HONG KONG ANNUAL REPORT, 1953
which is exported to Indonesia, Pakistan, Burma, South Korea, Thailand and the Philippines. Several of the mills have installed combing plants and have changed over to roller bearing spindles, in order to improve quality and to spin yarns of finer counts. Some of them are equipped for weaving, for which they utilize the latest type of automatic looms.
There are over 160 weaving factories in the Colony with a total of some 6,000 machines and 11,000 workers. The cloths produced are sheetings, shirtings, drills, matts, osnaburgs, cel- lular fabrics, checks and suitings. In addition considerable quantities of tapes, webbing, laces and other wares are also turned out. Exports are mainly to Indonesia, the Philippines, South Africa, Malaya, Thailand, Australia, the United Kingdom and East Africa. Three weaving companies are engaged in the production of brocaded silk goods for making up into house- coats, tea gowns, and other ready-made garments.
In addition to 46 finishing factories employing 1,000 workers, there are 273 knitting mills employing over 9,000 workers and producing excellent articles of underwear and outer garments, swim-suits, gloves, socks and stockings, in silk, cotton and wollen yarns.
In 1953, exports of cotton piece goods were valued at £9,846,600; of cotton yarn at £6,259,800; and of textile made- up articles at £9,912,100.
Enamelware and other metal products. There are 20 factories, employing over 2,500 workers, engaged in the production of articles of enamelware. In addition there are 25 factories making tin cans, 33 engaged in electro-plating, 4 turning out aluminium ware, 5 producing vacuum flasks, and 186 other factories making needles, nails and screws, hurricane lamps, brass and aluminium sheets, metal windows, umbrella ribs and other metalwares. The total labour force employed in this segment of local industry is over 12,000. Exports,
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