5. This table shows a decrease in British Ocean-going Shipping of 267 ships, or 74 per cent., and a decrease of 489,834 tons, or 71 per cent. This is due to several of the Coasting Steamers having been chartered by the Government, and the withdrawal of the P. & O. Intermediate Steamers.
British River Steamers have increased by 371 ships and 104,198 tons, or 52 per cent. in numbers and 2.5 in tonnage, which is due to the fact that two steamers were added to the West River Trade.
Foreign Ocean-going Vessels have increased by 124 ships or 3.3 per cent., but have decreased by 163,873 tons or 24 per cent. This is explained by the increase in Japanese and Chinese ships of smaller tonnage.
Foreign River Steamers show an increase of 396 ships and 111,050 tons, or 17.3 per cent. in numbers and 17 per cent. in tonnage. This is due to several steamers which were previously on the Canton-West River trade having been placed on the Hongkong-West River trade carrying rice from July to December.
In Steamships not exceeding 60 tons, employed in Foreign Trade, a decrease of 372 ships and 16,160 tons, or 57 per cent. in numbers and 7.6 per cent. in tonnage is shown. The decrease is most noticeable in launches trading to Macao, and may be put down to one of the launches being replaced by a vessel of over 60 tons.
Junks in Foreign Trade show a large decrease of 2,050 junks or 8.2 per cent., but an increase of 247,916 tons or 77 per cent. The decrease appears during the months of July, August, and September, in which months there was considerable unrest in the Canton delta.
In Local Trade, increases are shown in both Steam Launches and Junks.
Steam Launches show an increase of 112 ships and 2,609 tons (not 2,609,970 tons, as that would be an implausible increase), or 20 per cent. in numbers and 206 per cent. in tonnage, which is explained by an increase in the number of launches plying in the harbour and more trips having been made.
Junks show an increase of 940 vessels and 93,280 tons or 2.6 per cent. in numbers and 6.4 per cent. in tonnage. This can only be ascribed to the better control of native craft, they having to report themselves at this office in order to obtain a permit to pass outward through the Examination Service.
6. The actual number of individual Ocean-going Vessels of European construction during 1916 was 717, of which 281 were British and 436 were Foreign. In 1915, the corresponding figures were 724, 310 British and 414 Foreign.
These 717 ships measured 1,605,248 tons. They entered 3,761 times and gave a collective tonnage of 6,855,164 tons. Fewer ships entered 63 fewer times, and gave a collective tonnage reduced by 326,535 tons, an average of 5,183.2 tons per entry.