The Chairman's speech at_ the annual meeting of the Indo-China 8. N. Ca. at Hongkong has drawn further attention to the demand of the officers and engineers on the China Coast for a substantial increase in pay. As a result of negotiations which had been in progress for some time the officers and engineers received several concessions in August, these being in the nature of pay, conditions of service and pensions, With these concessions the officers and engineers have not been satisfied, and have put forward a demand for a 50 per cent. increase in salaries. In reply to this. demand the shipping com. panies concerned—the Indo-China and the China Navigation—have given an absolute refusal. and the next move must come from the officers and engineers.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.