CO129-467 - Governor Sir Stubbs & Acting Governor Claud Severn - 1921 [1-5] — Page 342

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The price was maintained at the same level throughout the year, riz.. $14.50 per tael.

There was a large number of seizures of illicit opium during the year.

Raw opium has dropped to less than half the 1918 total. Full details are shown in Table IV.

IMPORTS AND EXPORTS OF RAW OPIUM.

4. The movements of Raw Opium will be found detailed in Tables V to VII.

B

The principal items of trade for 1919 were : –

Rice, Broken

Imports.

Exports.

£

S

Chinese Medicines, Miscellaneous Camphor

1,785,822

1,832,134

607,362

Fish and Fishery Products, Mis-

cellan cous

1,008,737

1,188,652

Wheat Flour

1,109,825

912,488

8,320,298

2,146,271

White..

8.849,118

10,363,101

11

Sugar, Raw. 332,470 tons

Value not

2,078,211

available.

Refined

8,210,483

་་

Coal

3.119,909

Tin Slabs and Ingots

3,255,350

1,761,871

Kerosene.

1.288,390

3,681,687

Peanut Oil

827,966

Dyed Plain Cottons, Miscellaneous

1,020,442

Silk Piece Goods.

1,076,651

1,834,363

Tobacco, Raw....

655,499

Cigarettes

1-441,105

Gunny Bags

569,623

769,642

Hides

1,249,425

Leather (Sole)..

909,206

1,086,665

815,107

710,171

SEGAR.

5. The importation of Sugar for the first nine months of the year will be found in Tables VIII and IX. The Sugar Convention Ordinance was repealed on September 19th and Certificates of Origin were no longer required. From October 1st, the imports of Sugar were incorporated in the Trade Returns published by the Statistical Department.

TOBACCO ORDINANCE.

6. The net revenue collected under the Tobacco Ordinance was 3618,905.55 showing an increase over 1918 of $74,045.23. There were no changes in the Tobacco Duties during the year.

IMPORTATION AND EXPORTATION ORDINANCE,

7. Table XV shows the number of permits and other documents dealt with under this Ordinance.

TRADE STATISTICS.

8. The Statistical Department required a still larger staff this year, and as the trade grows and the countries which were practically negligible from a Far Eastern trade point of view dur- ing the war resume or establish trade relations with the Orient, this Department will inevitably grow larger still.

The collection of the information necessary for the compila- tion of the Trade Returns is being effected without dislocation to trade. The Department has been in close consultation with a special Sub-Committee of the Hongkong General Chamber of Com- merce with regard to the introduction of new Rules under the Importation and Exportation Ordinance and it is hoped shortly to reduce the amount of inconvenience given to merchants to an absolute minimum. A complete Return of Trade was published each quarter, and a Yearly Return was issued summarising the quarterly figures and giving a comparison with the totals for 1918.

The total trade for the year amounted to £194,594,6-12 as rom- pared with C130,553,300 for 1918. The Imports for 1919 were valued at £90,651,708 and for 1918 at £60,619,335, while Exports were. 1919. C103,942,934 and 1918, €69,933,971.

Matches

Yarn, Cotton

9.243,107 9,244,897

The imports of Treasure for the period July 1st to December 31st, 1919, showed Gold £20,383,568 and Silver £2,156,911, while Exports were Gold £12,604,243 and Silver £3,215,666.

From the above table it will be clear that the most important industry of the Colony is that of the transhipment of goods, for the principal imports are also the principal exports with but few excep- tions. The exceptions show that Sugar-refining and the manufacture of Tobacco are important industries in Hongkong. The large amount of Coal imported is mainly used for Bunkering. Dyed Plain Cotton exports are mostly composed of course Cotton Native Cloth.

The apparent discrepancies between the import and export of several of the items shown is of course due to carry over from 1918, and stocks on hand at end of 1919, not to consumption or produce of the Colony.

RICE.

. When the Government took control of Rice a sub-department of the Imports and Exports. Department was formed to deal with the transactions. Mr. R. O. Hutchison, M.B.E., substantive Super- intendent of Imports and Exports, was appointed Rice Controller and Mr. A. J. C. Taylor was seconded from the Police to take charge of the accounts. A staff of 5 Temporary Clerks, 1 Godown Keeper, Foremen, and Tallymen were engaged. Commander ( W. Beckwith took over the Rice control from October 24th when Mr. Hutchison was appointed acting First Magistrate.

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