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Turning now to the statistics of the Colony's population, it is necessary first of all to observe that these figures have by no means the same degree of accuracy as the financial returns.
There was a census in 1901, in 1911 and 1921: but for the intervening years the total civil population is only an estimate based upon the excess of births over deaths and of immigration over emigration. Towards the end of an inter-censal period these figures are apt to be wide of the mark, and this fact no doubt accounts for the sharp rises in 1911 and 1921, when the previous estimates were suddenly corrected by actual enumeration. The full figures are given in the sessional paper No. 4 of 1927, to which I have already referred. The figures for the
census years are:-
1901 total civil population 1911
do.
1921
do.
290,124 464,277
686,680
Consequently the rate of increase in the population during the first decade was 60 per cent. and during the second decade 47 per cent. We are now in the middle of an inter-censal period and it is difficult to say what degree of reliance can be placed on the estimate of 874,420 souls as the total civil population of the year 1926. But it is certain that our population is larger now than in 1921, and I shall be much surprised if the 1931 census does not again reveal a very appreciable increase in the Colony's population.
It is, of course, the harbour of Hong Kong and its shipping which has made the greatness of Hong Kong. In this respect also the progress achieved during the past thirty years is wonderful and shows a remarkable continuity. In 1897 the total number of ships engaged in foreign trade entered and cleared at this port other than junks was 9,944 with a total displacement of 12,124,599 tons. Statistics of the total tonnage of all kinds entered and cleared are unfortunately not available for that year; but in 1902, the first year in which these figures were recorded, a total of 21,333,566 tons of shipping of all kinds entered and cleared in Hong Kong. By 1924 the total tonnage of all kinds, entered and cleared, had reached the record figure of 56,731,077 tons. In that year 30,240 ships engaged in foreign trade other than junks entered and cleared at Hong Kong, and their aggregate dis- placement was 35,471,671 tons. It is interesting to compare the shipping statistics of London and New York for that year. The details are given in sessional paper No. 4 of 1927, but the result can be shown at a glance as follows:-
Ports.
Hong Kong London New York
1924.
Total tonnage of
Foreign going ton- nage excluding
all kinds.
junks.
56,731,077
35,471,671
47,064,975
32,557,466
40,022,503
37,773,000
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