The rehabilitation of port services and the clearing of the harbour area have made further considerable progress in the past twelve months. Lighters, still at the end of 1946 a potential source of congestion, are now available in adequate numbers, and the possibility of delays to shipping on this account is remote. Some congestion of covered storage space, caused by the import restrictions imposed by the Chinese Government, was experienced, but at no time did it reach serious proportions. Facilities for berthing, both alongside and at buoys, are now adequate for the volume of shipping at present visiting the port. Further improvement in the number of mooring buoys is depen- dent upon the arrival of new material; it is hoped that the end of the year 1948 will see the pre-war position fully restored. The removal of wrecks, both major and minor, from the harbour has made great progress during 1947, and only two major wrecks now remain in the commercial section of the harbour. Dry- docking and repair facilities, which were extensive before the war, are now fully restored, and the construction of ships up to 10,000 tons is again possible, subject only to the limitations imposed by shortage of supplies. To facilitate communications between ships and their agents and the Harbour Authorities, a lamp signalling service, for which a small charge is made, has been instituted; lamp stations have been installed both in Hong Kong and in Kowloon.
In accordance with the recommendation of a committee appointed locally in 1946, a Port Committee, on which are represented British and Chinese shipping and commercial interests as well as the Harbour, Railway and Public Works Authorities, was appointed to advise on major policy issues with regard to the administration of the Port. A Port Executive Committee, originally formed in 1945, continues to exercise day to day control over the Port. The welfare arrangements for visiting seamen are supervised by a Port Welfare Committee appointed by the Governor.
The year 1947 has seen a marked increase over 1946, in the total number and tonnage of ships entering and leaving the Port. Altogether 51,425 vessels with an aggregate tonnage of 18,990,465 nett tons entered and cleared the Port during the, year: this shows an increase over 1946 of 5,941 vessels, amounting to 7,746,154 tons.
The following tables give the comparative figures for 1946 and 1947 for vessels engaged in foreign and local trade respec- tively:
Class of Vessels
FOREIGN TRADE.
Year-1946
Year 1947
No.
Tonnage
No.
Tonnage
British Ocean Going
1,671
4,546,106
2,245
6,049,000
Foreign Ocean Going
1,476
3,590,083
3,031
8,317,940
British River Steamers
1,138
963,070
2.815
1,463,477
Foreign River Steamers
366
64,866
1,314
261,452
Steamships under 60 tons
3,451
89,881
4,152
Junks, Foreign Trade ...
29,820
1,734,764
24,589
93,771 2,318,099
Total
37,922
10,988,770
38,146
18,503,739
106
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