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HONG KONG SHIRTS
1.
General
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The textile industry of Hong Kong which manufactured the shirts referred to by the Secretary of State is/comparatively
20,1 large industry employing 13/20,000 people in 395 registered
factories. The industry produces all types of textiles and
to a considerable extent carries out all processes, spinning,
wearing and the making up of garments. A considerable expansion has recently been taking place and still continues
in this industry in Hong Kong; expansion has been particu-
larly noticeable in cotton spinning which in March 1949
employed 2500 workers in six mills, with four further mills under construction. Apart from the two pioneer mills all
are in buildings specially constructed for the purpose and are said to compare favourably with cotton mills anywhere.
The state of the weaving and knitting sections of the industry is not so good. High production costs and loss
of markets through increased competition and the high cost of yarn have forced many small factories to close downrecently. The larger and better organised concerns have not been so
hard hit but they too are concerned abat the future of the industry, which undoubtedly needs overhauling and modernising, For example only one company had by March 1949 installed automatic looms. The general installation of automatic
looms would however, in addition to improving the efficiency of the industry, also cause much unemployment as the result of the closing down of small concerns, particularly of the cottage type, where weavers using hand looms at present
succeed in scraping a living together.
The garment making section of the textile industry is carried on in independent factories, and shirts, sports shirts and underwear are made up from woven or knitted material. of general interest also is the fact that the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce has established a
/committee
1.