Government, Lands and Housing aware of the urgent demand of the occupiers of the land? If so, can he give an early date when the titles will be issued?

LAND TITLES IN BEDOK SETTLEMENT We will give every consideration to hasten the work in progress now.

ELECTRICITY AND WATER FOR SEMBAWANG asked the Minister for Local Government, Lands and Housing what steps is the Government taking to supply the following facilities to the residents of Sembawang Rural District: (a) street lighting and electricity for private houses between the 11th milestone and 15th milestone Sembawang Road; (b) more public water standpipes for the District.

ELECTRICITY AND WATER FOR SEMBAWANG Mr Speaker, Sir, the City Council is about to lay a cable and establish a sub-station at the 13th mile, Sembawang Road, which will make it possible for the Rural Board to consider the provision of street lighting where it is needed and for houses in that vicinity to apply for domestic supplies. The answer to the second part of the question is that the Rural Board is already considering the installation of two new standpipes and the re-siting of three existing standpipes, and also the installation of two others, one at the 13th milestone and the other at the 15th milestone Sembawang Road.

MORE HOUSES FOR WORKERS asked the Minister for Local Government, Lands and Housing what steps is the Government taking to ensure that more and cheaper houses will be built for ordinary working-class people.

MORE HOUSES FOR WORKERS Mr Speaker, Sir, I would refer the hon. Member to paragraph 4 of the White Paper on housing subsidy policy which was tabled at the last sitting of the Assemb1y.

GRANT-IN-AID REGULATIONS asked the Minister for Education whether he is aware of the public opinions expressed on the Grant-in-Aid Regulations, 1957, and whether he proposes to make amendments to the Regulations to meet them.

GRANT-IN-AID REGULATIONS Mr Speaker, Sir, the answer to the question is yes. I am aware of criticisms of grant-in-aid regulations from certain quarters, but so far I have received very few constructive proposals. These, for the most part, have involved only minor changes to remove possible causes of misunderstanding, and I have already promised that these changes will be made at an early date. I would add that the regulations are designed primarily to protect the interests of pupils and their parents, and to ensure that public funds are wisely and properly accounted for.

GRANT-IN-AID REGULATIONS The target date set by the Minister to permit Chinese schools to apply for the full grant-in-aid is April 1. In view, however, of the important amendments promised now by the Minister, can he give an indication of when the final target date will be?

GRANT-IN-AID REGULATIONS I have already indicated, Sir, that I will make the changes to the regulations which might cause misunderstanding, and these changes will certainly be made before April 1.

POSTING OF CHILDREN TO SCHOOLS asked the Minister for Education whether he is aware that parents who registered and expected their children to be in a certain English-language school found that their children had to go to other schools far away from their homes; and if he will state the reasons therefor.

POSTING OF CHILDREN TO SCHOOLS Sir, I am not sure what school the Member for Bukit Panjang is referring to. There are, however, certain areas where the demand for places in schools greatly exceeds the number of places available. It has therefore been necessary to direct some of the children to schools further from their homes than I should like. I have already made a public statement expressing my regret for any inconvenience caused, and my readiness to do what I could to remove any avoidable difficulty or to alleviate the worst hardships. But the basic trouble is that in areas like Pearl's Hill, there are not nearly enough schools for all the children, and few sites on which more schools can be built. I am doing what I can to improve the situation but no quick solution is possible.

DIFFICULTIES IN ATTENDING SCHOOL asked the Minister for Education to state the number of children of both sexes who now cannot go to school at all on account of the difficulties of transport and of expense involved in having to go to schools far away from their homes.

DIFFICULTIES IN ATTENDING SCHOOL Sir, I am sorry I cannot give the Member for Bukit Panjang an accurate answer to this question. However, children who could not be accommodated in schools in the densely populated urban districts were directed to suburban schools, and it is known that some 1,600 places which were there made available have not been taken up. There are several reasons for this. First, the distance is too great for the very young children concerned. Second, the parents could not afford the cost of transport. Third, they had applied for places in other schools aided or private which they had subsequently accepted, without informing the Government or the Ministry. And, fourth, they had already been posted to schools nearer their homes.

OVER-AGE PUPILS asked the Minister for Education whether he is aware that there is a large number of over-age pupils of both sexes who were not allowed to sit for the Common Entrance Examination for Secondary Schools last year and who are now unable, although eager, to continue their academic study; and what does he propose to do about them.

OVER-AGE PUPILS Yes, last year the Ministry organised special evening classes for pupils from primary schools who were unable to find places in secondary schools. More of these classes have been started this year. For further information about them, I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 8th February last year to the Member for Tanglin (Mr John Ede).

