ENG-1962 — Page 49

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had become the largest employer in the Colony with nearly 32,000 workers, or approximately one-third of the existing labour force. Expansion in other industries was also evident. In 1940 there had been about 800 registered factories with some 30,000 workers; by 1954 there were 3,204 registered factories with 144,581 workers. The chief developments were in light industries-rubber footwear, flash-light cases, enamelware, plastics and electrical industries. The new industrialization had to be grafted on to the existing com- mercial pattern since raw materials had to be imported and manu- factured products exported, and in turn this meant that Hong Kong's banking, shipping and port facilities were all turned to new channels. In 1956 approximately five million tons of cargo were imported and two million tons exported.

Reclamation of land for commercial, industrial and residential, purposes during the second 60 years of the Colony's existence pro- ceeded at approximately three times the pace of the first six decades. Between the two World Wars reclamations in Kowloon at Tai Kok Tsui (1920-8), in the Lai Chi Kok area (1922-7), at Cheung Sha Wan (1919-44) and in the northern part of Kowloon Bay (1923-7) followed a steady and unhurried pace. Similarly, on the southern side of the harbour, the 1921-7 reclamation at Wan Chai was marked by no particular urgency. After the Pacific War, however, a rapid increase in population and the beginnings of industrial development on a big scale gave rise to an urgent need for land that only speedy reclamation and redevelopment of un- economic buildings could satisfy. At Kwun Tong, a dump for urban refuse for nearly 10 years, spoil from surrounding hills was used to reclaim part of the east shore of Kowloon Bay and it is on land formed in this way that the new industrial town now stands. Similar but slower developments have been carried out on both the eastern and western sides of Cheung Sha Wan since 1951. At the same time the still uncompleted reclamation at Hung Hom, first started in 1909, has been continued. Since 1953 urban re- fuse has been dumped between the Texaco peninsula and Pillar Island near Tsuen Wan, where it will contribute toward the recla- mation of land as part of a long-term project. As part of the overall development of the Kwai Chung and Tsuen Wan areas consider- ation is being given to the construction of a typhoon anchorage— which may in the future become a cargo lighter basin-in Rambler