1
May 14, 190e.j
+
is due to the fact that two small Chinese vessels have become British, and the increase in tonnage to the more frequent running of two moderate sized French steamers. The remaining increases and decreases do not present any points of importance, with Eight thousand one hundred and thirty-three (8,183) steamers, 22 sailing ships, and 900 steamships under 60 tons in foreign trade, entered during the year, giving a daily average entry of 24.81 as compared with 23 25 in 1904. If the figures for foreign trade junks are added, the daily average would be 70.5, as against 70 in 1904. The 506 British vessels carried 3,793 British officers and 30 Foreign officers, 88 follows:British, 3,793; Dutch, 2; Norwegian, 1; Swedish, 1. United States, 26. Thus, the proportion of Foreign officers serving in British vessels was 0.99 per cent, comprising 4 nationalities, A decrease of 0.08 per cent, with an increase in number of officers borne, in a slightly decreased number of vessels. The 383 Foreign vessels carried 2,895 officers, of whom 119 were British, as follows:-In Chinese vessels, 80; French 2; in Japanese 8 and in United States, vessels, 29. Thus, 4.11 per cent of the Officers serving in Foreign vessels visiting the port were of British nationality. A decrease of 2.51 per cent. with a decrease in number of ships and of officers borne therein. The 506 British vessels carried, as crews, 30,983 British, 2,818 other Europeans, and 108,032 Asiatics; while the 383 Foreign vessels carried 1.218 British, 42,553 other Europeans, and 78,226 Asiatics. This shows a growing ten. dency, when compared with previous years, for vessels to employ their own nationals to the exclusion of Asiatics and other Europeans.
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My opening remarks under the heading of trade in my report for 1904 are as applicable now as then. The inaccuracy of these cargo returns is strikingly exemplified in the enormous inorease shown in the import of sugar, which amounts to 106,091 tons, or an increase of 51.5 per cent. From enquiries made, it appears that no such abnormal increase has taken place, and the explanation of the discrepancy is that the sugar returns, since the passing of the Sugar Convention Ordinance and the regulations made thereunder in June, 1905 (8 period of only six months), have, perforce, been accurate, so that, apparently, double this amount of sugar has, in previous years, if reported at all, been reported 88 General." Under the heading imports there appears a decrease of 280,888 tons, or 6.7 per cent. Though the general tendency is towards decrease in most of the items, there are substantial increases reported in cotton, hemp, and general cargo, of 70.2 per cent., 38.2 per cent., and 1.9 per cent., respectively, but it is difficult to say if these are genuine Prominent among the decreases are:--Coal, 68,467 tons, or 5.9 per cent. This is probably due to the cessation of maritime warlike operations. Flour, 61,413 tons, or 52.9 per cent. This appears to be due solely to the “ boycott" of United States goods. Bulk kerosene, 13,554 tons, or 23.8 per cent. It seems that this is merely due to the fact that large cargoes which in previous years would have been landed here, have been carried
increases or no.
t
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
847
tion of 19,706,728 tons (net register), reported › KIAOCHOW TRADE REPORT, 1905, having carried 10,277,939 tons of cargo, as follows:-Import cargo 3,869,751 tons, export cargo 2,343,701 tons, transit cargo 3,415,418 tons. Banker Coal shipped 649,069 tons. The total number of tons carried was, therefore, 52.15 per cent of the total net register tonnage (or 71.24 per cent. exclusive of river steamers). The total number of European constructed vessel importing cargo for the year was 8,155 having a tonnage of 9,863 825, the net increase in the number of vessels being 694 and in the | tonnage 235,575. The number of toas of cargo imported was 3,869,751 as compared with 4,150,639 for 1904. 8,148 European constructed vessels having a tonnage of 9,843,403 tons exported cargo during the year, the net increase in the number of vessels being 647 and in the tonnage 243 841 tons. The quantity of cargo exported for 1905 was 2,343,701 tons as against 2,605,861 tons for 1904.
