C 7
LABOUR.
GENERAL.
38. Considerable industrial development was a feature of the year, due to the demand for war material and the migration to Hong Kong of industries from the areas affected by Sino-Japanese hostilities. A number of these industries were new to Hong Kong, whilst others, such as weaving, spinning and the manufacture of cotton goods were of a type which had begun to develop in Hong Kong in normal times. The transplanted industries, however, were in most cases accompanied by the workers employed in them, and owing to this and to the continued influx of other refugees, there was little, if any, alleviation of local unemployment.)
39. At the end of the year the approximate number of those engaged in registered factories and workshops was 55,000, this number, of course, being only a fraction of the total of employed workers in the Colony.
40. Generally, factories worked full time but some were handicapped by want of raw materials imported from China, and others failed through competition.
41. Working conditions in factories continue to improve and a considerable number of factory buildings of modern design were erected and are being erected.
42. There were no large building projects but employment was found for many casual labourers on military works and roads, and a fairly large number of workers of both sexes were engaged in quarrying.
43. There was also some increase in the activities of the wolfram, iron ore and lead mining concerns in the New Territories.
44.
DISPUTES AND STRIKES.
The only serious labour trouble during the year occurred in the Chung Hwa Book Company's works, culminating in a lock-out with pay followed by a "sit-down" and hunger strike in December. The trouble originated in a fine imposed on one of the employees by the Company. It was amicably settled before the end of the year.
45. Mr. H. R. Butters was appointed to the new post of Labour Officer on November 14th. This officer deals with major labour disputes and matters affecting labour unions.
46. There were a number of individual disputes brought to the Secretariat for arbitration but none were serious.
COST OF LIVING OF POORER CLASSES.
47. There was a slight and fairly steady fall in the prices of commodities included in the cost of living index, but, except in the case of oil, prices remained at higher levels than those which obtained in the period immediately prior to the outbreak of Sino-Japanese hostilities in July 1937. In the early part of the year the prices of fish, meat and vegetables were between 10% and 30% above the corresponding figures for the previous year, whilst at the end of the year these prices were 10% or less below the corresponding figures for the previous year. The only violent fluctuation occurred in the case of vegetables, the prices of which rose in October to 80% above the prices for the previous month. This, however, was entirely due to the temporary dislocation of supplies caused by the Japanese invasion of South China, and by the end of the year the prices of vegetables had fallen to the lowest level for the year, which was about 8% lower than that obtaining at the end of 1937. The price of rice fell steadily throughout the year, for the first seven months being not more than 9% above the corresponding figures for 1937, and for the last five months being consistently less than the corresponding figures for that year.
C 7
LABOUR.
GENERAL.
38. Considerable industrial development was a feature of the year, due to the demand for war material and the migration to Hong Kong of industries from the areas affected by Sino-Japanese hostilities. A number of these industries were new to Hong Kong, whilst others, such as weaving, spinning and the manufacture of cotton goods were of a type which had begun to develop in Hong Kong in normal times. The transplanted industries, however, were in most cases accompanied by the workers employed in them, and owing to this and to the continued influx of other refugees, there was little, if any, alleviation of local unemployment.)
39. At the end of the year the approximate number of those engaged in registered factories and workshops was 55,000, this number, of course, being only a fraction of the total of employed workers in the Colony.
40. Generally, factories worked full time but some were handicapped by want want of raw materials imported from China, and others failed through competition.
41. Working conditions in factories continue to improve and a considerable number of factory buildings of modern design were erected and are being erected.
42. There were no large building projects but employment was found for many casual labourers on military works and roads, and a fairly large number of workers of both sexes were engaged in quarrying.
43. There was also some increase in the activities of the wolfram, iron ore and lead mining concerns in the New Territories.
44.
DISPUTES AND STRIKES.
The only serious labour trouble during the year occurred in the Chung Hwa Book Company's works, culminating in a lock-out with pay followed by a "sit-down" and hunger strike in December. The trouble originated in a fine. imposed on one of the employees by the Company. It was amicably settled before the end of the year.
45. Mr. H. R. Butters was appointed to the new post of Labour Officer on November 14th. This officer deals with major labour disputes and matters affecting labour unions.
46. There were a number of individual disputes brought to the Secretariat for arbitration but none were serious.
COST OF LIVING OF POORER CLASSES.
47. (There
There was a slight and fairly steady fall in the prices of commodities included in the cost of living index, but, except in the case of oil, prices remained at higher levels than those which obtained in the period immediately prior to the outbreak of Sino-Japanese hostilities in July 1937. In the early part of the year the prices of fish, meat and vegetables were between 10% and 30% above the corresponding figures for the previous year, whilst at the end of the year these prices were 10% or less below the corresponding figures for the previous year. The only violent fluctuation occurred in the case of vegetables, the prices of which rose in October to 80% above the prices for the previous month. This, however, was entirely due to the temporary dislocation of supplies caused by the Japanese invasion of South China, and by the end of the year the prices of vegetables had fallen to the lowest level for the year, which was about 8% lower than that obtaining at the end of 1937. The price or rice fell steadily throughout the year, for the first seven months being not more than 9% above the corresponding figures for 1987, and for the last five months being consistently less than the corresponding figures for that year.
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