The increase in River Trade is almost wholly due to the new Steamers Kinshun and Wing Chai being in the River Trade during the greater part of 1903 and to an increased number of sailings by the Hongkong, Canton and Macao Steam Boat Company, Limited.
Under Foreign Flags, the table shows an increase of 681 ships of 1,063,904 tons of which 328 ships of 821,216 tons are Ocean-going, the remainder 353 ships measuring 242,688 tons are River Steamers.
The increase in Ocean-going is made up principally by an increased number of Steamers calling at the Port in 1903 under the United States Flag and to the increased tonnage of some of the Pacific Mail Steamers, and to an increase under Chinese, Japanese and French Flags.
The increase in River Trade is made up by two French Steamers Sun Cheung and Kong Num, (the former being a new Steamer and the latter was transferred from the British Flag in July, 1903) also to the Chinese Steamers Chun Wai and Chan On whose running commenced in the first Quarter of 1903.
The actual number of ships of European construction (exclusive of River Steamers and Steam Launches) entering the Port during 1903, was 741, of which 344 were British, and 397 Foreign. These 741 ships entered 4,419 times, giving a total tonnage entered of 7,064,185 tons. Ships entered 372 more times, and gave a total tonnage increased by 779,927 tons.
Thus compared with 1902, 23 more
FlagSTEAMERSShipsNo. of Times enteredTotal Tonnage 190219031902190319021903 3311,7531,9822,965,0303,368,788 5042 5The principal features to be remarked in the reported Trade of the Port for 1903 are:--
In Imports reported: ---
Increases in Coal of 14.0%
Decreases in Bulk Petroleum of 25.4%
Cotton of 80.8%
Liquid Fuel of 84.1%
Flour of 11.6%.
Case Petroleum of 37.3%
General of 7.7%
Rice Sugar Timber of 27.1% of 14.3% of 14.1.
The net increase under this head amounts to 21,847 tons.
In Exports, there is an increase reported of 24,252 In Transit Cargo
The total reported Import Trade of the Port for 1903 amounted to 24,819 vessels of 10,959,293 tons, carrying 7,392,220 tons of cargo, of which 4,517,370 tons were discharged at Hongkong. This does not include the number, tonnage, or cargo of Junks, or Steam Launches employed in Local Trade.
Similarly, the Export Trade from the Port was represented by 24,966 vessels of 10,944,055 tons, carrying 3,034,683 tons Cargo, and shipping 675,891 tons of Bunker Coal.
Eighty-three thousand three hundred and eighty-four (83,384) Emigrants left Hongkong for various places during the year; of these, 55,681 were carried by British Ships and 27,708 by Foreign Ships; 140,551 were reported as having been brought to Hongkong from places to which they had emigrated, and of these, 107,166 were brought in British Ships and 33,385 by Foreign Ships.
The total Revenue collected by the Harbour Department during the year was $285,288.42, being an increase of $18,522.43 on the previous year.
1. Light Dues, $74,960.00
2. Licences and Internal Revenue, $66,475.50
3. Fees of Court and Office, $154,852.92
Total, $285,288.42
BritishAustrianBelgianChineseDanishDutchFrenchGermanItalianJapaneseNorwegianPortugueseRussianSwedishUnited StatesNo FlagTotal 3242017627123562114423676 15144212610046161524700 3,624125,929135131122898940730030315624,000 3,624106,944172272826231819611,2604,383 1,360,524168,39623,374219,1111,345,5676,215,860 1,017,203222,16418,676246,837200,7067,009,181 2,428During the year 1903, 14,489 vessels of European construction, of 19,018,411 tons (net Register), reported having carried 9,768,405 tons of Cargo, as follows:-
Import Cargo, 3,985,310
Export 2,245,119
Transit 2,874,950
Bunker Coal shipped, 663,026
9,768,405
(4.) INDUSTRIES,
The conditions of the Sugar industry in the Colony during 1903 were much more favourable than in the previous year, when a serious collapse in prices was experienced all over the world, rendering profitable working impossible. In contrast to the wide range of prices during 1902, fluctuations were much more moderate, and with values at a low level the consumption of sugar showed a considerable advance, especially in the China market. This steadiness in prices may be attributed to the passing of the Brussels Sugar Convention in the Spring of 1902, under which European sugar bounties were abolished, and which came into operation on the 1st September, 1903. The markets in Europe, however, were still overstocked as the result of enormous overproduction in previous years, so that the full effect of the abolition of bounties has not been felt. When such stocks have been worked off the sugar trade generally will be relieved of a factor which has hitherto accentuated its necessarily speculative nature, and there is no reason why the local refineries should not share in the benefits likely to result therefrom.
The Cotton Spinning industry during the first half of 1903 was carried on under not unsatisfactory conditions, although the recurrence of plague, by its indirect effect on the labour supply, interfered with production for several months. From June onwards prices fluctuated violently owing to speculative operations, and at the end of the year had reached a figure which made profitable spinning impossible, prices for yarns not having responded to the advance in the prices of the raw material. The outlook for the industry at the end of 1903 was far from promising, and is not likely to improve until cotton be obtainable at a more reasonable figure. If the valleys of the New Territory could be utilised for cotton plantations, whereby the