Sessional_Paper_1902 — Page 572

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2. Five thousand three hundred and forty-nine (5,349) steamers, 60 sailing vessels, 1,542 steam launches and 17,736 junks in Foreign Trade entered during the year, giving a daily average of 67.6 as against 63.6 in 1900.

For European constructed vessels, the daily average entry would be 19.3 against 14.99 in 1900.

3. A comparison between the years 1900 and 1901 is shewn in the following Table :-- Steam launches, however, are not included.

Comparative Shipping Return for the Years 1900 and 1901.

1900.

1901.

INCREASE.

DECREASE.

!

British,.. Foreign,

Ships. Tonnage. Ships. Tonnage. Ships. Tonnage.] Ships. Tonnage.

7,511 9,155,198 6,715 9,213,659 3,429 | 4,566,969|4,092| 5,345,502

Junks in Foreign | 35,425 3,224,856 35,394 3.266,168

Trade,

Total,

Junks in Local

Trade,

46.365 | 17,247,023 46,201 17,825,309

*

58,441 796

603| 478,533

41,312 31

663 578,286 $27

36,091 1.198,11141,235|| 1,334,947 | 5,144 136,836

⠀

Grand Total,... 82.456| 18,145,134 (87,436 19,160,256 | 5,807 715,122 827

NET,

4,980 715,122

*

Including 13,724 Conservancy and Dust Boats of 460,196 tons.

+ Including 15,336 Conservancy and Dust Boats of 495,332 tons.

4. For vessels under the British flag there appears from this table a startling decrease of 796 ships, but, taking from this the decrease of 781 river steamers, and 29 sailing vessels as described below, the result is a net increase of 14 ocean steamers. In tonnage, British shipping shows an increase of 58,441 tons; but if the decrease in river steamer and sailing ship tonnage of 113,193 tons and 69,876 tons respectively be taken into the calculation, this increase will amount to 241,599 tons in ocean-going steam tonnage.

The decrease above referred to in river steamers may be explained as follows:-Four British river steamers (2 West River, 2 Canton) which ran in 1900, have not done so in 1901. During the former year they entered and cleared 949 times with a collective tonnage of 136,692 tons. Against this must be put 109 river steamers of 22,790 tons, which ran in 1901 and not in 1900. This leaves 59 river steamers of 70 tons to be accounted for, and this is explained by the fact that the larger river steamers have run fewer trips, and the smaller ones more trips.

It may here be mentioned that three coasting steamers were employed during part of the year as transports: (transports are not included in this table). If we compare their figures for 1901 with those of 1900, it is found that, in consequence of their being so employed, they entered and cleared 73 times less in the latter year with a tonnage diminished by 71,173 tons. Certain other steamers not coasters, have also been taken off the run, as transports, and it is but a natural presumption that, had they not been so, their visits would have assisted to swell the figures of British shipping.

This will help to account for the small net annual increase in British ocean-going steamers. For vessels under Foreign flags, there is shewn an increase in both number and tonnage, viz., 663 ships of 478,533 tons. This is to be explained as follows:-

(I.) Foreign river steamers have increased by 405 ships of 81,476 tons, owing to three vessels having started running this year, viz., 1 French, 1 Portuguese, and 1 Chinese.

(II.) Several small ocean-going vessels of German and Freuch nationality (including some junks under French colours which were for a short time treated as French ships) have come on the run during the year.

(III.). Ocean steamers on the Home run continue to increase in size.

One Corean steamer visited the port for trading purposes during the year, the first on re

5. The actual number of ships of European construction (exclusive of river steamers and st launches) entering the port during 1901 was 682, being 337 British and 345 Foreign.

These 682 vessels entered 3,570 times, and gave a total tonnage of 5,555,332 tons.