E 3
Foreign Ocean vessels have decreased by 489 ships of 323,039 tons. This decrease is general, but is most noticeable under the Norwegian, Japanese, and German flags, and may undoubtedly be attributed to the general trade depression throughout the world.
Foreign River steamers show a falling off of 13 ships of 10,927 tons, which is due to the laying up of several of these vessels after the typhoon of July 27, in which they were damaged. Had it not been for this, the numbers and tonnage would have been considerably in excess of those for 1907.
The typhoon may also be held responsible for the decrease in Junks in Foreign Trade, combined with the effects of the trade depression, which certainly has reacted upon junk traffic as it has upon shipping.
The increase shown in Steamships under 60 tons is due to the inclusion of unlicensed, privately owned, steam-launches, which have not previously figured in the returns.
6. It may not be out of place to draw a comparison here between these figures and those of twenty years ago. In 1888, 2,614 British ships of 3,265,751 tons entered the port, against 10,115 ships of 11,792,752 tons in 1908. For Foreign ships the figures are, in 1888, 1,206 ships of 1,252,862 tons and in 1908, 5,429 ships of 8,130,901 tons. These figures are those for Ocean and River steamers, which were not distinguished in 1888, and Ocean sailing ships (not junks).
7. The actual number of individual Ocean Vessels of European Construction entering during 1908 was 745, being 365 British and 380 Foreign. The figures in 1907 were respectively 800, 362, and 438.
These 745 ships aggregated 1,824,237 tons. They entered 3,991 times and gave a collective tonnage of 7,452,498 tons. Thus compared with 1907, 55 fewer ships of 36,008 less tons, entered 191 fewer times and gave a collective tonnage decreased by 15,013 tons.
Thus-
Flag No. of Ships No. of Times entered Total Tonnage 1907 1908 1907 1908 1907 1908 British Sailing 7 10 21,697 Steamers... 355 1,867 3,586,510 358 1,923 3,730,927 Austrian, Belgian, 1 1 1 1 2,903 2,903 Chinese, Corean, Danish, 20 16 214 229 267,789 291,416 Dutch, 9 6 21 15 41,122 34,211 French, 18 15 69 97 142,100 201,014 German, 33 39 202 169 294,461 289,222 Italian, Japanese,.. 137 129 790 745 1,246,053 1,188,100 Norwegian, 3 4 12 12 31,704 31,400 Portuguese, 111 93 534 434 1,126,517 1,049,540 59 39 290 181 265,728 192,278 Russian, 2 5 59 87 19,128 23,487 Swedish, 10 7 13 13 30,912 34,326 United 3 3 11 11 12,970 18,099 States 20 13 45 38 251,590 245,280 Sailing... 1 1 1 1 72 809 Total, 800 745 4,182 3,991 7,467,511 7,452,498