234
confined to vessels other than junks it would not b more than about 5 dollars per ship.
Considering
the average size of these ships considerably exceed 1.000 tons, such a fee on the whole cargo of a ship could not be twisted into a Customs duty and would
less than the most trifling port charges elsewhere.
I merely mention this method of meeting statistical expense by a charge for the purpose, as that is in use in Europe, and one which would not f on the inhabitants of the Colony; but no doubt the advisers of the Governor could meet the question of
cost if once convinced of its expediency.
As regards the position taken that the
collection of such statistics would be opposed to I
publie opinion I cannot help thinking with the Hong
Kong Chamber of Commerce that the position which
Hong Kong occupies as a trading and distributing c
is unique; and that therefore local opinion ought no
to be allowed very much weight in the matter.
The
amount of tonnage of all nations entering Hong Kong
harbour is very great Sir G.W. des Voeux claimed it.
as the third shipping port in Great Britain and.
probably in the world (possibly excepting New York).
If this be so - and there is some primary ground for
the claim then certainly the local opinion of a few.
thousand Europeans should not weigh too heavily in
discouraging an attempt to obtain information which is
of much wider than local interest, and of which the cost
might be so arranged as to fall on the shipping and not
on the local taxpayers at all.
d
I think the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce
have looked at this question from a somewhat narrow
point of view. There is certainly no port of the
extreme East so fitted to be used as a gauge of our
ability or otherwise to hold the trade of that part of
the world against our German, French and American rivals;
and yet the figures which would shew our progressor
theirs in respect of the entire trade of China are to
萧
amounts
remain