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INDUSTRIXO.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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During 1907 the price of refined sugar in the East still further declined, principally as a result of the lower cost of raw sugar, but also owing to the determined competition of Japanese refineries seeking to capture" the local refineries old established Chiness connections. The quantity of sugar refined in Hongkong was, however, larger than for years past, and was disposed of in China and other markets, although at a loss in some instances, and on very small margins of profit in others. By the end of 1907 | the strenuous competition from Japanese quarters had, however, exhausted itself, and it is confidently expected by those best able to form an opinion that local industries will be able to maintain and improve their position.
The demand for yarn during 1907 was even more unsatisfactory than during the previous year, which was undoubtedly due to the failure of almost every Yarn Shop in the Colony. These failures threw a quantity of Yarn on the market which had to be disposed of at a reduc- tion of $20/25 per bale on the contract price. Owing to the large stocks on hand it was found necessary to decrease the output of the local Cotton Mill by reducing the number of spindles running, and during the last three months of
11 "short time year
was also resorted to. Both exchange and the price of raw material have been in favour the rope factory, enabling them to reduce their selling price to their customers to a lower limit than for some years. On the other hand the lower price induced a greater demand and the factory's turnover accordingly showed a fair increase.
the
No further additions have been made to the plant of the Cement Company, which with a good demand for cement has been kept con- tinuously employed throughout the year.
The Flour Mills at Junk Bay were kept running continuously night and day, including many Sundays.
Four hundred and twenty-two (422) vessels of 1,001,001, tone and 112 launches, lighters, &c., were docked and repaired, compared with 440 vessels of 1,063,454 tons and 70 launches, lighters, &c., in 1906. One hundred and eleven (111) steam-launches and other vessels with an aggregate tonnage of 6,301 were built during the year,
A small new industry has recently been established in this Colonly, ie., that paraned by the Wai San Knitting Co., Ld., bat the company is still in its infancy.
Another recently established industry is carried on by the Imperial Brewing Co., Ld. Large quantities of their products are being exported to the various ports in China. The capacity of the plant is 2,750,000 gallons
per annum,
FISHERIES.
A considerable proportion of the boat popul- stion of Hongkong supports itself by deep-sea fishing, in which pursuit a large number of junks are engaged, The villages of Aberdeen, Stanley, Shaukiwan, and many others in the New Territories are largely de- pendent upon this industry for their prosperity. Fresh water fish is imported from Canton and the West River. There are oyster beds of considerable value in Deep Bay.
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tightness of the money market. The principal items were for sites for a Cigar Factory in Kowloon and for a Brewery at Lai Chi Kok in the New Territories, a lot at North Point and land for extension of the Standard Oil Com-ly pany's new premises at Lai Chi Kok.
EDUCATION,
The number of Government and grant schools, including Queen's College, is 79 of which 25 are upper grade schools with a staff competent to give instruction in all the subjects of Standard | VII and 54 are Lower Grade Schools under purely native management. Generally speaking, the Upper Grade Schools are taught in English, and the Lower Grade Schools are taught in the | vernacular.
The total number of pupils in average attend. ance at Government and grant schools Wan 5,024 against 5,496 in 1906. Of these, 2,144 were in Government and 3,870 in graut schools: 3,569 pupils received instruction in English, and 2,855 in the vernacular. The proportion of boys to girls was 3,761 to 2,163
The revenue derived from school fees was $49,223, $30,442 of which was received from Queen's College.
PUBLIC WORKĄ.
The principal public works in progress during the year, exclusive of the railway, were the Tytam Tuk Waterworks (1st section) and the Kowloon Waterworks both of which have been described in previous reports. The former were practically completed and fair progress was made with the latter, which are now in such forward state as to be fully capable of supplying the whole peninsula with water. The extension of the distribution system to the important villages Sham Shui Po, Kowloon City and Taikoktaui was complete and the substitu- tion of mains of larger diameter for those originally laid at Kowloon Point was in progress to ensure an efficient supply of water for fire extinction purposes, the erection of large godowns being în progress there.
LAW COURTS AND POST OFFICE. The New Law Courts and New Government Offoes were still under construction, whilst the Public Mortuary near Yaumati and the Time Ball Tower on Blackbead's Hill, Kowloon, were completed. A new building to accommodate the Land Office at Tai Po, which had hitherto been housed in a temporary mstahed structure was in progress; a new market at Sai-Wah Hỏ, near Shaukiwan, was practically completed; an extension of the Staff Quarters at the Govern- ment Civil Hospital was undertaken to afford accommodation for the nurses hitherto support ed by the Nursing Institute; and a ricksha shel- ter was erected close to the Star Ferry pier in Salisbury Road, Kowloon. As the construction of the Railway involved the demolition of the Slaughter House and Cattle Depot at Hangham, the erection of New Slaughter Houses and De- pots was begun at Ma Tau Kok. Provision is made in the new establishments for considerable developments beyond present requirements. The works of reconstruction of gullies and extension of nullah training were continued, $10,000 being spent on the former and over $23,500 on the latter. A large tank for flush- ing a portion of the Sewerage System of the City was constructed at the junction of Water Street and Queen's Road West; the rifle ranges for the use of the Volunteer Reserve Associa- In Hongkong fifty-four thousand two hundred tion at the Peak and King's Park, Kowloon, and ninety-five pits were dug and sown with pine were extended; a new service reservoir at West seeds by the departmental staff. Thirty Point for supplying the High Levels of the thousand pits were sown by contract with no City was begun; now Cable Beserve was estab- result in the majority of cases. In the Newlished at North Point and the cables were Territories 111,156 pita were dug by contract and sown by the department; while 24,557 were planted by the department and 8,000 by contract. One hundred and fifty-two shade trees were planted in streets in Kowloon, and 45 in streets in Hongkong; while 265 trees were planted along the newly formed banks of May Road and Conduit Road. Six hundred and ninety-six bamboos were planted along roads at the Peak and elsewhere, while 92 Hydrangeas and 102 Azaleas were planted ont on Crown land in various parts of the Peak.
