Tims-
Flag.
Steamers.
No. of Times
entered.
Total Tonnage.
1907. 1908. 1907. 1908. 1907. 1908.
British
Steamers... 355
358 | 1,867 || 1,923 3,586,510 3,730,927
Į Sailing
7
9
10
19,431
21,697
Austrian,
9
30
25
106,523
97,789
Belgian,
1
1
1
Chinese,
20
214
229
2,903 267,789 291,416
2,903
Corean,
2
14
21,298
Danish,
21
15
41,122 34,211
Dutch.
18 35
69
97
142,100
201,014
French,
33
39
202
169
294,461
289,222
German,
137
129
790
745 1,246,053 1,188,100
Italian,....
3
12
12
21,704 31,400
Japanese....
111
93
534
434 1,126,5171,049,540
Norwegian,
59
39
290
181
265,728 192,278
Portuguese,.
2
87
19,128 23,487
Russian,
10
13
13
30,912 34.326
Swedish,
3
11
11
12,970 18,099
United J Steamers.
20
45
38
251,590 245,280
States Sailing
1
1
1
1
72
SOU
Total.
800
7454,182 3,991 (7,467,5117,452,498
It may not be out of place to draw a comparison here between these Ggures and those of twenty years ago. In 1888, 2,614 British ships of 3,265,751 tons entered the port, against 10,115 ships of 11,792,752 tons in 1908. For Foreign ships the figures are in 1888, 1,206 ships of 1,252,862 tons and in 1908, 5,429 ships of 8,130,901 tons. These figures are those for Ocean and River Steamers, which were not distinguished in 1888 and Ocean going sailing ships (not junks).
TRADE.
Since Hongkong is a Free Port no accurate returns based on Customs entries, can be given of the exports, imports and goods in transit.
There are however certain items of cargo, dealt with in the Colony, of which, either from their nature and the circumstances under which they are imported, or from the fact that they are required by law to be specially reported, substantially accurate returns can be given. These items are Coal, Kerosene Oil (which includes all products of petroleum), Opium, Morphine, Compounds of Opium, and Sugar.
1,018,753 tons of Coal were imported during the year. This shows a negligible increase of 13,886 tons (1·3%) over the imports during 1907.
Of Bulk Oil 61,818 tons arrived, an increase of 17,938 tons, or 40.8%. This appears to have no special significance, but to be entirely due to the cheap freights ruling, and to the installation, by the Standard Oil Co., of oil tanks at Lai-chi-kok, which required filling.
40,018 tons of Case Oil arrived, being an increase of 3,289, or 89%, over the 1907 figures. Here, again, the cheap freights were taken advantage of to fill up stocks,
Liquid Fuel, which has increased from 3,272 tons in 1907 to 13,832 tons in 1908, was probably affected by the same causes as were Bulk and Case Oil, in addition to which, there has been an increased demand for this product, owing to more steamers using liquid fuel having visited the Colony during the year.
Although, as has been said, no reliable figures can be given for General Cargo it would appear from returns received, that there has been a considerable decline in the imports of Rice and Flour. The falling off in Rice is due to the exceptional crop in Northern and Central China as a result of which prices at Shanghai and the Yangtze ports were lower than in Siam and Annam, and the imports from those countries declined in consequence. It is also stated that the rice merchants of Bangkok instituted a boycott against the Norddeuts- cher Lloyd steamers (late Scottish Oriental) which monopolise the carrying trade between that port and Hongkong. The rice trade from the South having now reverted to its usual conditions, I see no reason to doubt that this year will see it restored to its former channels.
5
Flour shows a large decrease, from 147,000 to 91,000 tons, which appears to be due to the fact that the Colony is ceasing to be the distributing centre for this commodity. Shipments are now made direct from ports on the Pacific Coast of North America to Shanghai, Amoy, Singapore, &c., instead of transhipping here, as heretofore.
There is however a possibility that, the Hongkong Milling Company being in liquidation, some small recrudescence in this branch of trade may occur.
The total reported Imports during the year amounted to 4,170,000 tons, as against ,366,000 tons in 1907, a decrease of 44%. Exports also show a decrease, from 2,354,000 tons to 2,103,000 tons or 10-7%. Transit cargo declined from 3,396,000 to 3,373,000 tons or 0.7%.
Emrigration.
Seventy one thousand and eighty-one (71,081) emigrants left Hongkong for various places during the year, of these, 53,118 were carried in British ships and 17,963 in Foreign ships. These figures show a decrease of 34,886 cmnigrants, or 32.9%, compared with those
for 1907.
It is difficult to account for this large decrease, but there were probably several contri- buting factors, such as the general depression in trade and consequent decreased demand for labour, and the quarantine restrictions placed upon vessels from the Colony to other ports, which probably had a great effect. But the chief causes undoubtedly were:-
1. The cessation of Assisted Emigrants to Banka and Billiton. This emigration commenced in 1907, and served to largely swell the figures for that year. The demand for labour in those islands was not very large, and all the plantations there were fully manned before the beginning of 1908.
2. The West River floods checked recruiting during the first six months of the
year.
3. There was a considerable demand for labour on the several railways under
construction in China, which restricte: the recruiting area.
One hundred and fifty seven thousand eight hundred and nine (157,809) returning einigrants were brought to Hongkong from the several places to which they had emigrated, either from this Colony or from Coast Ports. This includes 106 returning from South Africa. Of the total number 116,094 arrived in British ships and 41,715 in Foreign ships.
(b) INDUSTRIES.
Sugar Refining Industry.-The year 1908 was more favourable for the sugar refining industry of the Colony than 1907 owing to the curtailment of supplies of Java White Sugars and of Japanese refined in the China market. As a consequence of this, prices advanced during the year, and the local Refineries were able to market their Sugars under improved conditions. European beets were conspicuous by their absence doubtless owing to the low silver rate of exchange for sterling remittances.
Yarn Trade.-The extreme depression during the two preceding years adversely affected the market during the beginning of 1908 and prices continued to rule below the parity of those at the producing centres. Later in the year the demand improved and prices rose steadily. Large sales were effected, leaving a fair margin of profit to Importers while the Chinese dealers did very well indeed on their purchases. Stocks became abnormally reduced and the year closed with an improving tendency. In May last the local Cotton Mill found it advisable to resume full working but the difficulty in procuring adequate labour prevented the Company from taking full advantage of the improvement in demand. The bulk of the production was sold direct to Shanghai and the Northern Ports.
Rope Manufacturing Industry.-The remarks made last year on the Rope Manufactur- ing Industry apply in some measures to the year 1908. Conditions have not altered much in either direction, prices have been reduced to customers, and there is a larger demand with increased output.
Cement Industry.--The conditions under which this industry has been carried on have been much the same as in 1907, and there has been a good demand throughout the year,
Tiongkong Milling Company Limited.-The Flour Mills at Junk Bay were not running for a greater part of 1908.
Oriental Brewery, Limited.-A recently established industry is that of the Oriental Brewery, Limited, at Laichikok. This Brewery will shortly place its product on the market and its capacity is about 100,000 barrels per annum.
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