CO129-255 - Governor Sir Robinson - 1892 [5-7] — Page 235

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confined to vessels other than junks it would not b more than about 5 dollars per ship.

Considering

the average size of these ships considerably exceed 1.000 tons, such a fee on the whole cargo of a ship could not be twisted into a Customs duty and would

less than the most trifling port charges elsewhere.

I merely mention this method of meeting statistical expense by a charge for the purpose, as that is in use in Europe, and one which would not f on the inhabitants of the Colony; but no doubt the advisers of the Governor could meet the question of

cost if once convinced of its expediency.

As regards the position taken that the

collection of such statistics would be opposed to I

publie opinion I cannot help thinking with the Hong

Kong Chamber of Commerce that the position which

Hong Kong occupies as a trading and distributing c

is unique; and that therefore local opinion ought no

to be allowed very much weight in the matter.

The

amount of tonnage of all nations entering Hong Kong

harbour is very great Sir G.W. des Voeux claimed it.

as the third shipping port in Great Britain and.

probably in the world (possibly excepting New York).

If this be so - and there is some primary ground for

the claim then certainly the local opinion of a few.

thousand Europeans should not weigh too heavily in

discouraging an attempt to obtain information which is

of much wider than local interest, and of which the cost

might be so arranged as to fall on the shipping and not

on the local taxpayers at all.

d

I think the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce

have looked at this question from a somewhat narrow

point of view. There is certainly no port of the

extreme East so fitted to be used as a gauge of our

ability or otherwise to hold the trade of that part of

the world against our German, French and American rivals;

and yet the figures which would shew our progressor

theirs in respect of the entire trade of China are to

萧

amounts

remain