*
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*242
dens. Nevertheless, in the spring of 1907 they were closed, and their inmates and proprietors driven out of the Chinese city. Within a month this entire body of emigrees, their numbers swelled by both Japanese and Chinese recruits, were established and doing a flourishing busi ness in the Japanese settlement. They have continued to maintain themselves there ever since. At the present time, owing to the absence for the winter of almost all the timber coolies, the number of these dens of vice has decreased by nearly 40 per cent, but there Bre now running openly in the Japanese city, by actual count, 60 opium shops, one large gambling establishment and 10 outdoor gambling booths. As the diminution has not been in any way due to reformative measures, the return of the coolies in the spring will probably re-open the dens now closed. The portion of the Japanese settlement occupied by thegs industries has been leased at an excellent figure to one Wang, a Chinese, who styles himself Adviser to the Japanese Municipal Council. Wang levies dues upon his consti- tuents, which in the busy season amount to as much as 25,000 yen per month, from which budget 6,100 yen is paid monthly to the Japanese. The Chinese Police Magistrate continues his efforts to check the spread of these vices outside the alien limits, but the contagion always tends to spread from the fever spot, and his and other efforts for the cleaning up of Antung must, under the present status, remain futile.
Much remains to be said of this most interest- ing international situation. There are many incidents and anecdotes which are bound to impress one, even in a few days' residence, as typical and significant of the forces and situatio. 8 developing along the Yalu.
no
are
It is a well known fact that in Antang, a port which they have particularly exploited, not a single Japaness enterprise is making money except the Timber Bureau and the Mitsui Bussan Kaisha. The representative of the Yokohama Specie Bank says he can longer make loans to local Japanese firms for lack of sufficient security.
Of the 1,000 Japanese houses built in Antung 400 standing empty, the occupants of some unable to sustain their precarious existence, and the builders of others too sanguine as to the immediate future of lease-bold property. In less than a year the Japanese population of Antung has fallen from 5,122 in 1907 to 4,900 at present. The Chinese do not buy from Japanese merchants to any appreciable extent, and in February last, the chief Chinese merchants of the port formally agreed, in a meeting called for that purpose, not to make contracts with the Japanese either for delivery or sale. What the future south-eastern Man. churia will be it is difficult now to state. The answer depends chiefly upon how the Timber rights, the Chientao Boundary, and the Antung. Mukden Railway and Mining questions are adjusted.
SHIPPING AT HONGKONG.
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The report of the Harbour Master of | Hongkong for the year 19 7 was laid before the Legislative Counsil on Thursday. It shows an increase of entrances and -olearances, in com-
·
parison with the total for 1906. The increase is 77,908 vessels of 3,281,042 tons. Most of this, however, is accounted for by "ships" of sixty ton capacity and under harbour launches, likely. Still, on the shipping that counts, there Wak a respectable increase of 3.110 vessels aggregating 579,814 tons,
The increase is thus distributed : British Ocean-going vessels 59 ships of 26,698 tons.
Foreign Ocean-going vessels 334 ships of 627,310 tons.
British River steamers 364 ships with a decrease in tonnage of 212,137 tons.
Foreign River steamers 23) ships of 76,675
toas.
Steamships not exceeding 60 tons 703 ships of 29,739 tons.
Janks in foreign trade 1,411 vessels of 32,0.9
tons.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
Of the actual totals, arriving and departing. | engaged in foreign trade, British ocean-going vessels amounted to 31.4 per cent, foreigner, representing 3,35 per cent. Counting in 20.1 per cent. as British river steamers, against 3.2 per cent. foreign (and ignoring launches and junks) we see that the Red Ensign predominated with 51.5 per cent. against 36.7 under alien flags. The Star ferry boats, private launches, and fishing janks, were not counted in the above figures.
The average daily entry of European built foreign-going ships was 24.77, as against 22.5 in 1906.
The average ocean-going tonnage entering increased from 1,784.9 to 1,785.6 tors, but the average of river steamer tonnage dropped from 734 to 661 tons. British ocean-goers (average) dropped from 1,945 to 1,921 tons, and the foreigners improved their average from 1,654 to 1,870 tons. The decline in river averages was general.
Excluding local launches and junks, dust boats, &c., the totals compare as follows:
1906
ships. tous. 44,550 22,453,077
1907
ships. tons. 47,660 23,032,891
Of Ocean vessels under the British flag, there was an increase of 59 ships of 26,698 tons.
In British River steamers there is an increase of 364 ships with a decreased tonnage of 212,137 tons, which is mainly due to the withdrawal of the large sized steamer "Hankow" and the addition of the two small Macao steamers Sui Tai" and "Sui An.
For Foreign Ocean vessels an increase of 334 ships of 627,380 tons is shown, which is wholly due to the Japanese firms increasing their carrying trade. Under this flag, an increase of 455 ships of 976.450 tons is found, which a general falling off under other flags.
For Foreign River steamers an increase of 238 ships of 76,075 tons is shown, which can be accounted for, by vessels under the German, Chinese and Portuguese fags making more trips in 1907 than in 1906.
Janks in foreign trade show a legitimate increase of 1,411 vessels of 32,059 tons.
The decrease in local Junk trade, 10.841 vessels of 263,763 tons may be ascribed to the cessation of the Naval extension work and to the falling off in Conservancy boats.
