D 4
5. This table shows a decrease in British Shipping of 355 ships of 521,951 tons, or of 8.3 per cent. in numbers and of 6.4 per cent. in tonnage. This large falling off, which occurred in the latter half of the year, is principally due to a stagnation in trade occasioned by the unrest in China, failure of the Rice Crops, strikes in the United Kingdom, and to the turnover of the China and Manila Steamship Company's fleet to the United States flag.
British River Steamers have increased from 6,483 ships of 4,000,073 tons to 6,871 ships of 4,116,736 tons, or, 2.3 per cent. in ships and 2.9 per cent. in tonnage. This is explained by the new steamer Wing On contributing 295 trips, also, to the increased number of trips made by the Canton Steamers, particularly, at the time of the unrest in Canton.
Foreign Ocean Vessels have decreased by 132 ships or 3.0 per cent. in numbers, and of 2.3 per cent. in tonnage. This result is due to increases of 66, 47, 26, 20, 15 and 4 ships under United States, Dutch, Portuguese, Russian, French and Japanese flags respectively, which are counterbalanced by decreases of 141, 121, 27, 18, 2, and 1 ships under German, Chinese, Swedish, Norwegian, Italian and Danish flags respectively. The increase shown under the United States flag is explained by the steamers Rubi and Zafiro being transferred from British colours; also the increase shown under the Dutch flag is explained by four steamers that did not call at the port in the previous year. The decrease under the German flag is chiefly accounted for by the falling off in trade from Bangkok similarly, the decrease under the Chinese flag is due to the fact of the loss of the Meefoo and the stoppage of two steamers which previously traded to the port.
Foreign River Steamers have increased by 89 ships (or 6.6 per cent.) of 29,441 tons (or 4.1 per cent). This is mainly accounted for by the new steamers Shing Ping and Licorne contributing 72 trips, and to an increase in trips of vessels under the Portuguese flag.
As in former years, I here insert a comparison between the shipping of the port twenty years ago and to-day. In 1891, 2,856 British ships, of 3,593,223 net register tons entered the port, against 10,778 ships, of 11,706,731 net register tons in 1911; an increase of 277.3 per cent. in numbers and 225.9 per cent. in tonnage. These figures include Ocean and River Steamers and Ocean-going Sailing Ships (not junks). In the same way, Foreign Shipping, during the same period, has increased from 1,495 ships of 1,545,404 net register tons in 1891, to 5,603 ships of 8,653,697 net register tons; an increase of 274.7 per cent. in numbers, and of 459.9 per cent. in tonnage.
6. The actual number of individual Ocean Vessels of European type of construction entering during 1911 was 720, being 348 British and 372 Foreign. The corresponding figures for 1910 were 734, 365, and 369, respectively.