7
The following tables, as showing the relative importance of the Shipping con- ducted under the various national flags, will be of interest:
ENTERED.
CLEARED.
NATIONALITY OF VESSELS.
Vossels.
Tons.
Vessels.
Tons.
American,
111
155,667
104
147,711
Austrian,
53
128,483
51
122,652
Belgian,
9
12,407
9
12,407
British,
3,360
4,615,022
3,355
4,598,617
Chinese,..
138
Chinese Junks,
17,736
18,932 1,631,272
140
19,113
17,658
1,634,896
Corean,
1
796
1
796
Danish,
12
25,903
12
25,903
Dutch,
29
40,872
29
40,872
French,
328
243,588
329
238,427
German,
844
1,242,642
843
1,239,967
Italian,
13
18,782
14
Japanese,
336
692,981
333
19,502 688,140
Norwegian,
79
78,004
75
73,821
Portuguese,
83
10,466
$3
10,456
Russian,
4
8,797
4
8,797
2
407
Spanish,.
1
784
784
Swedish,
7
6,923
No Flag,
1
80
6,923 2,747
Steam launches trading to ports outside
the Colony,
1,542
82,564
1,542
82,564
24,687 9,014,955
23,056
8,892,918
Siamese,
Total,..
(b.)-INDUSTRIES.
During the year 1901, most of our local industries, which are chiefly carried with satis- on upon joint stock principles, were well employed throughout the year, factory results.
Cotton spinning by the local company was hampered by the plague. The results to original shareholders were not good, owing to the initial cost of the Mill being higher than originally estimated. However, the capital was written down largely, and fresh capital brought in, with the effect that the present condition of the Company is very satisfactory, and the future outlook promising. Improved dwell- ings 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 presperous throughout the year. Over-speculation in shares both here and in Shanghai has in many cases ad- versely 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 will 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 & Swire at Quarry Bay.
The Hongkong Dock Co. 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 shew 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 flects 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,
(d.)-FORESTRY, BOTANICAL SCIENCE, AND AGRICULTURE.
The Forestry and Botanical Department is under the charge of a Superintend. ent and Assistant Superintendent, aided by a large staff of gardeners and foresters, Perhaps the most important work carried on by this Department is the planting of trees. Camphors have been planted as an experiment in the New Territory, but it is feared that they cannot be grown there so as to give an adequate return on the capital invested. The experiment was not successful, but will be repeated. Rubbers were also tried, but the climate is not suitable to this Central American and Malayan tree and most of the plants died in the cold season.
Much interesting botanical work is yearly carried on in Hongkong. Mr. FORD, the Superintendent, has shown that the total number of plants, exclusive of mosses, lichens, sca-weeds and fungi, indigenous to Hongkong, is 1,397, probably more than Plants and seeds are regularly are indigenous to the whole of the British Isles. interchanged with other botanical institutions, and the number of plants which are successfully introduced into the Colony by this means is constantly increasing. It is hoped that before long an experimental Economic Garden will be established in the New Territory for the purpose of introducing and distributing amongst the natives new plants of economic value.
The hilly character of the Island and its comparative absence of fertilising soil has prevented agriculture from becoming an active source of industry in Hongkong. The acreage of cultivated land in the Island is a little over 400 acres only. The old dependency of British Kowloon, which is chiefly composed of level ground, contains almost the same amount of cultivated land. This, however, tends to diminish as buildings extend. The only part of the Colony where agricultural industries can be expected to thrive is the New Territory, which, though intersected by extensive ranges of barren hills, contains valleys where rice and sugar and other
The crops are grown with success.
of cultivated land in the New Territory acreage (including the islands) is not far short of 100,000, but much of this contains exceed- ingly poor soil and consists of minute holdings belonging to the poorest class of peasants. The Government has taken steps to introduce some better qualities of sugar-cane into the New Territory. Some attempts have been made to grow the mulberry but without success.
(e.)-LAND GRANTS AND GENERAL VALUE OF Land.
The available amount of building land in Hongkong, except in the New Territory, is so limited that it has for many years comnianded a very high price, and Land Premia and Crown Rents form a considerable portion of the Colonial Revenue. Land in private hands has proved to be a most lucrative source of wealth to its owners, while at the same time its scarcity and high value have tended to
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