The actual number of individual Ocean-going ships of European construction entering during the year was 800, being 362 British and 438 Foreign,
That was 70 less
These 800 ships aggregated 1,860,245 tons They entered 4 182 times, giving a collective tonnage of 7,467,511 tons. ships than in 1906, of 73,514 tons less, which entered 170 more times, and thus increased the collective tonnage by 306,183.
under nations.
An interesting table classifies these figures The figures in brackets are for 1906, included for comparison. S" means steamers, "T.E." indicates numbers of times entered, and the larger figures represent tonnage. Thus:
British 8. 355 (413) t.e. 1867 (1846) 3,586,5 10 (3,580,508.
German, s. 137 (143) t.e. 790 (846) 1,246,053 (1,343,420.)
Norwegian s. 59 (80) t.e. 29) (279) 265,728 (289,857.)
Japanese 8. 111 (68) t.e. 531 (298) 1,126,517
(640,715.)
The large increase in Japanese was only to be expected. French shipping was less, Chinese and Russian about the same, and American slightly less (251,590 tons against 299,079), There were two Corean ships, entering 14 times, with a collective tonnage of 21,298 tons. The previous year's curiosity, of a flagless ship of 178 tons. was not repeated.
'Wind-jammers "arrived ten times to the number of eight (foor lags), the collective tonnage under sail being 19,503, against 26,056 the year before.
+1
Whatever outcry there may be about foreign crews, it seems there can be none about officers. The 362 Brit sh vessels carried 3244 British officers and only 14 foreign (six American, four Norwegian, and two each anish and Datch.) Against this we find the 138 foreign Vessels carrying 3,304 officers, of whom 152 were British. These were mostly on Chinese, Japanese, and American vessels, half a dozen
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[April 13, 1908
Britons serving on French and German ships. The distribution of crews was (on British ships) 22,976 Britons, 638 other Juropeans or Americans, and 115,308 Asiatics, while on the foreign craft it was 1,699 British, 29,721 other Europeans or Americans, and 115,474 Asiation. That is to say, in British ships 16.5 per cent of the crews were British, 0.5 per cent other white men, and 83 per cent Asiatics. It might have been pointed out by Commander Taylor that a very large proportion of the Asiatics are British subjects.
The returns of trade, being by no means exact, are this year merely estimated in round numbers. An ingresse of about 360,000 tons in imports is put down, and an increase of 191,000 tone exports, with a 518,000 ton increase in transit cargo.
The figures as reported from 16 515 vessels amounted as follows: Import 4,366,000 tons; export 2,355,000; transit, 3,396,000 ; and bunker coal 725,000; total 10,842,000 tons. River- wise, imports and exports augmented, bat passenger traffio fell away. The figures are thus tabulated:
Imports Exports Passengers 1906 ...
284 890 223 070- 1:2,561,972 1907
351,000 370,000 **2,226,982 Janks bore 665,000 tons of imports and 89790100 tons of exports.
During the year the. Harbour Department collected revenue amounting to $348,300 as
Sabbath-
against $298,106 in 1906. (Odd cents omitted.) This increase of $50,193, however, includes Department, formerly issued by the Registrar $24,098 for boat licences, now issued by the General. The collection was divided into Light Dues $80,389; Licences and internal revenue $116,122; and Court and Office fees, $151,746. Junk licences produced eight-en thousand dollars inore than before, and boat licences nine thousand more breakers contributed $9,852, an imposition that only people really entitled to any of it are the future years will see done away with. The
orews who work cargo on their day of rest. Since the ordinance was passed, $425,922 has amount seems been collected for these permits, and the to get bigger every year. decreased considerably. Revenue from fishing-stake-and-station licences The expenditure of the Department was $160,383 (exclusive of Crown Agents' bill rendered in the last month, Never was such a harbour for steam- launches as Hongkong, and it is interesting to note that this familiar form of craft Xumbered 285, yielding $662 for licences. Emigrants leaving Hongkong numbered 105,967; they went mostly in British ships. It was a record year for emigration. There were 145,822. returned emigrants. Eighty engineers pass. ed examinations during the year, and 36 deck officers. No new pilots were made, but 18
licences were renewed.~
Glancing through the usual appendices, we only two were over a thousand tons, the "ni An" see that out of 36 vessels registered at this, port,
built here, and half a dozen at Shanghai. There and "Sai Tai," Of the whole number, 28 were
consistently the entire trade has climbed to its is a cheerful looking diagram showing how
to ten millions, of which the British, up to proud eminence of 11,500,000 tons, its tonnage 6,700,000 in 1901, has since dropped to 5,900,000, Foreign tonnage had a similar drop in 1904, but has since regained and slightly improved on its four millions of that period. Junk tonnage meanders horisontally from 1896. across the diagram, with a tendency to droop until 1902, since when it ricochets between German tonnage climbed steadily twelve and fourteen hundred thousand. The Japanese line is quite a drunken affair, owing to its two wars, but its upward swoop since 1905 (from 40.000 tons to 1,100,000) is not to be mistaken. imported, being 6,724 less than in 19 6. Chests Of opium, 40,812) chests were
exported numbered 42,702, or 4,8734 less than in 1906. Nearly nine thousand chests passed through without being landed. Four hundred and fifteen cases of morphia were imported and 398 exported. Sugar was imported to the qusa- tity of 292,527 tons, mostly from Java (216,486 tons) and the Philippines (58,978 tons). This Import was 190,592 tons more in 1906. Vessels surveyed daring the year numbered 102, or 431,705 tons, !
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