Sessional_Paper_1934 — Page 5

HONG KONG.

No.

1934

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE REGARDING THE MARKETING OF NEW TERRITORIES PRODUCE IN HONG KONG AND KOWLOON.

HONG KONG, 22nd January, 1934.

The Hon. Sir W. T. SOUTHORN, K.B.E., C.M.G.,

SIR.

Colonial Secretary,

Hong Kong.

1. We, the Committee appointed by His Excellency the Governor to consider and submit recommendations regarding the marketing of New Territories produce in Hong Kong and Kowloon, have the honour to submit our report as follows:-

General.

2. The Committee held its first meeting on November the 28th. The delay in setting about our task was due to Mr. Braga's absence from the Colony on a holiday to recuperate his health. After his return but before our first meeting, Mr. Braga by request submitted a memorandum for the Committee's consideration. Included in that memorandum were some interesting paragraphs on the soil of the Territory and its possible further fertilisation; but in our considered view this is not in itself a subject which falls within the scope or terms of reference of this Committe which was appointed to consider and submit recommendations regarding the marketing of New Territories produce in Hong Kong and Kowloon.

3. The subject appeared to us to fall under three heads; collection, transporta- tion and sale in Kowloon and Hong Kong. We decided that our best line of attack would be to examine expert witnesses connected with the wholesale vegetable and egg trade in Hong Kong and Kowloon, to invite representatives of the New Territories Agricultural Association to attend before us, and, through the District Officer, North, to obtain statements from New Territory producers and middlemen. It appeared to us that our attention should be directed to eggs, fruit and vegetables, omitting other kinds of New Territory farm produce such as rice and pork.

4. At our second meeting held on December the 6th three witnesses attended : the first Mr. Leung Tak, a wholesale egg dealer, and the other two, Messrs. Wong Pak-kan and Wong Kit-wan, both of whom are experienced vegetable wholesale dealers. The information we obtained from Mr. Leung was to the following effect:

Eggs.

5. Imported eggs come into the Colony especially from Swabue, Swatow and Tientsin-sometimes as many as one hundred thousand a day and at the very minimum twenty or thirty thousand. The best of these eggs cost the wholesale dealer $2.50 a hundred; the least good cost him $2 a hundred. The production of New Territory eggs is exceedingly small in comparison with the amount imported.

6. Mr. Leung has a farm of his own at Castle Peak, and from that farm and partly also from neighbouring villages, he collects at most 500 eggs a week. Fokis from his farm go out to the neighbouring villages and buy eggs and take them back to his farm twice a week; and these eggs together with those produced on his own farm are brought into Hong Kong by launch.