MALAY SECONDARY EDUCATION - (Government Policy) asked the Minister for Education to explain the Government's policy on Malay Secondary Education and the reason for the delay in replying to the Memorandum submitted by the Malay Education Council in August 1955.

MALAY SECONDARY EDUCATION - (Government Policy) The policy governing Malay secondary education has been explained in the Malay Education Council at a meeting between the Hon. the Chief Minister and representatives of the Malay Education Council, at which meeting the Member for Sembawang was present. A reply has also been given by the Chief Minister to the Malay Education Council.

SEMBAWANG CLINIC asked the Minister for Health whether the Government is taking any steps to establish an out-patient department at the newly built Sembawang Maternity and Child Welfare Clinic at 14th milestone Sembawang Road.

SEMBAWANG CLINIC No, Sir.

TELEPHONES FOR SEMBAWANG asked the Minister for Communications and Works whether and when telephone lines will be extended up to l4¾ milestone Sembawang Road.

TELEPHONES FOR SEMBAWANG A new telephone exchange to be built in the Nee Soon area is now in the planning stage. It is expected that the exchange and its associated cable network will be ready for service by January 1959. This new cable network will include the extension to which the hon. Member refers.

GOVERNMENT POLICY ON TOURIST TRADE asked the Minister for Commerce and Industry whether he will make a statement on the Government's policy towards the encouragement of the tourist trade, on the contents of the New Zealand expert's report, and on whether it is intended to carry out the latter's recommendations.

GOVERNMENT POLICY ON TOURIST TRADE Sir, the report is now under consideration and I am therefore not in a position to make a statement yet, but hon. Members may perhaps have read in the newspapers that the Pacific Area Travel Association has agreed to Singapore as the venue for the 1959 conference.

GOVERNMENT POLICY ON TOURIST TRADE Mr Speaker, Sir, in view of what the Minister said regarding the meeting of this Association in Singapore in 1959, and in view of the spadework needed before this conference, will he consider the immediate secondment of a whole-time officer to give full attention to this matter and to take up the task of setting up the tourist bureau?

GOVERNMENT POLICY ON TOURIST TRADE Sir, in view of the fact that the report is now under consideration, I cannot give any such assurance now. The matter will be fully considered when the report comes up for Government's decision.

TRADE WITH INDONESIA - (Statement by the Minister for Commerce and - Industry) Mr Speaker, Sir, hon. Members will recall my repeated assurances to this House that Government is constantly alert to the possibilities of improving our trading relations with our neighbour, Indonesia. I am happy to announce, Sir, that the Indonesian Government has now agreed to free trade channels to Indonesia for 30 per cent counter-exports originating from Singapore in part payment for produce imports from barter areas. Hitherto, such exports had to revert solely to the barter areas. Now, local merchants may supply up to two-thirds of their counter-export commitments direct to the following Indonesian main ports in the form of rice, building materials, tools, machinery, transport items and so on. The ports are Belawan, Padang, Palembang, Tanjong Priok, Semarang, Surabaya, Macassar, Bandjermassin and Pontianak. The remainder one-third of export commitments may revert half as rice and half as building materials to the usual barter areas. This long-pressed-for relaxation of control over destinations for 30 per cent counter-exports has been welcomed in local trade circles which, I understand, feel confident that improved trading relations with Indonesia will result.

SEAMEN'S REGISTRY BOARD BILL Mr Speaker, Sir, may I refer to item 2 on the Order Paper under "Orders of the Day"? Item 2 deals with the Second Reading of the Seamen's Registry Board Bill. I am afraid, Sir, I will have to move that this Bill should be withdrawn because the long title of the Bill, as put in by me at last month's sitting, it seems, does not give sufficient indication of the intentions of the Bill. There are clauses in the Bill which deal with selection and procedure for selection of seamen, and that has not been stated in the long title of the Bill which I introduced last month. Sir, I therefore propose to move that this Bill be withdrawn, and then I propose, on a Certificate of Urgency, to introduce another Bill which is precisely the same except for the long title which has been amended to make it more indicative of the intentions contained in the Bill. Sir, I beg to move, That the Order for Second Reading of this Bill be discharged and the Bill withdrawn.

SEAMEN'S REGISTRY BOARD BILL I second it.

SEAMEN'S REGISTRY BOARD BILL Question put, and agreed to. Resolved. That the Order for Second Reading of this Bill be discharged and the Bill withdrawn.

