CO129-590-22 Situation in enemy occupied Hong Kong 19-1-1943 - 20-11-1943 — Page 26

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F.I.R. NO.2.

per catty. On July 14th a great demand for meat was reported; boef and pork were no sooner put out for sale than they disappeared from the stalls, and mutton was equally as scarce. (Hongkong News, July 11th, 14th and 15th).

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10. Distribution of Cooking Oil: The Hongkong News reported on

July 13th that the price of cook- in oil had been increased from Y1.40 per catty to Y3.50 per catty, Distribution per person was to be as follows:- One person - 2 taels (one tael or liang is one-sixteenth of a Chinese 'catty' equal to and one-third pound) two persons 4 taels, three persons 5 tacls, four persons 7 taels, five persons - 8 taels, six persons 10 taols, seven persons - 12 taels, eight persons - 13 taels, nine

15 taels, and ten persons

16 taels or one 'catty'. Comment: No indication was given as to how often such distributions were to be made, but previous issues of the Hongkong News have shown that there was a severe shortage of cooking oils, and distributions most infrequent. The present price of 13.50is five times a labourer's daily wago.

Dersons

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11. Bread 'racket' in Hongkong: A columnist writing in the Hongkong

News reports that long queues of Chinese are soon daily in front of bread shops, (95 per cent of whom are obviously not normally bread consumers). The writer stated that he saw a woman with a ragged child emerge from the shop each with a pound of bread which he subsequently witnessed boing sold to a shop a short distance away for Y1.50 per pound, after having

boon bought for Y1.00. The shopkeeper would eventually soll it for Y2.00 r12.20. Cigarettes selling officially at 20 sen per packet of ten were being sold by pedalars at 40 sen per packet, and chonists were unanimously hoarding and profiteering on medical supplies. (Hongkong News, July 15th).

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Shortage of Firewood: The Hongkong News reported a great

shortage of firewood in Hongkong for which various reasons were offered, depots were established to retail the firewood at fixed official prices but it was found that residents were being supplied with 14 catties of firewood for Y1.00, while it was billed to them at the official price of 20 catties for Y1.00. Supplies had been distributed through dealers eight times during the month of June but residents were still unable to purchase their requirements. (Hongkong News, July 6th). Comment: A columnist writing in the Hongkong News remarking on the firewood shortage stated that it had reached such an extent that doors, windows and exposed woodwork on uninhabited or unproctected houses were being stolen at night. Most of the firewood used in Hongkong is imported, and shortage of shipping, together with controlled official prices is undoubtedly the cause of the shortage.

13. Communications Telegraph Service between Hongkong and

Philippines: Telegraph service between Hongkong and eleven

cities and towns in the Philippines, in addition to the fifty-one already established offices in the Philippines, commenced on October 1st. The new points include Echaque in Isabela Province, Cavite and Imus in Cavite Province, Pagsanjan in Laguna Province, Taal and Nasugbu in Batangas Province, Rapu-Rapu in Albay Province, Bulan in Sorsogon Province, Masbate in Masbate Province, Fanrics(?) in Negros Occidental Provinco and Tagbilaran in Bohol Province. (Domei in English, October 2nd).

PIM.