July 22, 1896.
tonnage discharged 3,485,504 tons, shipped 2,704,974 tons, had 1,623,883 tons in transit, and shipped 387,870 tons of bunker coal, giving a total of 8,202,231. The number of passengers carried was 1,591,073.]
This Department has now, at an infinite amount of trouble and pains on the part of the officers concerned, succeeded (to an extent limited only by the reliability of the information afforded on application) in producing statistics usually only found at ports which have the advantage for this purpose of a Custom-house, and as I remarked on a former occasion "I hope the information may be valued in proportion to the -amount of time and trouble expended in its compilation." During the year 9,089 Euro- pean constructed vessels aggregating 11,525,586 carried 6,569,988 tons, made up as follows:- Import cargo, 2,895,228, export cargo, 1,663,007, transit cargo, 1,623,883, bunker coal shipped, 387,870, The total number of tons carried was therefore 56 per cent. of the total registered tonnage; in the previous year it was 58 per cent., and in 1893 59 per cent.
Imported 2,760,954 tons of cargo as under:-
Articles.
1894.
1895.
In- Do-
create. credse.
147
60,250 101,767 41,517
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
Excess
of arrivals over departures (foreign trade)...
28,555 Junks, local trade 6,665 3,794 Launches ... 1,964,821 1,978,339
1,971,486 1,982,133. Excess of departures over arrivals (local
trado)
10,647
station 488 vessels have been reported as passing and in addition 294 messages were received and 2,199 sent, including the daily weather report for the Observatory. From D'Aguilar 968 vessels were reported and in addition 348 mes- 'sages were sent and 75 received.
From the 9th of June the telegraph at Gap Rock has been worked by the lightkeepers in accordance with the recommendation of the Signalling Committee, and two Chinese have
GOVERNMENT GUNPOWDER DEPOT.
Difference excess of arrivals, 17,908 From the above it appears that with a pas-been engaged as watchmen. senger traffic amounting to 5,793,242 during the year, the excess of arrivals in the colony over departures from it, inclusive of all allow ance for errors in reporting, amounted to 17,908 or about one-third per cent.
REVENUE.
The total revenue collected by the Harbour Office during the year was $234,418.29, an in- crease of 39,242.67 over 1894. The details are as follows:----Lights Dues $107,315.91. Licences and International Revenue $34,479,50. Fees of Court and Office $92,622.88.
STEAM LAUNCHES.
On 31st December there were 139 steam launches employed in the Harbour; of these 59 were licensed for the conveyance of pas- sengers, 63 were privately owned, 12 were the property of the Colonial Government, and 5 10 belonged to the Imperial Government in charge
of the Military Authorities.
7,012
26,304
1:
456
Beans
3,995
Bones
2,0 0
Coal
562,909
563,767
Copra
10
Coffee
Cotton...
Ebony
3,848 2,340TM 300 858
500 500 50 50 400 400
Flour
Hemp....
1,200 1,200.
· Kerosine (bulk) 31,482
24,450
Kerosine (case) 68,905*
42,601
Lead
1,350 1,350
Oil
3,801
3,348
Opium..
2,825
2,464
Peas
1,060 1,060-
Rattan
625
625
Rice..
619,075
764,368 145,293
Salt.
6,250 6,250
Saltpetre
50
Sandal-wood
1,625
1.262
Sapan-wood. 1,300
600
Sulphur
500
500
Sugar
170,499
185,616 15,117
Tex
350
20
330
16,040
Timber
26,389-10,349 Vermicelli... 170
800 630 General.:. 1,079,676 1,026,004
361
50 363
700
53,672
Total... 2,625,610 2,760,954 225,374 90,030 *1,929,340 cases. 1,192,828 cases. Decr. 736,512 cases.
The above table shows that the chief increase
in imports during the year were in flour (41,517 tons), rice (145,293 tons), sugar (15.117 tons), and timber (10,349 tons), while the decrease is shown in 33,316 tons of kerosine and 53,672 tons under the head of “ General" 2,957 steamers measuring 3,999,745 tons and 94 sailing vessels measuring 97,348 tons exported 1,551,184 tons of cargo, and shipped 366,060 tons of bunker coal. Compared with last year, this gives 188 ships more, measuring 498,242 tons, carrying 46,374 more tons of cargo, and shipping 32,809 more tons of bunker coal. European constructed vessels imported 1,232,221 tons in excess of exports. Junks ex- ported an excess of 451,691 tons. The excess of imports is thus reduced to 780,530 tons; from this must be deducted 366,060 tons of bunker coal shipped (exclusive of that supplied to Her Majesty's ships and foreign men-of-war), leav. ing a balance of 414,470 tons consumed, manu- factured, and in stock in the colony or unac- counted for.
The river steamers, aggregating 3,314,090 tons, imported 134,274 tons of cargo, exported 111,823 tons, shipped 21,810 tons of bunker coal, and conveyed 928,825 passengers, showing an increase under each heading except pas sengers," the number of whom carried was re- duced by 113,133 for the year.
British hips
PASSENGEE TRAFFIC.
Arrivals. Departures. 143,490 165,516
(incl. emigrants) 67,480 57,126 478,695 450,130
Foreign ships.
River steamers
Launches outside waters
of colony
133,598
unks (foreign trade)
111,026
934,089
125,611 107;151.
905,534
EMIGRATION.
