1904-1919
HONG KONG, 1913.
269
9
This table shows an increase in British ocean shipping of 254 ships, of 669,563 tons, or 6.4 per cent. in numbers and 8.6 per cent. in tonnage.
British river steamers show a decrease of 344 ships, of 119,109 tons, or 4.9 per cent. in numbers and 2.8 per cent. in tonnage. This is due to the fact that two Chinese owned British steamers, the Wing Hon and the Hoi Tung, ceased running during the year.
Foreign ocean vessels increased by 312 ships, of 680,315 tons, or 7.1 per cent. in numbers and 7.9 per cent. in tonnage. This is almost entirely due to the increase under the Japanese flag of 287 ships, of 650,766 tons, though there are small increases under the Austrian, Dutch, Norwegian and United States flags, while French, German and Italian shipping decreased.
Foreign river steamers show an increase of 42 ships, of 54,979 tons, or 2.4 per cent. in numbers and 6.1 per cent. in tonnage. These figures are explained by the substitution of the Kwong Kung, of 418 tons, under Chinese colours for the Kwong Wai, of 195 tons. During the year the two river steamers hitherto under French colours have been transferred to the Chinese flag.
Steam-launches in foreign trade increased by 593 vessels, of 38,391 tons, or 15 per cent. in numbers, and 25.5 per cent. in tonnage. The causes which led to the large increase in 1912 have continued to be operative during the whole of 1913 but larger launches have been employed on the various runs.
Junks in foreign trade show an increase of 60 vessels, of 22,8243 tons, or 2.3 per cent. in numbers and 8.5 per cent. in tonnage. This appears to indicate that the foreign trade is being carried in junks of larger size than formerly.
In local trade, i.e., trade between places within the waters of the Colony, there is an increase in steam-launches of 4,448 vessels, of 111,200 tons, or 1 per cent. in both numbers and tonnage.
In local trade junks there is shown a large decrease of 3,786 vessels, of 655,749 tons, or 12 per cent. in numbers and 35 per cent. in tonnage. This is explained by the facts that many large junks formerly employed in local trade have gone into foreign trade during the year, and that all junks under 150 piculs capacity are now classed as boats."
It is of interest to note the altered relative positions of German and Japanese shipping visiting the Colony. In 1912 German shipping arriving occupied the second place on the list, with 637 ships, of 1,129,054 tons, or 7.4 per cent. of the total arrivals of ocean and river trade vessels, and 10.5 per cent. on tonnage; while under the Japanese flag came 592 ships, of 1,572,194 tons, or 6.9 per cent. in numbers and 14.6 per cent. in tonnage. In 1913 German shipping fell to the third place in both number and tonnage, with 597 ships, of 1,107,453 tons, of 6.9 per cent. in numbers and 9.7 per cent. in tonnage, against Japan's 740 ships, of 1,907,307 tons, or 8.5 per cent. in numbers and 16.7 per cent. in tonnage.