218
HONG KONG ANNUAL REPORT
crews of visiting ships and allocates the monies provided by private donation and Government grant to organizations devoted to that end. Several well-equipped clubs, one of which is managed by the Port Welfare Committee itself, serve the recreational needs of the visiting seamen.
During the year ending 31st March, 1956, (figures for 1955 are shown in brackets) 7,870 (7,589) ocean-going vessels of 21,807,590 (21,879,742) nett tons, 2,272 (2,068) river steamers of 2,585,760 (2,418,006) nett tons, and 28,557 (22,131) junks and launches of 2,281,021 (1,458,761) nett tons, entered and cleared the Port.
A total of 1,306,918 (775,556) passengers were embarked and disembarked; of these 53,017 (56,164) were carried by ocean-going vessels, and 1,253,901 (719,392) by river
steamers.
Weight tons of cargo discharged and loaded were follows:
Ocean-going vessels
River steamers
Discharged
Loaded
18,291 (14,056)
74,403 (132,398)
Junks and Launches ...
3,426,583 (3,408,963) 1,628,181 (1,367,208)
12,379 (24,045)
782,675 (411,977)
KOWLOON-CANTON RAILWAY
Kowloon is the southern terminal of a railway system extending to Hankow, with connexions to North, East and South-West China. The British Section of the line, which is 22 miles long, is owned by the Hong Kong Government, and is operated between Kowloon and Lo Wu on the southern bank of the Shumchun River, which forms part of the Colony's frontier with China. Through services were formerly operated to Canton and to the North, but since October 1949, when the Central People's Government was established, through passenger services have been suspended. Passengers proceeding to and from China change trains at the frontier. Goods traffic in wagon-loads has been passing to and from China without off-loading at the frontier since 1950.