ENG-1960 — Page 97

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INDUSTRY AND TRADE

mills, operating over 490,000 spindles, are amongst the most up-to- date in the world and first class amenities are generally provided for workers. Cotton yarn counts range from 10s to 60s carded and combed in single or multiple threads. Production of all counts in 1960 was over 156,000,000 lbs, the greater part of which was consumed by local weaving establishments.

In the weaving section, which has increased its capacity during the past year to over 17,000 looms, cotton grey drill, canvas, shirtings, striped poplins, ginghams, and other bleached and dyed cloth and prints are the main items. Production in 1960 exceeded 428,000,000 square yards, most-of which was exported, although there is an increasing tendency, as the quality of locally woven and finished cloth improves, for the Colony's garment manufac- turers to use local materials. Other products of the Colony's weaving industry are silk and rayon brocade of traditional Chinese design, tapes, military webbing, lace, mosquito netting, cotton open mesh, carpets, and rugs.

Dyeing, printing and finishing of textiles rather lagged behind other sections of the industry in speed of development but have shown a marked advance during the past few years. Multi-colour printing, pre-shrinking by several processes under licence and poly- merizing for the production of 'drip-dry' fabrics are undertaken for use by the local garment industry and for export. A new development this year has been the weaving and finishing of corduroy.

An almost unlimited range and variety of garments is manufac- tured in Hong Kong, the most important being shirts. Silk and brocade house and evening coats, tea gowns, and embroidered blouses, underwear and nightwear have a world-wide popularity in quality markets. The industry suffered a slight recession in the course of 1960, as the rate of orders from the United States, which had been inflated in the previous year, fell off. It has steadied however, and the industry is still of a very substantial nature.

Bespoke and mail-order tailoring principally of men's suits, has rapidly developed in recent years into an important branch of the industry. Suits of excellent cut and quality are exported all over the world.