The river trade in imports, exports and pas- sengers compared with the previous year was as follows:-
Year
1904...
1905
Imports Exports Passengers 294,216 209,534 2,231,586 294,425 212,649 2,673,202 48,403 junks measuring 2,620,683 tous im ported 862, 459 tous of merchandise to the Colony during the year, while 48,339 junks measuring 2,616,920 tons exported 721.591 tons of goods The net increase in the number of arrivals and departures, including emigrants for the year is 459,882, the numbers being 3,319,295 for 1915
and 2,859,413 for 1904.
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The total revenue collected by the Harbour Department during the year was $300,567.76, being a decrease of $366.19 on the previous year. On the 31st December, there were 276 steam-launches employed in the harbour, of these, 109 were licensed for the conveyance of passengers, 147 were privately owned, 15 were the property of the Government, and 5 belonged to the Imperial Government in charge of Military Authorities. Twenty-three master's certificates were suspended, 4 for three months, 9 for two months, 8 for one month, I for six weeks; two masters were cantioned and dis. charged respectively. 442 engagements, and four hundred and thirty-three discharges of masters and engineers were made from 1st January to 31st December. Eleven steam launches were permitted to carry arms, etc., for their protection against pirates, of these, Dine were previously permitted, and two during this year. 64,341 emigrants left Hongkong for various places, during the year, of these 18,289 were carried by British ships and 16,052 by Foreign ship,; 140,483 were reported as having been brought to Hongkong from places to which they had emigrated, and of these, 113,796 were brought in British ships and 25,586 by Foreign ships. During the year, 17 ships were registered under the provisions of the Imperial Merchant Shipping Act, and 8 certificates of registry were cancelled. 376 documents were dealt with in connection with the Imperial Merchant Shipping Act, the fees collected thereon amounting to $1,266. Seventy- five cases were heard in the Marine Magistrate's Court, refusal of duty on board ship and breach of Harbour Regulations were the principal
offences.
on to other ports in the same bottoms, and hence come under the heading "Transit". Case Kerosene, 26,186 tons, or 26 per cent. This reduction, again, may be ascribed to the "boycott." Liquid fuel, 8,877 tons, or 91 per cent. There would appear to be little demand here for this form of buskering, hence this decrease. Rice, 257,168 tons, or 31.2 per cent. This, though a decrease on the figures for 1904, appears to represent merely a return to normal conditions after the enormous rice trade to the North during the earlier stages of the war. An increase is reported of 263,492 tons in Transit cargo. The reports show & decrease of 262,190 tons in export cargo The total reported import trade of the port for: 1905 amounted to 25,764 vessels of 11,828,015 tons, carrying 7,830,424 tons of cargo, of which 4,415,006 tons were discharged at Hongkong. This does not include the number, tonnage, or cargo carried by vessels in local| trade. Similarly, the export trade of the port was represented by 25,814 vessels of 11,325,601 tons, carrying 8,011,805 tons of cargo, and ship- ping 651,523 tons of bunker coal. Daring the year 1905, 16,303 vessels of European construc- ' was $18,421,95.
