A.—2

14

the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894, to be made on application for registry of a vessel owned by a body corporate. 2. I should be glad if your Ministers would consider whether it would not be desirable to bring the new forms into use in New Zealand. I have, &c, L. HARCOURT. Governor the Right Hon. Lord Islington, K.C.M.G., D.5.0., &c. Enclosure. Sir, — Marine Department, 7 Whitehall Gardens, London 8.W., 14th March, 1912. 1 am directed by tne Board of Trade to state, for the information of Mr. Secretary Harcourt, that the form of declaration of ownership required by section 9 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894, to be made on application for registry of a vessel owned by a body corporate (Form, Registry 8) has been recently revised by His Majesty's Commissioners of Customs and Excise with the consent of the Board of Trade, under section 65 of that Act, and two hundred copies of the new form are being forwarded to your Department. It will be seen that the principal alteration consists in the insertion of a paragraph to the effect that the company on whose behalf the declaration is made " has its principal place of business at , where all the important business of the company is, in fact, controlled and managed at meetings of directors or managers of the company." Recent experience has shown that foreign shipowners who are desirous of obtaining the advantage of the British flag for their vessels without relinquishing their control of them sometimes attempt to effect their object by registering a company under the British Companies Act, and having merely a registered office in the United Kingdom without in fact transacting their business there ; and the object of the alteration in the form is to check as far as possible the registration of vessels owned by such companies. In the interests of uniformity it is very desirable that the same forms should be used in connection with the registry of ships at all ports of British registry, and the Board would therefore suggest, for the consideration of the Secretary of State, that the forms accompanying this letter might be forwarded to the various colonial authorities with a view to their taking steps to bring the new form into use as soon as possible. If further copies of the form are required at any port they can be obtained by the Registrar of Shipping there from the Board of Trade. Storekeeper, Poplar, E., in the usual manner. I have, &c, The Under-Secretary of State, Colonial Office. Walter J. Howell.

Form No. 8. No. 72 (Sale).

(Prescribed by H.M. Customs and Excise, with the consent of the Board of Trade).

Declaration of Ownership on behalf of a Body Corporate.

and as described in more detail in the certificate of the Surveyor and the register-book.

| Official Number. Number of Ship. ' Number, Date, a Number, Date, and Port of Registry. and Port of Registry. Whether a Sailing or Steam Ship. Horse-power of Engine Ho; se-power of Engines, if any. les, if any. Feet. | Tenths. Feet. Length from fore part of stem, under the bowsprit, to the aft side of the head of the stern-post Main breadth to outside of plank Depth from top of deck at side amidships to bottom of keel Number of Tons. Gross .. .. • ■ i Registered