462
bulk
Countries whence arrived.
CARGO DISCHARGED.
Australia and New
Zealand
Canada
British North Borneo Cape of Good Hope. Coast of China and
Formosa Cochin-China Continent of Europe.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
In- Do- 1895.
1898. crease, crease.
21,561 43,974 22,413 19,932 14,691 13,944 22,978 9,034 1,550 1,550
5,241
"
!
(June 17, 1897.
two.
THE TRADE OF HONGKONG IN 1896. practised against British shippers by Where there is disease on board steps for | British shipowners is to some extent landing the sick persons and disinfecting In the section of the Harbour Master's responsible, but it is possible that the the ship if necessary are to be taken expedi report devoted to trade we find two sum- decline is less serious than it appears, for tiously, forty-eight hours, we believe, being marised tables, condensed from the more included in the goods received from the the extreme limit of detention unless fresh elaborate tables given in the appendix, Continent there may be a proportion of cases break out during that period. Where showing the amount in tons of the imports British goods originally shipped to the Con- no doctor is carried an inspection would from and exports to various countries hay tinent in order to secure the advantage of have to be made by the Officer of Health, ing commercial connections with this colony the cheaper freights from Continental ports which would occupy a longer or shorter These tables when continued over a series.
to the Far East. The figures deserve care- time according to the number of persons on of years will be of great use for the purposeful consideration and digestion on the part of board, but where there is no sickness the of comparison and enabling definite opinions merchants, manufacturers, shipowners,and all delay would not exceed an hour or to be formed as to the extension or decline others interested. They are interesting, also, Where sickness is discovered the delay of our trade in different directions, though as supplying roughly a means of correcting would of course be longer according to the necessarily they show only the amount of the returns issued by the Chinese Imperial circumstances of the case, extending possibly cargo in bulk without details either as to Maritime Customs. Of China's total foreign though not necessarily to forty-eight hours. the description of the goods or their value. trade of Tls. 333,671,415 in 1896 no less Annoying and costly as this delay may be In the tables in the appendix the junk than Tls. 145,409,590, or 43 per cent., is to the shipowner, it is the right of the com- be protected against the trade is included under the heading of "Coast of China and Formosa," while in credited to Hongkong. A footnote states munity to the summarised tables in the body of the that "The imports from Hongkong come introduction of contagious disease. Not originally from, and the exports to that many months ago more than fifty cases report it is given separately, as is also the
colony are further carried on to, Great of cholera were landed from a single vessel trade carried by river steamers between
“Britain, America. Australia, India, the in Hongkong, nothing being known of the Canton and Macao. While the totals in the
"Straits, etc., and Coast Ports of China." matter until the patients were discovered on shore, and the ship's captain and officers two tables agree, therefore, there is some
There has been a tendency, we believe, to difference in the separate items, and as this credit to Great Britain and the British pos- being presumably ignorant of the nature is the first year that the summarised tables have been given the appendix tables must sessions too large a proportion of the of the disease. Such an occurrence as that trade passing through Hongkong to and ought not to be possible, and the instance be taken for the purposes of comparison. from China, and here the Harbour Master's mentioned seems in itself a sufficient illustra- We give below the figures of the cargo landed and discharged in 1895 and 1896, figures come in useful as a corrective, for it. tion of the importance of instituting an seems that of the imports into this colony efficient system of medical inspection. Native which of course do not include the transit only 14.6 were from Great Britain, India, craft would also be subject to inspection, cargo that passed through without breaking and the Colonies and of the exports only which in itself would be a great advantage, 14.3 went to those countries. Great Britain for though the passenger trade carried by is, however, still well ahead of the Con- junks is small as compared with that carried tinent of Europe in the returns, the cargo by steamers, a good many cases of disease imported into this colony from the former are no doubt introduced by that channel. being 158,981 tons as against 110,929 tons On the general principes of medical inspēc- from the latter, and the cargo shipped tion, therefore, we think there can be little 38,590 tons as against 31,666 shipped to difference of opinion, but in arranging the Continent; but there seems unfortun- details it will be necessary to pay due regard to local circumstances. It is proposed that ately a tendency for British trade to fall back while that of our commercial rivals vessels shall be required to anchor at one of the inspecting stations and that the advances.