Following is the andusi report of Mr. E. Ohlmer, Commissioner of Customs, with one or two unimportant deletions:-The trade of the year 1905 has been satisfactory throughout. The same gratifying increases in bImports and Exports, reported annually since the opening of the port, have again to be recorded. Profits to merchants have been fair, and healtby develop. ments in several directions give good promise of further expansion of trade. The total value of the 1905 trade, Hk. Tla. 223 millions, show an increase of Hk. Tir. 3.5 millions, or nearly 20 per cent, over the total in the previous year, of this amount, Hk. Tls, 17 millions is the value of the trade carried on in vessels of Foreign type and Hk. Tla. 5.3 millions in the value of the junk trade. While the latter has remained stationary throughout these years, fluctuating within the limits of about 25 per cent., chiefly in harmony with the harvest, the former has grown steadily every year and is still 'capable of considerable development. The import of Foreign goods has increased from Hr. Tls. 8.7 millions in 1904 to Hk. Tls. 108 millions, while the value of direct Exports to Foreign countries, Hk. Tls. 2.4 millions, has nearly trebled during the year. The principal feature of the year's trade, deserving of special notice, is the general increase of Exports, which until now has been the weak point in the trade of this port Among these, two staples-Coal and Beanoake appear for the first time in quantities which will be further noticed in their proper places below, and give promise of future development and augmentation of tonnage and trade. Another article deserving of notice is Straw Braid. This staple has, thanks to the efforts of the merchants and the aid of the railway, been gradually drawn to this port; the export has risen from 9,969 piouls in 1903 to 25,383 pienis in 1904 and 41,417 picnis in 1905, of which 24,628 picals were sent direct to Foreign countries, chiefly Eogland and Germany. Tsingtau has now become the principal market in North Chins for this article, having outstripped both Chefoo and Tientsin. The principal factors that have con- tributed to this happy result are no doubt the railway and the facilities offered by the magnificent harbour. The latter is progressing rapidly, and with the completion of the second wharf, which may be looked for soon, will have accommodation for a dozen steamers working at
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a time. The end of the Manchurian war doubt-
lessly contributed to stimulate trade during the last quarter of the year. A further sad con- siderable improvement may be looked for in 1906, the German Government have decided to restrict to the harbour the free area, which
hitherto comprised the whole of the German territory and therefore necessitated frontier and railway control by the Customs. The additional Customs Convention concluded on the 1st December, 1905, comes in force on the 1st January, 1906; Customs control of railway traffic outside of the free-port territory and of the frontier trafic will cesse; merchandise leaving the free-port territory will, with certain exceptions, pay Import Duty according to the General Treaty Tariff, and is then free to go anywhere into the hinterland without restric
tion. The Colonial Government will receivo as During the year, 359 permits were issued, a contribution to the expenses of the territory under the provisions of the Ordinance for Sun 20 per cent, of the Import Duty, the amount day cargo working. Of these, 93 were not being subject to revision every five years. availed of owing to its being found unnecessary This long looked-for event practically removes for the ship to work cargo on Sunday, and the all restriction to trade with the interior. Pas fee paid for the permit was refunded in each sengers and goods may now freely move to and case. The revenue collected under this heading from the hinterland without Customs control was $43,475; this was $5,850 more than in 1904. and restriction of any kind, and Tsingtan, by The station at the Island of Cheung Chau was reducing its free-port area to the harbour in opened in September, the one at Tai O in the exchange for free commerce with the Shantung Island of Lantau, in October of 1899, that at hinterland, will reap the chief benefit of this Tai Po in Mirs Bay, on board the Police steam-change. It is safe to predict that the year launch, in January, 1900, that the Deep Bay, 19 6 will show a large increase in the trade of on board the Police steam-launch, in November, this port and fully prove the wisdom of the 1951, that at Sai Kung in April, 1902, and that new Customs arrangement, Long Ket, on board the Police steam-launch, 'The year's harvest has, on the whole, been in April, 1905. From 1st January to 31st good, only two article-Fruits» and «Beaus, December, 1905, 9,138 licences, clearances per- which suffered from frost and drought--yield- mits, etc., were issued at Cheung Chau, 3,937 ing poor crops. The export of prodnos has at Tai 0, 6,284 at Tai Po, 4,177 at Deep Bay, however, not been in keeping with the yield, 2,564 at Sai Kung and 3,297 at Long Ket. | As regards Silk, both Yellow and Wild Baw, The revenue collected by the Harbour Depart the Shanghai prices being low, it was found ment from the New Territory during 1905, | more proštable to work_up the article into Pongues and export to Paking, by land, both