C 10
Cost of living of poorer classes:
62. Since October 1927 this office has made monthly inquiries into the retail costs of a number of commodities essential to the life of the poorer classes, including articles of food and clothing and firewood. The average percentage increase between 1930 and 1931 as deduced from the reports made by the District Watch Force was found to be 2.91%.
FACTORIES.
(Table XXXI).
63. General:-Trade continued dull for the greater part of the year and many factories were working below their full capacity. The knitting and hosiery trades, however, were fairly busy and a large number of factories have sprung up in these trades during the past year. Amongst new factories are also to be noted a large and up-to-date canning plant (a branch of a firm already established at Amoy) and a new silk weaving mill. The silk weaving factory is the first of its kind in the Colony and the local work-people are being instructed by experts from North China. Both artificial and real silk cloth is being made, and as the factory is modern and well equipped, it should prove a valuable addition to the industries of the Colony. A new felt-hat factory has started during the year as well as a number of small factories for the manufacture of electric torches and flash-lamps. The electric torch trade is a thriving one. The articles made are cheap and of good quality and a large export business is done in these goods. The Sino-Japanese company formed last year to manufacture gramophone records has proved unable to withstand the strain of recent events, and the partnership has been dissolved. The company is to be reformed under purely Chinese control.
64. Child Labour:-The number of children employed in factories shows no tendency to increase and it would appear that Chinese factory owners are now beginning to realise that child labour can be dispensed with. No European firms employ children under the age of fifteen years.
65. Prosecutions:-Ten prosecutions were instituted during the year by this department. Nine were for breaches of the regulations concerning the employment of women at night (Ordinance 22 of 1922). One was for a breach of the regulations concerning obstruction of fire exits (Ordinance 3 of 1927). The factory owners in all cases were Chinese. Convictions were obtained in each case with fines ranging from $25 to $100.
66. Accidents:-The total number of accidents in factories was seventy-two of which five were fatal, as compared with seventy-five (seven fatal) for the preceding year. The ship-building yards were responsible for a large proportion of the
C 10
Cost of living of poorer classes:
62. Since October 1927 this office has made monthly inquiries into the retail costs of a number of commodities essential to the life of the poorer classes, including articles of food and clothing and firewood. The average percentage increase between 1930 and 1931 as deduced from the reports made by the District Watch Force was found to be 2.91%.
FACTORIES.
(Table XXXI).
63. General:-Trade continued dull for the greater part of the year and many factories were working below their full capacity. The knitting and hosiery trades, however, were fairly busy and a large number of factories have sprung up in these trades during the past year. Amongst new factories are also to be noted a large and up-to-date canning plant (a branch of a firm already established at Amoy) and a new silk weaving mill. The silk weaving factory is the first of its kind in the Colony and the local work-people are being instructed by experts from North China. Both artificial and real silk cloth is being made, and as the factory is modern and well equipped, it should prove a valuable addition to the industries of the Colony. A new felt-hat factory has started during the year as well as a number of small factories for the manufacture of electric torches and flash-lamps. The electric torch trade is a thriving one. The articles made are cheap and of good quality and a large export business is done in these goods. The Sino- Japanese company formed last year to manufacture gramophone records has proved unable to with-stand the strain of recent events, and the partnership has been dissolved. The company is to be reformed under purely Chinese control.
64. Child Labour:-The number of children employed in factories shows no tendency to increase and it would appear that Chinese factory owners are now beginning to realise that child labour can be dispensed with. No European firms employ children under the age of fifteen years.
65. Prosecutions:-Ten prosecutions were instituted during the year by this department. Nine were for breaches of the regulations concerning the employment of women at night. (Ordinance 22 of 1922). One was for a breach of the regulations concerning obstruction of fire exits (Ordinance 3 of 1927). The factory owners in all cases were Chinese. Convictions were obtained in each case with fines ranging from $25 to $100.
66. Accidents: -The total number of accidents in factories was seventy-two of which five were fatal, as compared with seventy-five (seven fatal) for the preceding year. The ship- building yards were responsible for a large proportion of the
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