Directory_and_Chronicle_1931 — Page 1056

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KOWLOON FRONTIER-LAPPA

DIRECTORY

Kow loon kwan

CHINESE MARITIME CUSTOMS (Kowloon & District) Third Floor, York Building, Chater Road Central, Hongkong; Teleph. 28005; Tel. Ad: Code Hongkong

Commissioner-J. M. H. Osborne Acting Deputy Commissioner J. C.

O'G. Anderson

Chinese Assistants-Ching Wên Ping, Wong T. Manuel, Cheung Iü-shang and Leung Shi Wai

Medical Officers-G. D. R. Black and

C. H. Wan

Launch Inspector G. J. M. Harman Acting Chief Tidesurveyor-H. P.

Leaver

Assist. Tidesurveyor-F. A. Strandvig Examiners-F. Benoist, H. I. Erikson, G. Lamport, A. Einarson, L. A. Hurlow and J. Muir

Boat Officers-D. M. Nicoll, M. W. Hallums, F. C. Stevens and R. H. Richmond

Tidewaiters H. G. K. Wheeler, E. R. Collier, J. S. Thomas, J. R. Foster, W. H. Kuebel, C. N. Brooke, M. A. Ragusin, F. C. Parr, A. C. F. Jacobson, F. H. Shaw, F. W. Wright, J. L. Boyes and R. G. Ward Revenue Launches - "

"Yeungshing," "Cheongkeng," "Kwanlui" "Kong- moon" and "Paktou"

LAPPA

Lappa is the large, hilly island which shelters the inner harbour of Macao on its western side. It is also called by the Chinese Kung Pak or Tui Lien Shan, and by the Portuguese Patera Island. The island itself, which is within the jurisdiction of the Shekki (Chungshan) Magistrate, possesses no features of interest; but it has given its. name to the chain of stations under the control of the Chinese Maritime Customs which were established around Macao, by agreement with the Portuguese Government, in the year 1887. Of these stations, the two principal-from a revenue collecting point of view-are at Malowchow, an islet close to Lappa, and Chienshan, north of Green Island. There are also two stations beyond the Barrier Gate (Portas do Cerco) of Macao, and another is maintained at Tungho, one of the Ladrone group of islands. The trade passing through the Lappa Customs stations is chiefly junk-borne, and its. net value in 1929 was Hk. Tls. 22,679,610, as compared with Hk. Tls. 27,897,494 in 1928, Hk. Tls. 21,585,043 in 1927, and Hk. Tls. 10,391,394 in 1926. Notwithstanding the general decline which characterised the trade of the delta controlled by the Lappa stations, 1929 cannot be considered a bad year. Junk traffic between Macao and Hongkong and the interior met with little interruption, due to the tranquillity which reigned in the district. The total value of the trade, however, showed a noticeable decrease, which may be attributed to the levying of heavier duties on imports, which diverted trade to more economical routes and induced smuggling on a larger scale than usual. The sudden substitution of the much higher new Import Tariff, without the abolition of likin and chingfei, for the antiquated Hoppo Tariff caused imports through Lappa to be more heavily taxed than those at neighbouring ports, and shipinents were made direct to Canton, Kongmoon and Kwangchowwan, and thence into the interior instead of through the Kowloon and Lappa stations as formerly. Due to the failure of the rice crop, large supplies were obtained from Annam and Siam. Owing to continuous fighting along the West River in the latter part of the year, decreases are shown in almost all articles generally exported from those ports, such as charcoal, firewood, timber and cassia-leaf oil. A station for the study of fishery products and the development of the industry was established at the port of Heungchow by the Canton Government.