a.
Memorandum on the organisation of the Statistical Branch of the Imports and Exports Department, Hong Kong,
C.O
27126
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Until the present War rendered prolaper#18) that
REGI
as much of the Trade of the World as possible should be brought under the sorutiny of the Allied Govertimente, no
attempt had ever been made to compile any comprehensive statistios of the trade of Hongkong. Prior to 1909 the Fort
was absolutely "free". It is true that Opium and its deri-
vativos were controlled by law in the interests of the local
Revenue and Arme and Sugar for other reasons; but no duties
wero levied and no Customs Service existed, the control or
the articles mentioned being divided between the Police,
Harbour and Medical Departments. The reason for this free-
dom is not far to Beek. It is simply that the bulk of the huge tonnage which places Hongkong as high among the ports of the World, consists of goods which come to Hongkong merely
to be re-shipped to other markets of which the chief is of
course China.
At the end of 1909 duties were levied on intoxi-
oating liquors and the Imports and Exports Office was
organised as a separate Department to administer the new law, taking with it the functions of the Harbour Department in
respect of the Brussels Sugar Convention. The preventive
side of the new Department's activities was rapidly extended
to the Morphine und Cocaine Traffics, the illicit opium
traffic, and the illicit arms and ammunition traffic. The
Department also assists in the exclusion of Chinese currency
and the protection of the Post Office Revere. But the out-
break of war found Hongkong still without any general super-
vision of trade and it was not until the end of 1915 that
powere were taken to establish such supervision in ite
entirety.