1920-1930
HONGKONG, 1920.
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On April the 3rd, the fitters and turners of the Colony came out on strike, and the railway fitters were compelled by their guild to join the strikers; 16 days later the drivers and firemen were obliged to stand off in sympathy with the fitters and turners. On April the 19th, however, the strike was settled by a commission appointed by the Government of which the Honourable Mr. John Johnstone was chairman.
During the absence of the Chinese drivers, men from the Navy and Army were lent by the Authorities, and greatly assisted in maintaining the train service during the period of the strike.
On August the 1st, a washout occurred on the Chinese section near Nam Kong, which necessitated the cancelling of both the down morning express, and the up afternoon express for five days. A temporary footbridge was erected, and the train service partly maintained by the transfer of passengers at this point until August the 8th when the repairs were completed.
Shortly afterwards, owing to internal trouble in the Kwong Tung Province, through traffic was again seriously interrupted. Fighting occurred in Chinese territory on September 16th near Nga Yeo (26 miles from Canton). The up afternoon and down morning through expresses were cancelled that day and, from the 17th to 20th, with the exception of the up afternoon express on the 20th, the through and joint sectional trains were suspended between Canton and Sheklung in Chinese territory.
Fighting recommenced in October, resulting in further trouble in the Chinese territory; some rails were removed from the track near Shek-lung on October the 6th and a railway bridge between Sheklung and Shek Ha was damaged four days later; also on the 14th the track was broken in the neighbourhood of Shek Ha, and, as the unsettled conditions continued until the end of October, the morning down and the afternoon up through expresses did not run from October the 6th until the 2nd November; and the afternoon down and the morning up expresses were cancelled between the 24th of October and the 1st of November.
The running of the two slow through trains had to be discontinued for 10 days during this period; and it was not until the 2nd November, that the full train service was resumed.
The Local Traffic Earnings have improved. The receipts amounted to $194,041.14 against $179,434.14 or $14,607.00 more than the previous year, the increase being under passenger receipts. In May, it was decided that the railway should discontinue its custom of debiting other departments for the transport of Government passengers travelling on duty and other services rendered, and accordingly the sum of $4,577.77 is not included in the Railway earnings.
Through and Joint Sectional Traffic Receipts were $318,345.37, an increase of $16,017.63 when compared with 1919.
The Gross Receipts for the year were $520,176.10 as against $490,092.77 for 1919, an increase of $30,083.33.
The balance after paying working expenses stands at $33,032.06.
VI.-GOVERNMENT AND AIDED INSTITUTIONS.
(a.)-HOSPITALS.
Government Hospitals consist of the Civil Hospital, to which is attached an isolated Maternity Hospital, the Victoria Hospital for Women and Children, and the Kennedy Town Infectious Diseases
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