401
(4)——ASSETS AND LIABILITIES.
At the end of the year 1908, the assets of the Colony amounted to $506,487. The total liabilities were $789,532 so that the balance of liabilities over assets amounted to $283,095. Deducting this sum from the re-imbursement due by Railway Construction Account the balance of Assets (General Account) was $1,073,041, a decrease of $460,676 as compared with the previous year, due to the deficit in the year's working.
(a) PABLIS DEBT.
A Loan consisting of Inscribed Stock at 84% interest, £341,799 was incurred in 1893 for Praya Reclamation; Central Market; Water, Drainage and Sewerage Works, &c., to be paid off on 15th April, 1943.
A second Loan consisting of inscribed stock £1,143,933 at 3 per cent. was raised to cover a Loan to the Viceroy of Wachang of £1,100,000. The Viceroy in accordance with the terms of the Loan had up to the end of 1908 repaid £330,000 which was placed to the credit of a special account for construction of the British Section of the Kowloon-Canton Railway.
The amount paid into the Joint Sinking Fund with accrued interest reached £74,674. 14s. 8d. on the 31st of December, 1908.
IL-TRADE AND SHIPPING, INDUSTRIES, FISHERIES, AGRICULTURE AND LAND.
(u.)—TRADE AND SHIPPING.
The total of the Shipping entering and clearing in the Colony during the year 1908 amounted to 532,112 ships of 34,615,241 tons, which, compared with the figures for 1907 show an increase of 24,478 ships and a decrease of 1,413,069 tons.
Of this total 45,437 ships of 22,306,037 tons were engaged in Foreign Trade, and were distributed as follows:-
British Ocean vessels represented Foreign
1908.
8.3% in numbers and 337% in tonnage.
1907.
11
11
British River Steamers Foreign
9.2 13.8
1
33.2 19.2
31.4% 33.5
:
20.1
37
AT
**
>
*
2.9
3.3
3.2
1
Steamships not exceeding 60 tons Trading Junks
71
*
13
"
32
19
8.9
0.8
0.3
>>
5:
**
3:
56.9
9.8
11.5
27
>>
11
"
100.0 %
100·0%
100.0 %
40,951 vessels of 1,848,522 tons were engaged in Local Trade and were distributed thus:---
1908.
1907. Steamships not exceeding 60 tous, 91:58% in numbers and 84-98 % in tonnage 86-31%
8:42 Junks,
100.00%
15-02
100.00
13:69
11
15
100.00%
Seven thousand seven hundred and fifty (7,750) steamers, eleven (11) sailing ships and two thousand and thirty (2,030) steamships not exceeding 60 tons, in Foreign Trade, entered during the year, giving a daily average entry of 268, as compared
with 248 in 1907.
The average tonnage of Ocean vessels visiting the Port has again increased, from 2,325-3 tons to 2,448-6 tons. That of British vessels has increased from 2,552-2 tons to 2,593-06 tons, while that of Foreigners has increased from 2,136-8 tons to 2,309-9 tons.
In this connection, it is interesting to note that, during the past 20 years the average tonnage of Ocean vessels visiting the Colony has risen from 1,186-9 tons to 2,448-6 tons.
The average tonnage of River steamers entered during 1908 was 665′5 tons, as against 661 tons in 1907. British River steamers have increased in average tonnage from 678 tous to 686 5 tous, while Foreigners have again decreased, from 567 tons to 565-2 tons.
3
A comparison between the years 1907 and 1908 is given in the following table:-
1907.
JPOS,
Increase.
Decrease.
Class of Vessel.
No. Tonunge. Ne Tonnage.
3,756 || 7,218,160 | 3,860| 7,505,270
4,621 7,720,875 | 4,182) 7,597,836|
4,630,904 6,246 1,287,182
743,992 1,297 783.065
No. Tonnage No. Tonnage.
113; 280,101
489 323,039
582 342,882
13
19,927
1,581
70,021 4,000 181,142; 2,479 | 171,121
|29,541| 2,471,470 (25,834 |||2.201,242 |
3,051 450,228
Trade,..]
British Orean-
going. Foreign Occan-
going. British River! c.828
Steamora, Foreign River 1,310)
Steamers,..... £; Steamships un- derC01óns(Vo- reign Trade). Junks in Foreign 13
Total,..... 17,630 | 21,032,891 |46,437 |22,306,037 | 2,582| 400,222 4.8151,127,076 Steam-launches |
755,850
plying in waters, 419 11,284,532 | 145,704 | 10,460,682 (20,522
of the Colony, Junks in Local į 10,772
Trade,. {
1,518,522 1,778,587 10,951
179 69,635
་་་
Grant Total....] 507,831 | 36.028.310] 52.112|34,615,241,29,203 469,857 | 4,815 1,882,928
|1,413,069
NETT,
-| 24,178 |
*Including 18,080 Conservancy and Dust Boats of 820,938 tous.
† Including 16,808 Conservancy and Dust Boats of 862,256 tons.
There is an increase in British Oceun shipping, entered and cleared during the year, of 113 ships of 289,101 tons (59-26,698 increase in 1907). This increase appears to indicate a very considerable revival of trade during the last quarter of the year after the general depression, for in each of the first three quarters decreases were shown as compared with the corresponding periods of 1907.
British River steamers are shown to have decreased by 582 entries and clearances with a collective tonnage of 342,882 tons. This decrease is due to the loss of two large, regularly running, steamers, the "Powan" and "Ying King", and the withdrawal of a third, the "Hoi Sang", from the run, during the
year.
Foreign Ocean vessels, which increased by 334 ships of 627,380 tons in 1907 due to the resumption of the Japanese carrying trade, have decreased by 489 ships of This decreuse is general, but is most noticeable under the Norwegian, 323,039 tons. Japanese and German Flags, and may undoubtedly be attributed to the general trade depression throughout the world.
Foreign River steamers show a falling off of 13 ships of 10,927 tons which is due to the laying up of several of these vessels after the typhoon of July 27, in which they were damaged. Had it not been for this, the number and tonnage would have been considerably in excess of those for 1907. The increase in 1907 was 238 ships of 76,075 tons.
The typhoon, combined with the effects of the trade depression, which certainly bas reacted upon Junk traffic as it has upon shipping, may also be held reponsible for the decrease in Junks in Foreign Trade.
The increase shown in Steamships under 60 tons is due to the inclusion of unlicensed, privately owned, steam-launches, which have not previously figured in the returns.
The actual number of individual Ocean Vessels of European Construction entering dur- ing 1908 was 745, being 365 British and 380 Foreign. The figures in 1907 were respect- ively 800, 362, and 438.
These 745 ships aggregated 1,824,237 tons. They entered 3,991 times and gave a collective tonnage of 7,452,498 tous, Thus compared with 1907, 55 fewer ships of 36,008 less tons, entered 191 fewer times and gave a collective tonnage decreased by 15,013 tons.
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