CO129-443 - Governor Sir May - 1917 [7-9] — Page 233

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Hongkong, 17th, July, 1917.

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With reference to your letters of 28th. June, 7th.

and 10th. July we now have the honour to reply.

1.

1A

2.

Te mclose for your information:-

Report on the Calcutta-Singapore-Hongkong trade

submitted to us by Messrs. Jardine, Matheson

& Co., Managers, Indo-China S.N.Co. and a letter confirming a telegram dated 13th. July received by them from Singapore.

Statistica furnished us by the Superintendent of

Imports and Ixports.

These reports show the nature of Cargo carried by the Indo-China 8.N.Co. steamers to be similar in character to that carried by the Apcar and/or British India Line, and indicate that the Indo-China S.N.Co. carried the larger volume of traffic.

So far as Hongkong is concerned the steamers are chiefly occupied in carriage from Calcutta of Gunnies for the Grain traffic of Hongkong and China, for Export of Sugar and manufactured products of the Colony, for transhipment (to the extent of 29,000 tons in 1916) to Pacific lines for Canada and U. S.A., and for a qumtity of Pig Iron which is valuable to the ship repairing and shipbuilding industries. On the return passages the Indo-China Line carried in 1916 10,700 tons of Cement, 30,000 tons of Chinese produce, and 34,000 Emigrants, to the Straits and Calcutta.

For the purpose of supplying Vital Necessities further steamers on this Calcutta line are not essential to Hongkong at this time, but on the general principle represented in our previous reports we consider it of vital importance to main-

-tain

on. Mr. Claud Severn, C.M.G.,

Colonial Secretary, Hongkong.