1904-1919
HONG KONG, 1914.
305
11
Thus, 3.05 per cent. of the officers serving in foreign ships were of British nationality, with an increase in number of officers and of ships.
The nationality of the crews in British and in foreign ships was as follows:-
VESSELS. 1913. BRITISH CREW. U.S.A. AND EUROPEANS. ASIATICS. 1914. 1913. 1914. 1913. 1914. 1913. 1914. British 361 385 24,728 24,264 1,022 806 134,220 135,214 Foreign 430 440 1,430 1,571 31,447 24,428 126,923 118,268 Total 791 825 26,158 25,835 32,469 25,294 261,143 253,482TRADE.
It is once more necessary to call attention to the extreme inaccuracy of the reports by masters of ships of cargo carried. There being no Customs, or other staff, to compile accurate statistics, the attached figures are dependent upon these reports, although in some cases more reliable information was obtainable.
IMPORTS.
The amount reported was 4,727,036 tons compared with 4,956,125 tons in 1913, a decrease of 229,089 tons, or 4.6 per cent., which, considering the circumstances attending the last five months of the year under review,-the total withdrawal from the run of all vessels under the German and Austrian flags; the loss (or, at least, the non-delivery) of the cargoes consigned to the Colony in many of such vessels; the risks run by neutral and allied shipping during the early months of the war by reason of the German cruisers then at large; and the general sense of insecurity felt by both shippers and importers,-may be considered remarkably small.
Increases are shown under the headings Beans, Coal, Cotton, Flour, Hemp, Bulk Kerosene, and Liquid Fuel, while there are decreases reported in Case Oil, Rattans, Rice, Timber, and General.
Coal.-There was an increase of 171,664 tons, or 15.1 per cent., the increase being uniformly spread over the whole year. There was a very large increase in the imports of Welsh coal, which, however, bear a very small proportion to the total imports. Japanese coal fell off and Chinese increased, while a small quantity of Australian coal found its way to the Colony in one of the prizes.
Cotton, Yarn, and Piece Goods. Here is an increase of 3,541 tons, or 87 per cent. This is not a real increase, but is only apparent, being due to the reported falling off in 1913 having been greatly in
(C193)