1841-1886
HER MAJESTY'S COLONIAL POSSESSIONS.
251
speaking favourably of the good which had accrued from it to their schools.
$
417
As the scheme under which these schools receive grants in aid was fully reported upon in the Blue Book of 1873, it is scarce necessary perhaps to repeat here that its purport is :-"That all "schools which devote four hours a day to secular instruction "may devote the other school hours to religious instruction, and "that for the actual results of the secular instruction, as ascertained "by examination, Government allows a certain fixed sum for "each scholar who reaches a certain standard of scholarship."
Shipping and Trade.
The Harbour Master's Returns show a decrease of 654,764 in the tonnage of vessels arriving and departing, being a falling off of 63.4 per cent. of native, and 36.6 of foreign tonnage.
As regards native vessels, this is due to some extent to the loss of 157 junks during the disastrous typhoon of September last, and to the diminished trade to the West Coast, as arising from the increased duties claimed at the adjacent Chinese customs in excess of the tariff, but there is little doubt that the great decrease is to be attributed to the displacement of this class of vessel by steamers to and from Macao, Canton, Amoy, Swatow, and Formosa, and not to any diminution of trade between Hong Kong and those ports.
The seemingly decreased tonnage, too, of foreign shipping is no correct indication of the state of trade, as 38 per cent. of the vessels arriving at this port were steamers, and it is well known that the carrying capacity of the larger class is much in excess of registered tonnage.
Hong Kong being a free port the import and exports cannot be given with any degree of accuracy, but some opinion can be formed of the general state of trade from the following table of imports from Manchester during the last five years:
Cotton Yarns per Bale Cotton per Yard 1870 26,556 75,673,200 1871 25,020 81,400,800 1872 17,148 99,828,000 1873 24,384 117,731,256 1874 36,252 111,643,200Police and Gaol.
The police returns show a decrease of crime in 1874 as compared with the preceding year of 22.96 per cent. on all cases reported, or of 11.47 per cent. in serious crimes and 25.45 in minor offences, and the criminal statistics at page 170 of the Blue Book, as well as the gaol returns, not only support these figures, but show that the decrease has been especially marked since 1872.
1841-1886
HER MAJESTY'S COLONIAL POSSESSIONS.
251
speaking favourably of the good which had accrued from it to their schools.
$
417
As the scheme under which these schools receive grants in aid was fully reported upon in the Blue Book of 1873, it is scarce necessary perhaps to repeat here that its purport is :-"That all "schools which devote four hours a day to secular instruction "may devote the other school hours to religious instruction, and "that for the actual results of the secular instruction, as ascertained "by examination, Government allows a certain fixed sum for "each scholar who reaches a certain standard of scholarship."
Shipping and Trade.
The Harbour Master's Returns show a decrease of 654,764 in the tonnage of vessels arriving and departing, being a falling off of 63.4 per cent. of native, and 36 6 of foreign tonnage.
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As regards native vessels, this is due to some extent to the loss of 157 junks during the disastrous typhoon of September last, and to the diminished trade to the West Coast, as arising from the increased duties claimed at the adjacent Chinese customs in excess of the tariff, but there is little doubt that the great decrease is to be attributed to the displacement of this class of vessel by steamers to and from Macao, Canton, Amoy, Swatow, and Formosa, and not to any diminution of trade between Hong Kong and those ports.
+
The seemingly decreased tonnage, too, of foreign shipping is no correct indication of the state of trade, as 38 per cent, of the vessels arriving at this port were steamers, and it is well known that the carrying capacity of the larger class is much in excess of registered tonnage.
Hong Kong being a free port the import and exports cannot be given with any degree of accuracy, but some opinion can be formed of the general state of trade from the following table of imports from Manchester during the last five years:
Cotton Yarus per Bale.
Cotton per Yard.
75,673,200
1870
26,556
1871
25,020
1872
17,148
1873
24,384
1874
36,252
Police and Gaol.
111,643,200
81,400,800
99,828,000
117,731,256
The police returns show a decrease of crime in 1874 as com- pared with the preceding year of 22.96 per cent. on all cases reported, or of 11.47 per cent. in serious crimes and 25.45 in minor offences, and the criminal statistics at page 170 of the Blue Book, as well as the gaol returns, not only support these figures, but show that the decrease has been especially marked since 1872.
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