Hong Kong Annual Administration Reports, 1841-1941
COLONIAL REPORTS—ANNUAL.
fresh capital brought in, with the effect that the present condition of the company is very satisfactory, and the future outlook promising. Improved dwellings for their operatives are shortly to be erected, and the system of piece work has been successfully introduced.
The sugar industry has been hampered by the large importations of Continental bounty-fed sugar into Japan and other markets which used to draw their supplies from here.
The shipping industry during 1901 was prosperous throughout the year.
Over-speculation in shares both here and in Shanghai has in many cases adversely affected the value of shares in several of the local undertakings, but I think that this is merely a temporary condition and that things will come to their normal level before long.
If the heavy fall in silver becomes permanent, it must eventually stimulate local productions in many directions, particularly in the repairing and docking of ships, as this work can be excellently done by Chinese under European supervision.
The local dock company is a large and well-equipped institution, and the docking facilities of the Colony will, in the course of the next few years, be largely augmented by the Admiralty dock and by considerable works of the same sort at present under construction by Messrs. Butterfield and Swire at Quarry Bay.
The Hong Kong Dock Company are at present building a large river steamer for the Canton route, and if the result is satisfactory a considerable development in ship-building may show itself, especially if silver remains low.
The labour question—the crux of the industrial problem here—gives serious food for thought, and it is to be hoped that the extension of the boundaries of the Colony may make it possible to provide cheaper and healthier house accommodation for the labouring classes, so that the two chief elements of industrial prosperity—cheap labour and cheap money—may be successfully united.
At present, high rents and some unseen influence—probably Chinese guilds—militate against full advantage being taken of the abundant supply of labour in the adjoining provinces.
(C.) FISHERIES.
There are no fisheries of importance. The local demand for salt and fresh fish is met by fleets of fishing junks and a large number of net stations, and the fish that are required for salting are dried and salted on the beach. There is a very large local demand for fish from the Canton River, which are brought down alive in tanks in the daily passenger steamers.
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Hong Kong Annual Administration Reports, 1841-1941
COLONIAL REPORTS—ANNUAL.
fresh capital brought in, with the effect that the present con- dition of the company is very satisfactory, and the future out- look promising. Improved dwellings for their operatives are shortly to be erected, and the system of piece work has been successfully introduced.
The sugar industry has been hampered by the large importa- tions of Continental bounty-fed sugar into Japan and other markets which used to draw their supplies from here.
The shipping industry during 1901 was prosperous through- out the year.
Over-speculation in shares both here and in Shanghai has in many cases adversely affected the value of shares in several of the local undertakings, but I think that this is merely a tem- porary condition and that things will come to their normal level before long.
If the heavy fall in silver becomes permanent, it must even- tually stimulate local productions in many directions, particu- larly in the repairing and docking of ships, as this work can be excellently done by Chinese under European supervision.
The local dock company is a large and well equipped institu- tion, and the docking facilities of the Colony will, in the course of the next few years, be largely augmented by the Admiralty dock and by considerable works of the same sort at present under construction by Messrs. Butterfield and Swire at Quarry Bay.
The Hong Kong Dock Company are at present building a large river steamer for the Canton route, and if the result is satisfactory a considerable development in ship-building may show itself, especially if silver remains low.
The labour question-the crux of the industrial problem here -gives serious food for thought, and it is to be hoped that the extension of the boundaries of the Colony may make it possible to provide cheaper and healthier house accommodation for the labouring classes, so that the two chief elements of industrial prosperity-cheap labour and cheap money-may be successfully
united.
At present, high rents and some unseen influence-probably Chinese guilds--militate against full advantage being taken of the abundant supply of labour in the adjoining provinces.
(C.) FISHERIES.
There are no fisheries of importance. The local demand for salt and fresh fish is met by fleets of fishing junks and a large number of net stations, and the fish that are required for salting are dried and salted on the beach. There is a very large local demand for fish from the Canton River, which are brought down alive in tanks in the daily passenger steamers.
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