IMPORTATION AND EXPORTATION ORDINANCE.
9. The control of trade for war purposes, for which this Ordinance is the chief instrument, continued to overshadow all the other branches of the Department's activities. Table XIII gives some idea of the volume of work involved.
The chief feature of the year was the opening of numerous Wolfram mines in the adjacent Chinese Province of Kwang Tung. Deposits of Wolframite were found in many parts of the Province, some at only a few miles distance from the British frontier, and the abnormal demand from munition factories for this ingredient of toolsteel soon created a state of affairs which is best described by the term "boom". It is not possible to arrive at any accurate estimate of the total produce of the various workings, as, owing to the restrictions imposed by the Imperial Authorities on the export of this article from Hongkong to the United States, considerable quantities were carried to Swatow either overland or by vessels passing outside the water of the Colony. From Swatow this ore is forwarded to Shanghai for transhipment to the United States of America.
Another feature was a great increase in the imports of Indian groundnuts from Penang and Singapore. Failure of crops and heavy foreign buying in North China were alleged as reasons for this increase, but an examination of the returns of the Chinese Maritime Customs does not support this view. The real reason seems to have been the low price of the Indian nuts coupled with the relative abundance of tonnage on this run.
TRADE STATISTICS.
10. The first task of the new Supervisor and Accountant was to make a thorough investigation of the work of the Statistical Staff. It was found that not only were the records badly in arrear, but that such work as had been done was so inaccurate and un-systematic as to be valueless. It was therefore decided to abandon all attempts to tabulate the information available prior to the 1st July, 1917, and to concentrate on the organisation of a sound working basis during the remainder of the year as a preparation for 1918. To this end the clerical staff was largely increased and additional office-accommodation was requisitioned, while work was begun in the preparation of a list of Statistical Headings covering all the important items in the trade of the Port. The Department is much indebted in this matter to the courtesy of Mr. A. H. Harris, Commissioner of the Chinese Maritime Customs, who was good enough to provide for its use copies of the Statistical Classifications used by his own Service. The draft of the new list was on completion submitted to the Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce who gave much valuable advice. The list as finally revised was printed and published in December, 1917. A draft list was put into force from the 1st July and with the aid of this some fairly comprehensive statistics of Imports and Exports for the latter part of the year have been compiled and printed.
IMPORTATION AND EXPORTATION ORDINANCE.
9. The control of trade for war purposes, for which this Ordinance is the chief instrument, continued to overshadow all the other branches of the Department's activities. Table XIII gives some idea of the volume of work involved.
The chief feature of the year was the opening of numerous Wolfram mines in the adjacent Chinese Province of Kwang Tung. Deposits of Wolframite were found in many parts of the Province, some at only a few miles distance from the British frontier, and the abnormal demand from munition factories for this ingredient of toolsteel soon created a state of affairs which is best described by the term "boom". It is not possible to arrive at any accurate estimate of the total produce of the various workings, as, owing to the restrictions imposed by the Imperial Authorities on the export of this article from Hongkong to the United States, considerable quantities were carried to Swatow either overland or by vessels passing outside the water of the Colony. From Swatow this ore is forwarded to Shanghai for transhipment to the United States of America.
Another feature was a great increase in the imports of Indian groundnuts from Penang and Singapore. Failure of crops and heavy foreign buying in North China were alleged as reasons for this increase, but an examination of the returns of the Chinese Maritime Customs does not support this view. The real reason seems to have been the low price of the Indian nuts coupled with the relative abundance of tonnage on this run.
TRADE STATISTICS.
10. The first task of the new Supervisor and Accountant was to make a thorough investigation of the work of the Statistical Staff. It was found that not only were the records badly in arrear, but that such work as had been done was so inaccurate and un- systematic as to be valueless. It was therefore decided to abandon all attempts to tabulate the information available prior to the 1st July, 1917, and to concentrate the organisation of a sound working basis during the remainder of the year as a preparation for 1918. To this end the clerical staff was largely increased and additional office-accommodation was requisitioned, while work was begun in the preparation of a list of Statistical Headings covering all the in- portant items in the trade of the Port. The Department is much indebted in this matter to the courtesy of Mr. A. H. Harris, Com- missioner of the Chinese Maritime Customs, who was good enough to provide for its use copies of the Statistical Classifications used by his own Service. The draft of the new list was on completion submitted to the Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce who gave much valuable advice. The list as finally revised was printed and published in December, 1917. A draft list was put into force from the 1st July and with the aid of this some fairly comprehensive statistics of Imports and Exports for the latter part of the year have been compiled and printed.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.