LAND GRANTS AND GENERAL VALUI OR
LAND. The amount received from sales of Crown- Land was £161,459, being $154,274 less than the receipts for the previous year. This falling \ff may be attributed to the continued depression * business throughout the year and to general
£
FORESTRY, BOTANICAL SCIENCE AND
AGRICULTURE.
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transferred to it; an obelisk in memory of the French sailors lost in the Typhoon of the 18th September, 1906, was erected; and the construc- tion of a retaining wall behind Inland lot 1,523 to obviate the risk of landslips which threatened to endanger the condait conveying the water from Tytam to the City was completed.
IMPROVEMENT SCHEME,
The Mee Lun Lane Improvement Scheme was completed. Another section of Robinson Road. Kowloon, extending from Market Street to Waterloo Road was undertaken and the removal of the hill North of Maumati Theatre continued, the material being used for private reclamation work North of the Naval Coaling Depot. The extension of Conduit Road in Easterly and Westerly directions and of the road past Kowloon City mentioned last year were completed, and a further section of the
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[July 6, 1908.
latter road extending to its junction with the Chui Lan Chu Road was undertaken. A new path, connecting Barker Road with May Boad; as the extension of Conduit Road in an Easter- direction has been designated, was completed. The extension and reconstruction of the Albany Filter Beds was continued, fair progress being made with the work.
The total amount expended on Public Works Extraordinary, exclusive of Advance Accounta and Deposits not available, was $784,820 and on Works Annually Recurrent, $583,041. By the transfer of the item "Typhoon and Rainstorm Damage" from the former head to the latter, the first-mentioned sum has been diminished by $106,659 whilst that last-mentioned has been correspondingly increased. «
Good progress was made on the British Sec- tion of the Hongkong-Canton Railway the cost of which is being defrayed by a Loan."
During the year 1907 the re-alignment con- sequent on the detailed survey by the Construs-` tion Engineers was completed and work com- menced over the whole length, The reclamation for a site for Kowloon Station Yard was started in June. The actual heading driving in Beacon Hill Tunnel may be said to have started on January 1st, 1907. Daring the year two thousand one hundred feet of heading was
driven from both ends from the shafts sunk at both the North and South sides and four hundred and sixty-five feet of tunnel fally lined. About two-thirds of the compressor plant was in working order, the headings not being far enough advanced to necessitate special ventilating plant. There was difficulty experienced at first in obtaining sufficient labour for work underground but towards the end of the year on the rates being raised slightly a large number of skilled mining coolies returned from South Africa flooked to the work.
Bridge building progressed steadily all through the year as well as Earthwork and the minor tunnels, there being no very great difficulties to contend with except in one of the latter. A temporary metre gauge line was laid from the sea front at Lokloha to the North face, the shaft (278) was completed and a consider- able number of houses for Staff erected. The systematic issue of quinine to all rail employes resulted in a diminution of malarial fever.
The expenditure on the work during the year amounted to $2,314,915.
CRIMINAL AND POLICE,
The total of all cases reported to Police was 11,540 being an increase of 396 or 3.55 per cent as compared with 1906. In the division of these cases into serious and minor offences there is a decrease in the former as compared with the previous year of 27 cases or 81 per cent.
The number of serious offences reported was 297 below the average of the quinquennial period commencing with the year 1903.
The number of minor offences report-d shows an increase of 423 as compared with 1906.
The number of minor offences reported was 385 above the average of the quinquennial period.
The total number of persons committed to Victoria Gaol was 5,877, as compared with 5,799 in 1906, but of these only 2,460 were committed for criminal offences, against 2,575 in 1906. Of committals for non-criminal offences there were 84 less under the Prepared Opium Ordinance and 4 less for infringement of Sanitary Bye- laws.
The daily average of prisoners confined in the Gaol was 502, the average for 1906 being 518 and the highest previous average being 726 in 1904. The percentage of prisoners to popula- tid according to the daily average of the former and the estimated number of the later, was 1.44 as compared with 1.61, the average percentage for the last ten years. The Prison discipline was satisfactory, the average of punishments in 1906 and 1.47 in 1905. per prisoner being 1.50, as compared with 1,21
POPULATION.
The population of the Colony according to the census taken in 1901 was 288,975 while at the census taken in 1906 it was 301,967 exclusive of the New Territories, New Kowloon and the Army and Navy Establishments. The estimaḥəd population at the middle of the year under review was 414,348 as follows:- "Non-Chinese Civil Communityɑ............................. 12,70)
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