inspecting officers shall be on duty from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. only. If these hours were decided upon it would mean that vessels arriving after 6 p.m. would not be able to any From the proceedings of the Committee of land their passengers or communicate in t the Chamber of Commerce at its last monthly way with the shore until after 6 a.m. next meeting it will be seen that the question of day. But vessels frequently arrive after the medical inspection of all vessels arriving six o'clock in the evening, including mail in the colony is now under consideration. steamers and the night boats. from Canton, The Chamber has referred it to a special and it would be a public inconvenience well as an unnecessary loss to the 25 committee composed of gentlemen intimately as
acquainted with shipping matters, who will shipowners if communication was not no doubt look at it both as regards its allowed until next day. Another point immediate bearing on ships arriving in the is the delay that would be occasioned to the port and its probable effect in keeping the river steamers, for, carrying as they do, No several hundred passengers, the inspection colony clear of infectious disease. branch of trade can be more interested in would necessarily occupy a long time, dur- securing the immunity of the port from ing which other vessels might be kept infectious disease than shipping, for with an waiting for their turn. We do not know outbreak of plague, cholera, or smallpox whether it is intended to make any special the danger is incurred of having quaran- regulations with respect to the river from steamers in order to reduce the delay, but in -tine declared against arrivals
suffi- Hongkong at other ports. The system any case it is to be hoped, if a system of of medical inspection is in force in medical inspection is introduced, that a s London, and the example of London cient staff will be provided to carry it out may, we think, be regarded as a tolerably efficiently and expeditiously. It would be safe. one to follow in Hongkong. England mistaken economy to subject shipping to was the first country to mitigate and delays involving a loss in the course of the ultimately abandon the barbarous system year of tens of thousands of dollars in order of quarantine, and the system of medical to save two or three thousand dollars in the inspection substituted for it is now securing salaries of the inspecting staff, recognition on the part of other countries as theoretically and practically correct. This system secures the maximum of safety to the public health with the minimum of delay, cost, and annoyance to shipping. The most disappointing feature in the In the case of a vessel arriving with above tables is the decline shown in the a doctor on board and no sickness quantity of cargo imported from and shipped the delay would be merely nominal, to Great Britain. As regards the decline as the Health Officer would accept the in the imports from that country, there is, report of the ship's doctor, who is under we fear, little doubt that the discrimination legal obligation to give true particulars.
10
Grest Bri.ain India and Singapore Japan
786,615 787,020 491,294 418,630 103,580 110,029 7,349 203,545 158,931
405
172,961 260,989 88,028
609,472 561,128
72,664
44,814
48,344
Java & other islands
in the Indian Ar-
chipelago
168,813 153,128
15,687
Macao
39,463
53,401 13,938
...
Mauritius
1,160
1,850
North & South Pacifio
442
900
458
Ports in Hainan and
Sandwich Islands
Gulf of Tonquin... 114,885 123,632 Russia in Asia ...... 5,900
8,747
740
Biam
South America
319,136 25
3,370 324,990
2,630 5,854
United
States of
America
178,751 145,426 CARGO SHIPPED.
T
Countries to which
Philippine Islands. 106,897 106,188
departed
Australia and New
Zealand........
Canada
British North Borneo Cape of Good Hope... Coast of China &
Formosa Cochin-China
Continent of Europe Great Britain
709
i..
5,900
33,325
In- De- 1895. 1896. crease, CrEB5e;·-
35,060 15,645
39,400 4,430 17,247 1,602 2,926 3,400 474 130 1,200 1,070
1,515,472 1,499,143
***
16,329 60,195 61,531 1,336 20,195 31,166 10,971.
38,590 1,728 40,318
37,584 30,813
India and Sinapore.... 320,031 282,447
Japan
244,200 213,387
Java and other islands
in the Indian Ar- chipelago
Macao
3,900 82,954
'6,030 2,130 87,468 4,514
400
400
167 34,435 27,810
698
531
87,797 104,170. 16,373
1,340 4,100 2,860
1,400 1,400
Mauritius. North and South
Pacific Philippine Islands..
Ports in Hainan & G.
of Tonquin
Russia in Asia Sandwich Islands Siam
South America United States of
America
6,625
26,320 26,181 811 10,171 1,229
8,942
177,674 200,439|| 22,785 |
MEDICAL INSPECTION OF VESSELS.
With the completion of its first volume The Rattle, to the great regret of a large circle of readers, notifies that it will, in future not be published as a monthly, but as an occasional periodical. We hope the occasions of its ap- on the point, for where the calendar can be pearance may be frequent, but have our fears ignored the temptation to procrastinate will be great We have nothing but congratulations for the editors on the quality of the first volume and of the last number in particulare. The illus- trations are capital and the letterpress good.
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