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Hong Kong Annual Administration Reports, 1841-1941
COLONIAL REPORTS-ANNUAL.
Liquid Fuel.-A large decrease is reported here, amounting to 8,116 tons, or nearly 41 per cent. It has not been possible to verify the suspicions that a large quantity of liquid fuel has entered the Colony unreported, but it is believed that this is so from the fact that, although the vessels of the Toyen Kisen Kaisha have ceased to bunker here, the demand from other points is increasing.
Opium.-A further decrease is shown in the imports and exports of raw opium, which indicates generally the effect of the Opium Agreement of May, 1911, and of the subsequent arrangements between the Governments of Great Britain and China. The figures for the imports and exports since 1908 are shown in the following table :-
Stock in hand 1st January Imported during the year Chests. 1913. 1912. 1911. 1910. 1909. 1908. Chests. Chests. Chests. Chests. Chests. 5,560 9,108 7,587 7,123 4,509 5,808 4,707 12,361 21,286 31,743 35,734 41,821 Total... 14,668 19,948 28,409 36,252 41,542 46,528 Boiled by opium farmer.. 667 1,113 761 2 782 1,044 14 864 51 247 Spurious opium destroyed Stolen 2 9 19 9 13 Exported during the year 13,264 20,061 28,333 35,938 39,609 Total... 10,088 14,388 20,822 29,129 37,033 40,720 Stock remaining 31st Dec. 4,580 5,560 7,587 7,123 4,509 5,808Rice. The figures furnished by shipmasters show an increase in the rice imports of 34 per cent. As a matter of fact, the increase amounts to about 20 per cent. The rice crop in China was above average, so that there was no need for extra importation. In Annam and Siam the crops were unusually good, and prices ruled low. The Tonking crop was poor. The figures given show that about 750,000 tons of rice arrived in the Colony during the year.
Timber. The increase of 9,663 tons, or 13.5 per cent., reported is due to the increased demand for Borneo hardwoods and American and Canadian pine, for house and ship building. It is mostly sent on in junks to Canton.
Rattans.-The trade in rattans is an increasing one, though not to the extent indicated by the reports sent in, which show an increase of 2,426 tons. The quantity reported in 1912 was 907 tons and in 1913 3,333 tons. As a matter of fact, 10,588 tons were imported in the latter year, being an increase of about 11 per cent. Of this total, about 60 per cent. comes from the Straits Settlements, 30 per cent. from