June 1, 1908.1
whom 293 were British The proportion of British officers in foreign ships was therefore 10.7 per cent. distributed among six nationali. ties, an increase of 0.87 per cent., with an increase of ships.
Of the crews of British vessels 17.7 per cent. were British; 0.8 per cent. were other Europeans; and 81.5 per cent. were Asiatics. Of the crews of foreign vessels 1.4 per cent. were British 24.1 per cent. were other Europeans; 74.5 per cent, were Asiatios This shows a slight increase of Asiatics, with a corresponding falling off in the proportion of Europeans.
TRADE!
It seems hardly necessary to again refer to the fact that the returns under this heading depend for accuracy on the information volun- tarily afforded to this department by the masters, and, in some cas s, by the agents concerned. While thanking these for their assistan e in the matter, I would ask to be allowed to impress upon them how desirable it is that such informa- tion should be as reliable as they can make it.
The principal features to be remarked in the reported trade of the port for 1902 are :-
In Imports reported-
Increases.
In Opium of 6.6%
Rice of 32.3 General of 15.7 Coal of 13.4 Sugar of 11.1 Timber of 10.7
Decreases. Hemp
of 26.5% Flour of 25.1 Balk Oil of 22.9
+
11
Case Oil of 22,5
M
Cotton of 20.3`,
FI
"
13
The net increase under this head amounts to 482,476 tons. In exports, there is an increase reported of 126,814 tons. In transit cargo there is an increase reported of 237,812 tons.
The total reported import trade of the port for 1902 amounted to 26,037 vessels of 9,867,486 tons, carrying 6.921,928 tons of cargo, of which 4,549,531 tons were discharged at Hongkong. This does not include the number, tonuage or cargo of local trade junks, or steam launches.
Similarly, the export trade from the port was represented by 26,809 vessels of 9811,96 tons, carrying 3,146,141 tous of cargo, and shipping 654,274 tons of bunker coal.
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During the year 1902, 12,401 vessels of En- ropean construction, of 16,275,998 tons (net register), reported having carried 9,198,467 tons of cargo, as follows Import cargo, 3,963,463; export cargo, 2,220,867, transit cargo, 2.372,3 7 banker coal shipped 641,740 Total, 9,198,467. The total number of tons carried was, there fore 56.5 per cent. of the total net register tonnage (or 70.2 per cent. exclusive of river steamers), and was apportioned as follows :-
Imports--British ships, 1,833,871; foreign ships, 2,129,592. Totaly 8,963,463.
Exports-British ships, 1,197,077; foreign ships, 1,023,790. Total, 2,220,867.
Transit British ships, 1,259,439; foreign ships, 1,112,958. Total, 2,372,397.
Bunker coal-British ships, 254,770; foreign ships, 388,970. Total, 41,748. Grand total, 9,198,467.
REVENUE.
The total revenue collected by the harbour department during the year was $266,765.99, being an increase of $13,168,60 ou the previous
year-
Light Dues
Licences and Internal Revenne Fees of Court and Office...
Total
.$ 66,106.52 55,014.80 145,8 14.67
.$266,765.99
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE BEPORT.
under the provisions of the Imperial Act and 8 certificates were cancelled.
1893
1891 1895
BUNDAY CARGO WORKING.
7,900
13.375
1899
190J
387
THE SUGGESTED BRIDGE ACROSS THE HARBOUR.
COMMANDER RUMSEY'S VIEWS. The Hou, R.M. Rumsey, the Harbour Master, concludes his annual report for the year 190 with the following remarks:-
This is probably the last Annual Report of this department which will be signed by me, and being so, I should like to be allowed to make berein a few remarks on the subject of the bridge across the Harbour which I advo cated in the Annual Report for 1901.
During the year, 451 permits were issued under the provisions of the Ordinance. Of these, 125 were not availed of owing to its being found uunecessary for the ship to work cargo on the Sunday, and the fee paid for the permit was refunded in each case, and 56 permits were issued, free of charge, to mail steamers. The revenue collected under this heading was 844,175; this was $625 less than in 1901.”
The revenue collected each year since the Ordinanca came into force is as follows :— 1892
$4,8 0 1898
$25,925
I have been favoured with informatim con- 21.825 ceraing a bridge about to be built across 43,550 Sydney Harbour, which is to be 3,000 feet long, 44,800 and 170 fee: above water level. This height is 44,175 necessary to allow of the passage of ships under the bridge, a requirement not called for in our case, owing to our good fortune in having an entrance at each end of the harbour. The Sydney bridge crosses a portion of the harbour where the depths are from 6 to 12 fathoms, and is to carry two lines of railway, two roadways of 30 feet each, and two footways of 12 feet each, so that the deck cannot be less than 12) feet wide, 45 feet wider than our new Prays. Tenders have been called for, and so far as my information on that point goes, it seems those received vary between It and 14 millions sterling.
STEAM LAUNCHES. On the 31st December there were 283 steam launches employed in the harbour; of these 137 were licensed for the conveyance of pas sengers, 128 were privately owned, 17 were the property of the Colonial Government, and 6 belonged to the Imperial Government in charge of the Military Authorities.
16 steam launches were permitted to carry arms, etc., for their protection against pirates; of these, eleven were previously permitted, and fire during this year.
EMIGRATION.
1896 1997
11,600 1901 7,575 1002 11,850
SEAMEN.
