organization of operations. The two ferry companies and the Tram Company resumed normal operations within a month, except that the Star Ferry Company abandoned its subsidiary route from Victoria to Hung Hom. In the bus companies progress was slower. It has always been difficult to find suitable candidates to recruit and train as drivers and, in Kowloon in particular, the programme of rehabilitation was seriously affected by the attacks on buses and their drivers during the disorders in July (which are described in Chapter 9). By the end of the year the services on Hong Kong Island had been almost fully restored but there was still room for improvement in Kowloon.
73. During the stoppages of May and June a total of over 17,000 men were dismissed including workers in the port, who are referred to in the next chapter. This figure may give an exaggerated impression of communist strength in the Colony. It represents less than one per cent of the total work force and the men dismissed were working in industries where the communist influence was strongest. Moreover, by no means all of those dismissed were supporters of confrontation. In- timidation was widespread and, despite the efforts of the Police and the managements concerned, there were many who absented themselves from work, and declined the offer of re-employment, simply through fear of reprisals by communist agents against their families or them- selves if they did otherwise.
CHAPTER 6
THE PORT OF HONG KONG
74. The general stoppage of work proclaimed by the communists in June included the Port, which because of its importance to the economy of Hong Kong, was naturally a major target. Tallyclerks, crews of lighters and towing launches and about half the operators of mechanical equipment of the Hong Kong and Kowloon Wharf and Godown Com- pany stopped work and there was widespread intimidation of loyal workers in these and other fields. To meet the situation the Marine Department set up a Port Working Committee, which included officers of the department, Police and representatives of the companies using the port; its task was formulate and execute measures to contain the stoppage and to nullify its effects. The Police, both ashore and afloat,
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