SEAMEN'S REGISTRY BOARD BILL Sir, I have here a Certificate of Urgency signed by His Excellency the Governor to introduce a Bill intituled "An Ordinance to incorporate the Seamen's Registry Board and to make provision for and to regulate the registration, engagement and selection for engagement of seamen." Certificate of Urgency handed in

SEAMEN'S REGISTRY BOARD BILL The Certificate is in order. Please proceed.

First Reading Sir, I beg to present a Bill intituled "An Ordinance to incorporate the Seamen's Registry Board and to make provision for and to regulate the registration, engagement and selection for engagement of seamen". Bill read the First time.

First Reading Second Reading, what day?

First Reading Immediately after item 1 on the "Orders of the Day", Sir.

First Reading Are typed copies of the Bill available?

First Reading Yes, Sir, they are. Typed copies of the Bill handed in to the Clerk and distributed to hon. Members.

BILLS INTRODUCED - EDUCATION BILL " to consolidate and amend the law relating to education and the registration of schools", presented by the Minister for Education (Mr Chew Swee Kee); read the First time, to be read a Second time on Wednesday, 24th April, 1957, and to be printed.

SINGAPORE POLYTECHNIC (AMENDMENT) BILL "to amend the Singapore Polytechnic Ordinance (Chapter 204 of the Revised Edition)", presented by the Minister for Education (Mr Chew Swee Kee); read the First time, to be read a Second time on Wednesday, 24th April, 1957, and to be printed.

PAWNBROKERS (AMENDMENT) BILL "to amend the Pawnbrokers Ordinance (Chapter 195 of the Revised Edition)", presented by the Assistant Minister to the Chief Secretary (Mr M. P. D. Nair); read the First time, to be read a Second time on Wednesday, 24th April, 1957, and to be printed.

LIGHT DUES BILL 10.30 am. Order for Second Reading read.

LIGHT DUES BILL Mr Speaker, Sir, I have the recommendation of His Excellency the Governor to proceed with this Bill, and I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." This Bill, Sir, proposes the introduction of light dues to be paid by shipping using the port of Singapore, and the establishment of a Light Dues Fund which will be administered by a Light Dues Board. In Singapore at present, no light dues are charged and, as a result, the Colony budget has to bear the cost of the maintenance of lighthouses, flashing beacons and light buoys. It has also to meet the salaries, allowances, cost of uniforms and rations for lighthouse personnel, together with other similar items attributable to shipping lights. However, in the Federation of Malaya, Hong Kong and the British territories in Borneo, as well as in all other major ports of the world, shipping is made to pay for these services by the payment of light dues. The Allen Report on the Major Ports of Malaya which was published in 1950 advocated that the cost of providing these navigational aids should be charged to shipping in the form of light dues. The shipowners have indicated - though reluctantly, I must confess - that they have no objections. The scale of fees proposed in the Schedule to this Bill has been carefully assessed in relation to the services provided and the cost, so that the fees are kept down to as low a figure as possible. For the sake of comparison, Sir, I may mention that whereas in the Federation the fees are ten cents per net registered ton, our scale is only two cents per net registered ton for ships working cargo, and one cent for ships calling in for bunkers, etc. Also, in order that the dues may not throw an undue burden on ships calling very often, the collection of dues has been restricted to a maximum of ten times per year per ship. Provision has also been made for the exemption of fishing boats, small craft, Singapore Government ships and ships of war, and an annual rate has been fixed for Singapore registered ships. It is estimated that if light dues are introduced on the scale proposed in the Schedule to this Bill, the money to be collected and paid into the Light Dues Fund will amount to $414,000 per annum. The Fund will be devoted solely to the maintenance and improvement of light and navigational aids. The Light Dues Board will consist of the Master Attendant as Chairman, and six members to be appointed by me, and I propose to give adequate representation to shipping interests. Sir, I beg to move.

LIGHT DUES BILL Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time.

Committee stage, what day?

Committee Now, Sir. Sir, I move, That this Assembly will immediately resolve itself into a Committee on the Bill.

Committee I second it.

Committee Question put, and agreed to. Bill considered in Committee.

Committee Clause 1 ordered to stand part of the Bill. Clause 2-

Committee Sir, I move, At page 1, line 6, after the full stop, to insert the figure "-

Committee The hon. Member can only move one amendment at a time, but in moving the first amendment he can always refer, of course, to connected amendments. So will he please move the first amendment, to start off with?

Committee Sir, since I have given the reasons for all the amendments. I now move the first amendment, At page 1, line 6, after the full stop to insert the figure "-

Committee That, as I have indicated, opens a debate on the other two amendments in the notice paper before hon. Members. Question. "That the figure proposed to be inserted, be there inserted." put, and agreed to.

