Directory_and_Chronicle_1933 — Page 1081

HONGKONG

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The Naval Yard consists of a large dock, an extensive range of workshops and offices east of the Artillery Barracks, and the Naval Authorities have an- other large establishm nt on the Kowloon side near to Yaumati.:

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CLIMATE

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As intimated in earlier paragraphs, Hongkong formerly possessed a most unenviable notoriety for unhealthiness, and in years past the troops garrisoned here suffered grievously from malarial fevers. At the present time, however, the Colony is one of the healthiest spots in the world in the same latitude. The influence of the young pine forests created by the Afforestation Department and the draining of nullahs on the slopes have no doubt been beneficial in checking malaria, and the attention latterly bestowed on sanitation has not been without its due effect, The number of deaths from malaria during the past six years were: 1921, 332; 1922, 454; 1923, 674; 1924, 707; 1925, 702, 1926, 587. The last number represents 0.89 per thousand of population. The general death-rate per 1,000 in 1926 was 15.9 (19.0 in 1925), Among the Chinese com- munity the death-rate was 16:01 per 1,000, compared with 19.12 in 1925. Amongst the non-Chinese civilian community the death-rate per 1,000 was 10.9 as, against 14.6 in 1925.

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Four successive years of comparative drought, 1898-1901, led to the assump- tion that the rainfall of Hongkong was decreasing. But such is not the case; the mean annual rainfall for the period 1902-11 was 84.21 inches against 68.29 inches for the period 1895-1901. Until 1918 the rainfall was never so heavy as in the period 1888-1894, when the mean annual fall was 101.08 inches.

TRADE

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The value of the trade of Hongkong was estimated for many years at about £50,000,000 per annum, but the returns compiled by the Statistical Branch of the Imports and Exports Department, established during the war, showed a total (excluding treasure) for 1923, of £123,326,829, as compared with £122,191,827 in 1922. Imports were valued at £61,954,498 and exports at £61,372,331, as compared with £61,213,363 and £60,973,464 respectively in 1922. In the latter part of 1925 it was decided on the grounds of economy to close the Statistical Branch of the Imports and Exports Department, but in the early part of 1931 it was re-opened.

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The year 1931 was a very difficult one for business in the Kowloon dis- tricts. At the very beginning of the year trade had to face a disastrous fall in the dollar, which gradually went down until on the 16th February it was quoted as low as 10d. in terms of sterling. All the old stocks of cargo left over from previous years had been exhausted, and, on account of this most unfavourable rate of exchange, new orders could only be placed for small amounts of urgently needed replacement supplies. In September Great Bri- tain went off the gold standard, and the dollar, which had been around 18., recovered rapidly until it reached 1s. 6d. at the close of the year. The rise of the dollar, however, had an adverse effect on many commercial lines. For instance, piece goods ordered at prices higher than the current rates could not find a ready market upon their arrival. A remedy for this unusual situ- ation was found in declaring a "piece goods holiday," whereby no new goods were to be ordered until all the old stocks were consumed. The recovery of the dollar in relation to sterling, coming practically at the same time as the Japanese invasion of Manchuria, helped many European and American firms whose business were then on the verge of collapse. The anti-Japanese boy- cott was so spontaneously and rigidly observed everywhere that Japanese trade suffered very badly. In 1930 Japan's percentage of the total value of imports into Hong Kong was 12.3. It fell from 9.4 in the first quarter of 1931, 10.7 in the second, and 12.7 in the third, to as low as 4.3 in the fourth quarter; while Britain's share, on the other hand, steadily declined until the last quarter, when it recovered at the expense of Japan with the help of the