ENG-1953 — Page 91

PRODUCTION

Type of Mining

Open cast

Open cast

Iron

mining companies, and the importation of mining machinery has been facilitated. The following table shows the Colony's output of minerals for the year: -

Minerals

Clay

Production

Value

5,933.75 tons $ 356,025.00

123,200.00 tons

1,217,600.00

Open cast

Lead

644.60 tons

291,359.20

Underground

Graphite

200.00 tons

30,000.00

Underground

Wolfram (WO3 65%) 313,721.50 lbs.

2,494,827.45

Underground

Molybdenum

3,317.20 lbs.

Underground

Tin

155.70 lbs.

8,823.75

662.80

Manufacturing Industries

General. Although there have been industries in Hong Kong for many years, notably shipbuilding and repairing, which date from the nineteenth century, the present intense industrial development of the Colony started in the nineteen thirties when the introduction of Imperial Preference offered an opportunity to local manufacturers to enter Commonwealth markets successfully. Both world wars stimulated the growth of industries and the Colony produced not only goods no longer obtainable from former sources but also goods for which there was a suddenly increased demand from overseas. Thus, in the years 1939-41 locally built ships and military equipment formed a useful contribution to the United Kingdom's war effort.

All pre-war records of industrial production were lost during the Japanese occupation, but it is estimated that in 1940 there were just over 800 registered and recorded factories and workshops, with about 30,000 workers. Some 500 of these factories were in Kowloon, the remainder on the island. The main industries were shipbuilding and repairing, rubber foot- wear, flashlights, weaving, knitting, metalware, enamelware and food products.

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