44
5. Normal factory hours are 7 a.m. to 12 noon, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., with over- time from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. These are based largely on the hours of daylight, so that no useful purpose would be served by altering the official time with a view to daylight saving.
6. We quote the following figures from the Hong Kong Trade and.Shipping Returns in respect of the imports of coal during 1938.
North China
French Indo-China
United Kingdom Australia
TOTAL
India
South Africa
North China
French Indo-China
Japan
Neth. East Indies
TOTAL.
COAL, ANTHRACITE.
Tons.
2,560
25,600
94,494
1,277,203
97,054
1,302,803
COAL, BITUMINOUS.
Tons.
$
2,591
86,473
13,370
342,365
46,981
919,272
98,996
2,013,381
113,355
2,400,112
220
4,400
285,900
5,277,985
80,363
1,587,930
641,776
12,631,918
Approximately two thirds of the total is consumed by steamships coaling in the Colony's waters.
7. We are informed, however, by the Hong Kong Electric Company and the China Light and Power Company that all the coal used by them in the generation of the Colony's electricity supply is purchased from India and French Indo-China. so that the question of the conservation of exchange as a war measure by a reduction of coal imports based on decreased electric light requirements does not appear to arise.
8. Bye-law 8 made under the Factories and Workshops Ordinance of 1937 forbids night work by women and young persons.
The Protector of Labour may in exceptional cases authorize the employment of any woman or young person of 16 years or over for not more than 60 days in any year between the hours of 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. Except as so provided, no woman or young person shall be employed in ny industrial undertaking between the hours of 8 p.m. and 7 a.m. As many women are employed in factories, especially knitting factories, this automatically controls the hours per diem worked in such factories. In consideration of this and in view of the further fact that a number of factories are engaged in war work we have not thought it advisable in present circumstances to recommend the limitation by statute of hours of employment in factories.
9. In the case of shops, however, we are of opinion that the same considera- tions do not apply. Factory owners may allege that they have to compete with factories in places where hours are uncontrolled. We do not feel called upon to comment on this argument, beyond recording that it does not apply to shops in the same place which only compete one with another. We append a statement of the