An investigation into the over-cading of G45 passengers on the Ta Dah Company's steamer Ta Ho was started on dune 25 by officers of the Bureau of Shipping and Navigation which was estabNshed here about a year ago by the Ministry of Communications. 'The steamer a_Ho "arrived "here, on "Friday morning from 'Tungchow, and Being noted' ofthe' excoative Weight carried by the steamer, the management of the Company ex: plained that most of the passengers Were flood refugees from the North Kiangst and that irrespective of company's restriction, they Donrded the steamer without. even paying their fares.
Packed from stem to stern, the Ta Ho aroused the attention of the river authorities while steaming to her moorage at the Ta Dah Whart in Nantao. Before her arrival at the wharf, four river police officers were on "the scene and counted every passenger that landed. The Total number of passengers was 1818, whereas the steamer was only The report of th: violation of lowed to carry 673 passengers.
shipping Yegalatios was forwarded by the river police to the Harbour Master, who "in turn notified "the Shipping and Navigation Bureau, Summoned to the office of the Bureau, a representative of the Company admitted the overloading and said that this happened aceidentally as most of the passengers were. refugees who ignored every Yestriction put up by the officers and crew of the steamer, "A. spokesman of the Bureau_announced that overloading" cons-tutes a maximum fine of $500. The officers are taking a serious view of the incident as. two of the Dah Company's iver steamers, Ta Dah and Ta Chi, met with ter during the last'two years and that charges of overloading had been made by the relatives of the victims, Captain H. L. Ho is the commissioner of the Bureau, while Messr L.'S. Chang and T.-M. Wu are de-Partmental heads in charge of genral and technical business concern ing shipping and navigation. "This is" one of a few enses that have been handled bythe Bureau since ity establishment a year ago, as the Boreau is generally interested in the survey and. registration of ships and other technical duties,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.