CO129-549-12 Annual report of the Social and Economic Progress of the People of Hong Kong- 1933... 8-6-1934 - 11-6-1934 — Page 53

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10. Receptacles in transit, including those to and from British and Foreign Men-of-War, numbered 222,489 as against 183,822 in 1932 an increase of 38,667.

11. Registered Articles and Parcels.-The number of regis- tered articles handled amounted to 691,046 as compared with 748,676 in 1932-a decrease of 57,630.

12. The figures for insured letters were 20,232 and 18,595 respectively an increase of 1,637.

13. Parcels, ordinary and insured, which were dealt with reached a total of 143,064 as against 148,189 in 1932 a' decrease of 5,125.

14. In 1933 the earnings of the Railway continued to improve steadily and another very successful year resulted. There were no suspension of traffic, and no interruption from storms or typhoons.

15. The track both on the British and the Chinese Sections was well maintained and enabled the accelerated timetable introduced in October 1932 to be continued, while certain alterations were made to the hours of departure and in the number of express trains to suit the convenience of the travelling public. These improvements, together with the fact that Southern Kwong Tung is being rapidly opened up by roads, many of which act as feeders to the Railway, helped to make it a very popular means of conveyance.

16. The three express locomotives obtained in 1930 on behalf of the Chinese Section are still in the possession of the British Section, but the Chinese Section made twelve monthly cash instalments of $10,000 each in respect of them during the year. Haulage charges continued to be paid by the Chinese Section.

17. The total steam train mileage run

amounted to 354,294. This includes trains run over the Chinese Section to and from Canton. The Motor Coach mileage was 13,378 miles. 2,475,514 passengers were carried during the year, as against 2,182,634 in 1932.

18. The General Gross Revenue showed again a marked increase and reached the satisfactory figure of $1,630,610.83, as against $1,295,789.20 for the previous year. Net revenue amounted to $711,052.42, as against $333,412.15 for 1932.

19. There are 311 miles of roads in the Colony, 161 miles on the Island of Hong Kong and 150 miles in Kowloon and the New Territories. Of the total mileage 227 miles are constructed

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in water bound macadam dressed with asphalt, 12 miles in sheet asphalt on a cement concrete foundation, 13 miles of tar macadam, 17 miles of concrete, 3 miles of granite setts and wooden blocks on a cement concrete foundation and 39 miles of gravel.

20. The public travelling over the Colony's roads increases yearly with a corresponding growth in the number of motor buses, of which there are 59 operating on the island of Hong Kong, and 115 on the mainland. These are gradually replacing the rickshas, the number of which decreases year by year.

21. The Hong Kong Tramway Company has Я fleet of nearly 90 double deck tram cars running along the sea front of Victoria from Kennedy Town to Shaukiwan.

22. Communication between the island and the mainland is maintained by a number of ferry services; the most important of which are the Star Ferry between Kowloon Point and a pier near the General Post Office, and the combined vehicular and passenger service of the Hong Kong and Yaumati Ferry Company between Jordan Road, Kowloon and Jubilee Street, Victoria.

Chapter XI.

BANKING, CURRENCY, WEIGHTS & MEASURES.

The Colony is well served by banking institutions. There are sixteen principal banks doing business in the Colony which are members of the Clearing House, and in addition several Chinese banks and numerous native Hongs doing some portion of banking business. There are no banks which devote them- selves specially to agricultural and co-operative banking. The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation also conducts the business of the Hong Kong Savings Bank on usual savings bank principles.

2. The Currency of the Colony is based on silver and is governed by the Order in Council of 2nd February, 1895. The dollar, which is normally in circulation and which is legal tender to any amount, is the British Dollar of 900 millesimal fineness and weight 26.957 grammes (416.00 grains). Silver subsidiary coins of the value of 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents and one cent pieces in bronze are also legal tender up to the value of two dollars for silver and one dollar for bronze. Bank notes issued by The Hong Kong & Shanghai Bank, The Chartered Bank and The Mercantile Bank are also in circulation, the estimated amount issued at the end of 1983 being $157,583,718.

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