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Formosa and Netherlands East Indies and except for raw sugar which is refined in the Colony and exported principally to North China, of the other two commodities :-rice is almost wholly exported to South China and coal partly to South China but delivered mostly to ships in bunkers.

The production of rice in China being insufficient to feed the rice-eating population, it has to be supplemented by imports mainly from French Indo-China, Siam and Burmah: Hence the reason for the very large trade in this commodity of which in 1923 the amount imported weighed 1,381,750 tons and represented 22.40% of the Total Value of Imports. Of this amount, 1,223,430 Tons representing 20.68% of the Total Value of Exports were exported, mainly to South China.

The mode of transport of the eight commodities under consideration as far as can be ascertained was as follows :--

IMPORTS.

PERCENTAGE WEIGHT CARRIED BY

COASTER-STEAMER,

OCEAN-GOING

RIVER STEAMBOAT

STEAMER.

OR JUNK.

Imports

Exports..

85/

144

961

31/12

Average on Total Imports and Exports of these

eight commodities

91 %

9%

i.e. a ratio of 9 to 1,

Any of these eight articles of trade when imported are likely to form the greater bulk of the ship's cargo consigned to Hongkong, and as they are transported in bags, cases, or bales of more or less uniform size (in the case of coal and fuel oil "in bulk") it is possible to obtain by such means as mechanical conveyors a continuous stream of discharge movement from a ship alongside a quay wall to the transit shed, storage warehouse or dump; in the case of oil by pipe-line to the oil Tanks. The degree of expedition and economy in handling which it is possible to obtain in the transport of such a commodity as rice,--a necessity of life to the Chinese,and which alone represents over 20% of the Value of the Import and Export Trade of the Port, I submit, justifies this trade being considered of primary importance in any schemes of Port Developments.

Size of Vessels engaged in the present trade.

The maximum draught (fully loaded) and length of vesels frequenting the Port is as follows:

CLASS OF VESSEL.

Ocean-going

Coaster

River Steamboats..

Junks..

Barges

MAXIMUM DRAUGHT (FULLY LOADED) FT. INCHES.

LENGTH (OVERALL)

FEET.

32-0

627

22-6

325

13-0

290

11-0

70

7-6

80