1904-1919
HONG KONG, 1909.
139
5
account of 1908), towards the cost of the maintenance of military forces in the Colony including barrack services and defence works.
(c.)-ASSETS AND LIABILITIES.
At the end of the year 1909, the assets of the Colony amounted to $615,438. The total liabilities were $264,340, so that the balance of assets over liabilities amounted to $351,098. The sum to be reimbursed by Railway Construction Account was on 31st December $1,002,071 which added to balance above makes the balance of assets in general account up to $1,353,169 a sum greater than in December, 1908, by the surplus revenue in 1909, viz., $280,128.
(d.)-PUBLIC DEBT.
A loan consisting of inscribed stock at 3 per cent. interest, £341,799 was incurred in 1893 for Praya Reclamation; Central Market; Water, Drainage, and Sewerage Works, &c., to be paid off on 15th April, 1943.
A second loan consisting of inscribed stock £1,143,933 at 3 per cent. was raised in 1906 to cover a loan to the Viceroy of Wuchang of £1,000,000. The Viceroy, in accordance with the terms of the loan, had up to the end of 1909 repaid £440,000, which was placed to the credit of a special account for construction of the British section of the Kowloon-Canton Railway.
The contributions paid into the Joint Sinking Fund, with accrued interest from investments thereof, came to £86,980 2s. 5d. on the 31st of December, 1909, but the value of the fund, according to market prices, was £86,577 7s. 9d.
II-TRADE AND SHIPPING, INDUSTRIES, FISHERIES, AGRICULTURE, AND LAND.
(a.)-TRADE AND SHIPPING.
The total of the shipping entering and clearing at ports in the Colony during the year 1909 amounted to 527,280 vessels of 34,830,845 tons which, compared with that for 1908, shows a decrease in numbers of 4,832 vessels, with an increase in tonnage of 215,604 tons.
Of this total, 43,794 vessels of 22,415,125 tons were engaged in foreign trade, and were distributed as follows:-
1909 1908 British ocean-going ships represented 9.3% in Nos. and 34.5% in tonnage. 33.7% Foreign ocean-going ships represented ... 9.8 35.1 33.2 British river steamers represented 13.2 16.5 19.2