10,936 seamen were shipped and 23,499 dis- charged at the Mercantile Marine Office and on board ships during the year, 212 "dis- tressed “seamen" were received during the year. Of these, 66 were sent to the United Kingdom, 5 to Sydney, 2 to Melbourne, 2 to Calcutta, to Aden, 4 obtained employment on shore, I went as passenger to Sydney, 43 to Cantor, 4 to Singapore, 1 joined the Naval Yard, 2 the Chinese Customs, the United States Transport, 1 taken charge of by the French Consul. 5 dismissed, 1 died at the Government
Hongkong's need for easy communication Civil Hospital, 1 remained at the Lunatic Asy-between the two sides of the Harbour is, in my lum, 3 at the Sailors' Home, and 68 obtained opinion, very great, probably greater than that employment. $2,936.25 were expended by the of Sydney. Shipping has increased steadily Harbour Master on behalf of the Bard of Trade during the last 20 years from 13 million tons to in the relief of these distressed seamen, and 21 million tons, entered and cleared. In 20 $3,013 by the Colony.
years also (1881-1901), the population has increased from 160,402 to 283,975! Daring the last 10 years (the period during which the statistics have been kept in the Harbour Department) cargo, landed and shipped, has increased from 64 million tons to 8 million tons, and the local passenger traffic in junks and launches has risen from 44 million to 7 million.
71,711 emigrants left Hongkong for various places during the year of these, 12,778 were carried by British slips and 28,938 by foreign ships; 129,812 were reported as having been brought to Hongkong from places to which they had emigrated, and of these, 95,937 were brought in British ships and 33,875 by foreign ships.
REGISTRY OF SHIPPING. During the year, 4 ships were registered
MARINE SURVEYOR'S SUB-DEPARTMENT.
The total tonnage of re sels surveyed during the year 1902 amounted to 417,974 tons, an increase of 41.435 tons over tonnage surveyed during 1901. Of this total tonnage, 337,551 tons represent the tonnage of vessels surveyed for passenger cortificales; 67,923 the tonnage of vessels for bottom inspection only, and number of licensed launches surveyed in 1902 12,501 the tonnage of licensed launches. The was 210, a decrease of 7, as compared with the number surveyed in 1901.
The revenue derived from the work of this sub-department amounts to 819,458.24, an i- crease of $3,467.20 over the revenue for 1901.
In view of the fact that the fees for surveys
of steamships for passenger certificates having been doubled since 1st November, 1902, it may safely be estimated that the revenue of this sub-department for 1993 will be well over $3.4,000.
LIGHT-HOUSES.
Telegraphic and telephonic communication has been kept up with the Gap Rook, Cape d'Aguilar and Waglan Island during the year. From Gap Rock Station, 1,006 vessels have been reported as passing, and in addit on 204 messages were received and 3,376 sent, includ- ing the daily weather report for the Obser- ratory. Twenty hours and thirty minutes of fog were reported from Gap Rock during the year, and the fog signal gun was fired 129 times. in two occasions the fortnightly reliefs were delayed by the rongh sea. From Cape d'Aguilar Station, 1,826 vessels were reported, and in ad- dition 1,112 messages were sent and 12 received. From Wagian Island Station, 1,658 vessels were reported, and in addition 42 messages were sent and 47 received. Owing to the telephonic communication being interrupted, 238 vessels were not reported. Thirty-six hours and twenty-four minutes of fog were reported from Waglan Island during the year, and the fog signal gun was fired 376 times. On no occasion was the relief delayed by the rough sea.
GOVERNMENT GUNPOWDER DEPOT.
The cry is for more room-both for inhabi- economical, and commercial point of view, it is tauts and for shipping From a sanitary, desired. More room for shipping can only be obtained by dredging some of the shallower parts of the harbour, more room for the in- habitants is already at hand on the Kowloon side of the water; I think it would be well if, instead of providing further space for the in- creasing population by means of reclamations from the water area, already insufficient for the needs of shipping, all reclamation at or about the harbour frontage was prohibited, and Kow- loon and the New Territory utilised and developed, a course which cannot be thoroughly carried out until communication is made easy.
Hongkong has arrived at its present state of prosperity principally by reason of its natural advantages, first, its geographical position, and secondly, its excellent harbour. Nothing we cau do or leave undone can destroy the former of these advantages, it behoves us, however, to see that it is not rendered ineffective by reason of our reducing the capability of the latter to accommodate the ever-increasing amount of shipping, which has been frequently and truly referred to as "the life-blood of the Colony."
Taking Sydney as a rough guide, I suggest that the cost of such a bridge as I advocate will be amply provided for with $9,000,000.
The present reported passenger traffic between Hongkong and Kowloon is not less than 6,000,000 annually, which, I suggest, would be increased 50 per cent, by the facilities offered by the bridge to the increased popula tion of Kowloon and the New Territory, for, once the bridge is decided on, the other side of the harbour will begin to increase, and the development will go on side by side with the During the year 1902, ther) has been stored construction of the bridge. Assuming, then, in the Government Gunpowder Depot, Stone- 9,000,000 passengers annually, and further outters' Island, 12,713 cases with an approxi- assuming 25 per cent. of them to be of a class During the same capable of paying a very modest toll of 5 cents mate weight of 712,218lbs.
to be coolies at period there has been delivered out of the depot and the remaining 75 per 3191 cases approximately weighing 158,208 lbs. | cent, this would give an annual income from the bridge toll of $ 80,000, which will be 2 per cent. on the suggested cost of $9,000,000. Tich addition, there would be a toll on veter the animals, etc., the value of which cannot having estimated, but would be considerableche Court to
I am not prejudiced, possibly
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Captain V. E. H. Lindessay of the Indian Medical Service, has been awarded the Royal Humane Society's medal for rescuing a man of the 4th Gurkha Rifles from the Peiho River in July last.
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