COMMUNICATIONS
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compulsory, it is recommended owing to the density of traffic and the constant reclamation and harbour works.
Quarantine and immigration formalities take place at the eastern or western quarantine anchorages. Port Health and Immigration Department launches are on duty from 7 a.m. to midnight in the eastern anchorage and from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the western anchorage. Radio pratique may also be granted in certain cases, and this arrangement, apart from reducing the number of move- ments within the busy part of the harbour, is popular with passengers and consignees for it means that disembarkation and cargo work can begin immediately a ship is berthed.
The signal station on Waglan Island-covering the eastern approaches and the other signal stations in the harbour are manned continuously, reporting all movements to the port control office, the staff of which is available at all times to deal with emergencies and queries. Radio telephones connect these signal stations with the port control and port health launches, while Police, Immigration and Commerce and Industry Department launches have their own individual circuits. Vessels at buoys and wharves may hire radio telephones commercially to link up with the public telephone services. The Alexander Grantham, one of the largest and most up-to-date fire floats in the world, manned by the Fire Services Department is maintained as an insurance against ship or waterfront fires becoming widespread; other smaller fire floats are stationed at constant readiness both in the main harbour and in the smaller ports of the Colony.
Port activity again showed an increased movement of shipping. Modern methods of cargo handling, an absence of restrictions to trade and commerce and an adequacy of transhipment and storage facilities enabled the port to meet these increased demands. Tran- shipment cargo accounts for an appreciable proportion of cargo handled in the port. Details of vessels entered and cleared during the year, together with figures of cargo loaded and discharged, are in Appendix X, which also shows the number of passengers, including emigrants, who landed and embarked during the year. The Colony continues to develop its industries, which depend wholly on imported raw materials; shipping takes away the finished products to all parts of the world. Many well-known and old-established shipping lines maintain regular and frequent