3
NEW COMERS HAD TO BE HOUSED AND FED AND PROVIDED WITH
JOBS. AMONG THE ARRIVALS WERE ALSO MEN OF MEANS, EXPERI-
ENCE, AND ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILL WHO QUICKLY SAW THE POSSI-
BILITIES OF THEIR NEW DOMICILE AND PUT THEIR FUNDS AND MINDS
TO WORK TO ASSIST IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW AND VIGOROUS
INDUSTRIAL ENVIRONMENT IN HONG KONG, RELYING UPON THE LARGE
LABOUR FORCE AND IN TURN SATISFYING THE NEEDS OF THE ENLARGED
POPULATION, INCLUDED IN THIS GROUP WERE SOME ESTABLISHED
SHIPOWNERS, AS WELL AS SOME POTENTIAL ONES LIKE MYSELF, WHO
DISCOVERED THAT HONG KONG PROVIDED A GOOD BASE FOR THEIR
OPERATIONS. WHAT THEY FOUND WAS NOT ONLY A HARBOUR OF SOME
PROMINENCE BUT A FREE PORT WITH A SMALL YET DYNAMICALLY
GROWING INDUSTRIAL HINTERLAND REQUIRING IMPORTS OF RAW
MATERIALS AND PUSHING FOR EXPORTS, A WELL-ESTABLISHED
FINANCIAL AND TRADING COMMUNITY WITH IMPORTANT INTERNATIONAL
CONNECTIONS, A GOVERNMENT ADHERING TO A POLICY OF MINIMUM
INTERVENTION. AND MAINTAINING AN ENVIRONMENT OF LOW TAXES
AND LIBERAL CURRENCY RULES, THE AVAILABILITY OF TECHNICAL
EXPERTISE BROUGHT IN BY BOTH THE FOREIGN FIRMS AND DEVELOPED
BY THE MARINE INDUSTRIES SERVING THE PORT AND ITS SHIPS, THEY
ALSO FOUND A READY SUPPLY OF SKILLED LABOUR ENTHUSIASTICALLY
WILLING TO ABSORE SPECIAL SKILLS, AND TAKE UP A SEAFARING
CAREER. GIVEN THE POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC LINKS OF HONG KONG
WITH LONDON, THE MARKET PLACE FOR SHIPPING AND SHIPPING
TRANSACTIONS, AND ALSO THE GEOGRAPHICAL PROXIMITY TO JAPAN,
THE COUNTRY SOON TO EMERGE AS ONE OF THE FOREMOST SHIP-
BUILDING AND SHIPPING NATIONS IN THE WORLD, IT IS HARDLY SUR-
PRISING TO FIND WHAT HONG KONG HAS BECOME BY TODAY A
MARITIME POWER.
-
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.