PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
TIILIC.O. 882
9
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO
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Enclosure B in No. 59.
TRADE AND INDUSTRIES.
Throughout the New Territory the agricultural produce is chiefly rice, sugar, sweet-potatoes, and ground-nuts. A fair business is also done in fire-wood, especially in Tsun Wan, Sai Kung and the district round Tai Po. On the eastern side of the territory the villages along the coast line live to a great extent by fishing. Pine- apples are grown at Tsun Wan.
The rice grown in the New Territory is either used by the growers or sold to the shops at different markets for export-Hong Kong rice being inported for consumption. The reason for this is that the local-grown rice sells at a higher price than Hong Kong imported rice.
The sugar made in the New Territory is mostly exported to Sham Chun and Hong Kong. Sweet-potatoes and ground-nuts are used locally.
There is only one brick works in the New Territory, namely, that at Castle Peak, which exports bricks of an inferior quality to Hong Kong; there seems to be an opening for a good brick factory. Lime burning (coral) is also carried on, but mostly at parts of the New Territory served by neither of the two proposed routes.
There is only one establishment in the New Territory doing a considerable export trade, viz. :--the San Hing Lung firm at Un Long, which started business after the taking over of the New Territory and now employs from 80 to 140 hands according to the time of the year.
It manufactures firecrackers, Chinese wines and ground- nut oil, exports bean curd and pigs, and deals locally in the above commodities.
No minerals are at present worked, with the exception of clay for the pottery works at Un Iu near Tai Po, which manufacture very coarse ware for export to Kong Mun and local use. The trade done is quite small.
Silver and lead exist, and there have been mines, above Fo Tan in Tide Cove, and at the Un Iu Gap at Tai Po. The last were shut down about 25 years ago, not because they were not paying, but owing to about 46 men being killed by the roof falling in.
There is a persistent report that gold exists in the hill on the east of the road from Tai Po to Fan Ling, about where the Lung Yeuk Tau Road branches off.
Enclosure C in No. 59.
TRADE AT THE VARIOUS MARKETS.
The markets served by the western route are Tsun Wan and Un Long, the largest market in the New Territory. The eastern route passes by the small market town of Tai Po. Both routes pass near Sham Chun, the largest market town in the San On district in Chinese territory; the trade of Sham Chun is from four to five times as great as that of Un Long.
At Tsun Wan there are a few shops supplying the local needs. Goods are taken to and from Hong Kong and Tsun Wan by junks. Water communication is good and the distance short.
Un Long is a market town of 74 shops, of which 25 are large and deal in rice. oil, samshu, &c. The remainder belong to barbers, doctors, jewellers, vegetable sellers, piece goods dealers, &c. In combination with the San Hing Lung firm the total exports and imports between Hong Kong and Un Long amount to about 250,000 piculs annually, besides live-stock (pigs, ducks, and chickens). This trade is carried by junks, of which there are three (capacity 400 to 600 piculs) running regularly. Owing to the shallowness of the water in Deep Bay and Un Long Creek, only medium-sized junks can approach Un Long. Carriage is 5 cents a picul for rice and heavy goods and 10 cents a picul for miscellaneous goods. The journey takes at least one and a half days.
The average daily trade, throughout the whole year, done at Un Long is about $3,500 to $4,000. The chief exports and imports are rice (170,000 piculs), ground- nuts (20,000), sugar (16,000), nut oil (4,500), the remainder, including samshu, beans, bean curds, miscellaneous goods (piece goods, &c.), about 6,000 pigs, and a large number of ducks and chickens. Almost one-third of this trade passes through the hands of the San Hing Lung firm. Markets are held every third day.
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The Tai Po market, on the eastern route, is a smaller business centre. The market consists of 23 large shops (rice, oil, samshu, &c.) and 15 smaller shops (bar- bers, tailors, jewellers, &c.). On market days a large number of fish and fruit hawkers fill the street with stalls. Exports and imports to and from Hong Kong are not great owing to the difficulty of the sea passage. There are six junks, of average capacity,
200 piouls each, trading regularly between Tai Po and Hong Kong. These junks take about 90,000 piculs a year, a fair amount of which is fire-wood for Hong Kong. The charges are 73 cents for heavy goods and 10 cents and more for miscellaneous goods. Between Tai Po and Sham Chun there is a trade of about 35,000 piculs (at 20 cents a picul) besides fruit and vegetables taken by hawkers. The average daily trade is about $1,500. Markets are held every third day. There is a large opening on this route for importation of fire-wood in Hong Kong.
The inhabitants of San Tin, Hau Yeuk, Sheung Shui, Fan Ling, Luk Yeuk, and part of Sha Tau Kok districts do most of their marketing at Sham Chun market, which consists of 61 large shops and 323 medium-sized shops. In Enclosure "D" are given particulars of export and import trade to and from Hong Kong. Enclo- sure "E" shows the number of persons going from the New Territory to Sham Chun
market.
A large amount of goods is brought into Sham Chun by coolies from the surrounding districts. Markets are held every third day.
North of Sham Chun the Kun Lau Hu and Po Kok markets are the most im- portant. At Kun Lau Hu, which is the cattle centre of the district, there are 15 large shops and 136 medium-sized shops; while at Po Kok there are 43 shops.
Enclosure D in No. 59.
LAUNCH AND JUNK TRADE TO PLACES IN THE NEW TERRITORY AND SHAM CHU. WESTERN ROUTE.
Tsun Wan.-Two passage boats ply daily between Hong Kong and Tsun Wan; the number of passengers carried each way averages about 60. The principal goods. carried are rice, pineapples when in season, grass and wood in connection with the 24 sandal-wood mills, worked by water power, and situated in the various valleys of the Tsun Wan district.
Tai Lam Chung-The Hong Kong to Castle Peak steam launch calls here daily; about 15 to 20 passengers both ways.
Castle Peak-One daily service by launch to Hong Kong. Average number of passengers both ways, 20 to 25; also about 8 loads of goods, chiefly from Mr. Li Pak's vegetable gardens.
Un Long-Connections by small boats with the two Sham Chun launches in Deep Bay. Average daily number of passengers both ways, 40. No goods' carried by launch. Fare, 30 cents.
Goods carried by junk yearly amount to about 130,000 piculs. Rice, &c., at 5 cents per picul. Miscellaneous goods, 10 cents. At Lok Ma Chau the Sham Chun launches land and take on passengers. Average number of passengers, 10 to 15.
COMMON TO BOTH EASTERN AND WESTERN ROUTES.
Sham Chun-Two launches run daily. Only at high spring tides are the launches able to reach Sham Chun. Usually stern wheel passenger boats meet the launches at the entrance of the Sham Chun River in Deep Bay. There is a large junk trade between Sham Chun, Hong Kong and other ports.
The returns of the Chinese Customs at Sham Chun show that the average num- ber of passengers daily by the Ying Fat launch is 74. No returns of the Choy Sang launch are taken, but the number of passengers is the same. So that daily 296 pas- senger journeys at 30 cents are made between Hong Kong and Sham Chun. Not much cargo is carried by these launches, but when it is a charge of 10-15 cents per picul is made. Competition has caused these launches to run at a loss last year and the fare will probably be raised.
In October last the exports to Hong Kong were 2,927 tons and the imports from Hong Kong 2,953 tons. Three junks of 40, 79, and 60 tons capacity run between