258
3. 4,578 Steamers, 100 Sailing vessels, and 29,818 Junks entered during the year, giving a daily average of 94 vessels as against 85 in 1895.
For European constructed vessels the average daily entry would be 12.81 as against 12.45 in 1895, and of the steamers arriving 69.8% were British including all the River steamers of which the daily entries averaged 3.81.
4. A comparison between the years 1895-1896 is shown in the following shipping Return:- Comparative Shipping Return for the Years 1895 and 1896.
1895.
1896.
Entered and Cleared. Entered and Cleared.
INCREASE.
DECREASE.
Ships. Tonnage. Ships. Tonnage. Ships. Tonnage. Ships. Tonnage.
British... Foreign,
Junks in Foreign
Trade,
6,626 8,589,637 6,454 8,758,294
168,657 172 2,463 2,935,949 2,898 3,575,102 435 639,153 53,027 8,683,700 59,576 3,767,403 | 6,549 83,703
+
Total,...
[62,116 | 15,209,286 (68,928 | 16,100,799 6,984 | 891,513
172
Trade,
Junks in Local 11,645
422,827 11,535 415,154
110
7,673
Grand Total,... [73,761 | 15,632,113 80,463 | 16,515,953 | 6,984 | 891,513
282 7,673
NET.......
6,702 883,840
tons.
5. The above statement shows a decrease of 172 British ships, but an increase of 168,657 British The decrease is mainly due to the River steamer Wing Tong (to which reference was made in the 1895 Report) which made this year only 12 entries and 11 departures, against 114 round trips in 1895. Exclusive of all River steamers the Return would show an increase of 30 British ships and 120,783 British tons.
6. Another cause of apparent decrease in British ships compared with 1895 will be found in the number of Chinese owned vessels which appeared in 1895 under the British flag and which have since returned to their own, and appeared in 1896 as Chinese; the number of their entries and clearances in 1895 were 112, with a tonnage of 165,774 tons. If these were also excluded from the comparison, we would get an increase of 142 British ships and 286,557 British tons, or 5%.
7. A large increase in Foreign ships and tonnage is shown in the above comparative statement. This increase is found principally under the German, Japanese and Chinese flags.
8. The record for the German flag in 1896 is represented by an increase of 175 ships entering and clearing with a tonnage of 233,156 tons, a still larger increase is shown if the Chinese ships which sailed under the German flag in 1895 were taken out of the comparison. These amounted to 92 entries and clearances of 97,914 tons, and the actual increase under the German flag would then become 267 ships entering and clearing with a tonnage of 331,070.
9. This substantial increase is built up by an increased number of entries and clearances in the Coasting trade, coupled with the new "Rickmers" line from Europe, and the large new steamers of D. D. R. line which came to Hongkong during the year under review.
10. Under the Japanese flag there is an increase over 1895 of entries and clearances amounting to 107 ships of 194,104 tons, made up principally of 16 vessels of the new lines to Europe, Australia and elsewhere, which made during the year 72 entries and clearances, of a combined tonnage of 119,846 tons. The increase under this flag is the most notable for the year. For 8 years previous to the war the average yearly entry of Japanese vessels was 44 with a tonnage of 61,578, in 1896 it rose to 80 ships of 144,493 tons.
11. A large increase in Chinese ships is also shown, viz., 225 ships entering and clearing of 263,711 tons, but when consideration is given to the Chinese ships which appeared in 1895 under the British and German flags, 204 ships of 263,688 tons, this increase is more apparent than real.
12. The total increase under the foregoing is reduced by a falling off under the Danish flag amounting to 78 entries and clearances of 27,678 tons, owing to the stranding of the S.S. Activ and to the absence, on time charter, of the S.S. Frejr-two "regular customers."
13. The net increase in Foreign flags is thus brought to 435 entries and clearances with a ton- nage of 639,153 tons.
14. Taking entries and clearances together, we get the following increases shown for 1896 over 1895:-
British, German,
Japanese,
5%
23 %
..195 %