73,138 emigrants left Hongkong for various places during the year; of these 58,429 were carried by British ships; 112,685 were reported as having been brought to Hongkong from places to which they had emigrated, and of these 86,663 were brought in British ships. SUNDAY CARGO-WORKING ORDINANCE, 1891. During the year 105 permits were issued (exclusive of 42 issued free during the coolie strike) under the provisions of the Ordinance; of these 28 were not availed of owing to its being found unnecessary for the ship to work cargo on the Sunday, and the fee paid for the permit was refunded in each case. Twenty- nine permits were issued free of charge to mail steamers. The revenue collected under this heading was 811,600; this was $1.775 less than in 1894. but nearly 50 per cent. more thau in any other year since the Ordinance came into force.
SEAMEN.
During the year 1895 there has been stored in the Government Magazine, Stonecutter's Island, 40,698 cases of ammunition, the approx. imate weight being 3,005,533 lbs.
On the 31st December, 1895, there remained 4,768 cases, or an approximate weight of 293,264 lbs.
IMPORTS AND EXPORTS (OPIUM) OFFICE: The return shows that during the year the amount of opium imported in 1895 was 36,609 chests, or a decrease of 4,968§ chests. The amount reported was 36,241 chests, or a decrease of 2,737 chests. Through cargo reported, but not landed, amounted to 16,190) chests, or a decrease of 6,795 chests. A daily memo. of exports to Chinese ports was during the year supplied to the Commissioner of Imperial Maritime Customs at Kowloon. Surprise visits were paid to 98 godowns during the year.
THE ACTING COLONIAL SURGEON'S REPORT FOR 1895,
Dr. Atkinson, late Acting Colonial Surgeon, in his report for last year says :—
POLICE.
The year has been a remarkably healthy one as regards the Police force. The total number of admissions to the hospital is by far the smallest during the last ten years; this applies more especially to the European section.
There have been eight deaths amongst the members of the force during the year; one European committed suicide; one Indian and two Chinese died in the hospital; four Chinese died elsewhere whilst on leave.
The accommodation provided in several of the stations for housing the members of the force falls very far short of what I consider necessary to secure the maintenance of the health and vigour of the force. It is satisfactory 16,278 seamen were shipped and 17,926 dis-to note that additional and improved accommo- charged at the Shipping Office and on board dation is being provided near the Central ships during the year. 299 distressed seamen Station, but in addition to this I would call spe- were received during the year; of these 59 were cial attention to the insufficient accommodation sent to the United Kingdom, 12 to Calcutta, 12 at Stations Nos. 8 and 9 in the city and those to Singapore, 1 to Syney, I to Port Said, 8 to at Hunghom and Tai-tam-tuk in the cut-lying Japan. 1 to Shanghai, 9 to Manila. 2 to Bom- districts. I understand that the Captain bay, 1 to Saigon, 6 died, 160 obtained employ- Superintendent of Police has already ment, 13 remained at Government Civil Hos- presented the necessity of providing new pital, and 4 at Sailors' Home. $5,832.73 were
stations to replace the existing Nos. 2 and 7 expended by the Board of Trade in the relief of and the one at Shek O, and pointed out the desirability of providing additional accommoda- tion, including bath-rooms and drying rooms, in the new buildings. I therefore only em phasize the importance of carrying out these projects at an early date, on the completion of which the relief of the overcrowded condition of the Central Station should be considered.
TROOPS.
these men.
MARINE SURVEYOR'S ·SUB-DEPARTMENT.
addition to his
The Assistant Marine Surveyor was on leave from 27th May to 20th November. His duties were at first undertaken by the Marine Surveyor in
own. Owing to a breakdown in the health of the latter, it was later on found necessary to engage the service of a local engineer to assist in the work until the return from leave of Mr. Macdonald.
- LIGHTHOUSES.
The amount of light dues collected was $107,315.91. During the year the lighthouses have been maintained as usual. The principal lightkeeper returned from leave;
and on the expiration of their three years' agree ment, the Gap Rock lightkeepers were per- manently engaged on the fixed establishment. On the 8th April the Polyphemus went on shore on Jubilee Island during a fog. From the evidence advanced at the Court of Inquiry it was shown that she must have passed within about a mile of the Gap Rock while the fog In. signal was going without hearing it. vestigation with regard to the audibility of the signal was afterwards made by me and the result reported in my letter of 30th April, 1895. During my absence on leave the "High Explosives" sound signal was abolished in favour of the old-fashioned gun signal. Telegraphic and telephonic communication has been kept up with the Gap Rock and Cape D'Aguilar during the year. From the former
A: L
· re-
There has been an increase in the number of ad- missions to the hospital as compared with 1894. but the percentage mortality is the smallest since 1890. There was a decided increase in the sickness amongst the black troops, admissions to hospital being 1,003 as against 871 in 1894, whilst the total had only increased from 1,309 in 1894 to 1,315 in 1895; the rate of mortality was, how ever, decidedly less in both the white and black troops, this being more markedly the case with the latter. It is hoped that the improved accommodation recently provided for the Hong kong Regiment quartered at Kowloon will materially increase the health of the troops.
GOVERNMENT CIVIL HOSPITAL,
The most noteworthy fact has been the great increase in the number of Asiatics admitted as compared with last year the figures are 1,054. for 1895, as compared with 787 for 1894. - TI class forms now by far the greatest any nationality treated. At times been great difficulty in accommodating and many have been refused admissio the wards being already füll always made to admit such as seem
Ende
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.