Committee Sir, I move, At page 1, to leave out lines 13 to 17.

Committee Question, "That the words in those lines proposed to be left out, be left out." put, and agreed to.

Committee Sir, I move, At page 2, after line 6, to insert the following new sub-clause (2) : "(2) The tonnage in this Ordinance referred to means the net tonnage: Provided that in the case of a ship whose net registered tonnage has not been ascertained, the gross tonnage shall be deemed to be the net registered tonnage." Question. "That the new sub-clause proposed to be inserted, be there inserted." put, and agreed to. Clause 2, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill. Clauses 3 and 4 ordered to stand part of the Bill. Clause 5-

Committee Sir, I move, At page 2, line 37, after the words "of the", to insert the word "light". The reason is simple, Sir. It is better to refer to "light dues" throughout in order to avoid doubt. Question. "That the word proposed to be inserted, be there inserted," put, and agreed to. Clause 5, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill. Clauses 6 to 11 inclusive ordered to stand part of the Bill. The Schedule -

Committee Sir, I move, At page 4, lines 1, 2, 4 and 5, to leave out the words "net registered" in each case. The reason, Sir, is that the reference to net registered tons in the Schedule is wrong. It should be only to tons as in the Schedule to the Merchant Shipping Ordinance. Question. "That the words proposed to be left out in each case, be left out." put, and agreed to. The Schedule, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Committee Sir, I beg to move. "That the Bill, as amended, be reported to the Assembly."

Committee Question put, and agreed to. Bill reported, with Amendments.

Third Reading, what day?

Third Reading Now, Sir. Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill, as amended, be now read the Third time."

Third Reading Sir, I second it.

Third Reading Question put, and agreed to. Bill, as amended, accordingly read the Third time.

SEAMEN'S REGISTRY BOARD BILL Order for Second Reading read. 10.42 a.m.

SEAMEN'S REGISTRY BOARD BILL Mr Speaker, Sir, I have the recommendation of His Excellency the Governor to proceed with this Bill. Sir, I therefore move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." Sir, the lot of the seamen in this region is a hard one. Not only has a seaman to work hard for a living but also, by the very nature of his occupation, he has to face stretches of unemployment on shore when he has finished serving articles on a ship, not knowing when he will be offered employment on another. In addition to this occupational uncertainty, he has in the past been the victim of unscrupulous ghaut serangs, who have fattened themselves on this unfortunate type of workers. These ghaut serangs were agents who were licensed to supply seamen, and who charged fees from seamen for this service. In order, Sir, to eliminate the ghaut serangs, the Government of this Colony set up a Seamen's Registration Bureau entirely under governmental control in 1948. Legislation was passed setting up a Bureau for the registration of seamen and apprentices to the sea, at which they could make application for employment, and to which notifications of vacancies could be sent. The legislation also made it an offence to engage seamen, except in an emergency, other than through the Bureau, This amending legislation also constituted a Seafarers' Administration Board with an independent Chairman, three members nominated by the shipowners and three by the Seamen's Union. The Board was to act purely as an advisory board, to give advice to the Master Attendant on the procedure of registration and the working of the Board, and to advise the Governor on matters arising out of the working of the Bureau. This Board never functioned smoothly or effectively from its inception and became hamstrung from March 1950, when vacancies in its membership were not replaced. From then on, it became moribund and shipowners and unions have never been able to offer their services or their advice on the working of the Bureau in matters which affect them vitally. The Bureau therefore continued to function entirely under the Master Attendant, with the result that it came under a great deal of criticism, especially from the unions, on the score that though a Register of Seamen was maintained, it was rendered ineffective because unemployed seamen were not offered employment according to the dates of their applications for employment, and because of the practice of pre-selection by masters of ships through their own agents. There has been bitter criticism of partiality and favouritism in the selection of crews by masters or agents. It has been said that though the ghaut serang system has been abolished certain individuals were able to set themselves up in a favourable position to the detriment of those seamen who did not co-operate with those individuals. An enquiry commission was appointed in January 1950 to look into the working of the Seamen's Registration Bureau, the method of engagement of seamen, the constitution and duties of the Seafarers' Administration Board, the practice of pre-selection and the legality of the division of the roster of unemployed seamen into two parts, one for deep-sea seamen and the other for local ships. This commission reported in January 1951 but no major changes were recommended and no action was taken by the authorities on this report. Then, Sir, into this confusion stepped in the newly appointed Minister for Commerce and Industry, my predecessor, Mr David Marshall, and, as a result of his intervention-