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COMMUNICATIONS
and eight for vessels up to 300 feet in length. Commercial wharves are able to accommodate vessels up to 750 feet in length with a draught up to 32 feet. In addition to harbour moorings and wharfage considerable anchorage space, with adequate holding ground, is available both inside and beyond harbour limits. It is estimated that wharf and godown companies have total storage space of well over 1,000,000 tons, catering for the storage and transhipment of all types of refrigerated, dangerous and ordinary goods. During the year several new godowns were completed, in- cluding multi-storey types at Tsim Sha Tsui, West Point, Tsuen Wan and North Point. Another single storey godown, of pre- fabricated design, was completed on the Hung Hom reclamation.
Most cargo handled in Hong Kong is at some stage transported by lighter. There are now several hundred lighters and junks used for this purpose and more than 250 have engines. This mechanized fleet is expected to grow in the future as it is a form of transport particularly suited to the handling and delivery of the small parcels of cargo which make up a considerable proportion of the tonnage handled in the port. A new oil tanker terminal was completed this year at Tsuen Wan, bringing the number of terminals to four. First class bunkering services are provided, either at the oil depot wharves or by lighter. Fresh water is also available, although the supply may be limited in the dry season.
Officers of the Mercantile Marine Office supervise the engage- ment and discharge of seamen serving in British ships and ships whose countries have no consular representation in Hong Kong. It is estimated that some 30,000 Hong Kong seamen are regularly engaged in a sea-going capacity in ships of many different national flags. A port welfare committee ministers to the needs of crews of visiting ships, working with religious and other organizations devoted to this work. The committee administers a recreational club in Kowloon which is very popular with ships' crews. During the year $185,950, provided partly by private donations and partly by a Government subvention, was made available for port welfare purposes.
The current recession in shipping affected the two allied indus- tries of shipbuilding and ship-repairing this year and the level of activity fell below that of previous years. Hong Kong, however, remains a centre for the construction of small craft, yachts of
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