Administrative Reports - 1917





ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS FOR THE YEAR 1917

Table of Contents

1 Finances

2 Trade and Shipping, industries, Fisheries, agriculture and Land

3 Legislation

4 Education

5 Public Works

6 Government and aided institutions

7 Institutions Not Supported By Government

8 Criminal and Police

9 Vital Statistics

10 Postal and Telegraph Services

11 General Observations

A Financial Returns

A(1) Finances

B Assessment

C Secretariat for Chinese affairs

D Harbour office

E Imports and Exports office

F Royal Observatory

G Supreme Court

H Police Magistrates' Court

I Land office

J New Territories

K Police and Fire Brigade

L Prison

M Medical and Sanitary

N Botanical and forestry

O Education

P Volunteer Corps (Not Published)

Q Public Works

R Post office

S Railway

 




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HONGKONG.

REPORT ON THE BLUE BOOK FOR 1917.

I.-FINANCES.

The revenue for the year amounted to $15,058,105 being $1,816,105 more than the estimate and $1,224,718 more than the re- venue for the previous year.

Compared with the returns for 1916 there were increases under every head with the exception of Light Dues, Rent of Government Property, and Land Sales.

The expenditure amounted to a total of $14,090,828, inclusive of a sum of $1,567,907 spent on Public Works Extraordinary, and one of $2,000,000 being a contribution to the Imperial Government for war expenses.

The detailed figures for 1917 are set out in the following

statements :-

HEADS OF REVENUE.

$

Light Dues -

68,657

Light Dues, Special Assessment

79,810

Licences and Internal Revenue not otherwise

specified

11,770,514

Fees of Court or Office, Payments for specific

purposes, and Reimbursements in Aid

934,836

Post Office

A

427,687

Kowloon-Canton Railway

428,246

Rent of Government Property, Land, and

Houses

955,560

Interest

64,700

Miscellaneous Receipts

167,081

TOTAL, (Ordinary),-

14,897,091

Land Sales, (Premia on New Leases)

161,014

TOTAL,

$ 15,058,105

to

The total expenditure brought to account amounted $14,090,828 being $1,694,673 more than the estimate, and $3,010,913 more than the expenditure in 1916. Compared with the estimates there were decreases under 19 heads as against 5 heads where there were increases. The excess amounting to $2,648,503 under Miscel- laneous Services was due to the war contribution stated above, in addition to another contribution ($504,984) referred to below; grants in aid of sufferers by the disasters at Tientsin and Halifax; expendi-

ture on houses and house allowances; and other miscellaneous items. Military Expenditure was larger than the estimate by $41,788 on ac- count of the Revenue for 1916 having been under-estimated.

The Harbour Department spent $15,123 extra, chiefly for acquisition of buoys in the Harbour and repairs to Launches; and the items Public Works Recurrent and Extraordinary were responsible for an excess of $87,544 between them. Decreases were mostly due to savings on Personal Emoluments and high exchange.

EXPENDITURE.

$

Governor

80,406

Colonial Secretary's Department and Legis-

lature

67,600

Secretariat for Chinese Affairs

51,867

Audit Department

31,821

Treasury

63,246

Harbour Master's Department

205,317

Imports & Exports Department

716,011

Royal Observatory

26,891

Miscellaneous Services-

3,362,716

Judicial and Legal Departments

244,024

Police and Prison Departments

834,948

Medical Departments

229,490

Sanitary Department

-

405,032

Botanical and Forestry Department

51,315

Education

-

331,471

Military Expenditure -

2,813,700

Public Works Department

402,772

Do.

Recurrent

609,308

Do.

Extraordinary

1,612,835

Post Office

324,393

Kowloon-Canton Railway

Charge on account of Public Debt

436,196

888,896

Pensions

Charitable Services

TOTAL,

261,980

38,593

$ 14,090,828

The balance to the good on the year's working was $967,277, and the assets and liabilities account showed on the 31st December a credit balance of $3,268,062.

The following is a statement of the revenue and expenditure of the Colony for the five years 1913-1917:-

Revenue.

Expenditure.

$

$

1913

8.512.308

8,658,012

1914

11,007,273

10,756,225

1915

11,786,106

15,149,267

1916

13,833,387

11,079,915

1917

15,058,105 14,090,828

:

3

The amount of the consolidated loan stands at £1,485,732. Against this there is at credit of the Sinking Fund a sum of £258,162. The Local Loan under Ordinance No. 12 of 1916 amounts to $3,000,000 and there is a sum of $200,000 at credit of Sinking Fund.

Under Ordinance No. 18 of 1917 a tax of 7% on Assessments was imposed to provide an Annual Contribution to the Imperial Government for purposes of the war. Collection thereunder began on the 1st July and the sum collected for the half year was $504,984.

For the year commencing 1st July, 1917, the existing valuation was adopted, the difference in rateable value being the result of interim-assessments and appeals.

Increases:

The City of Victoria, $79,170 or 0'67%.

The Hill District, $2,470 or 0.76%.

Shaukiwan, Saiwanho, and Quarry Bay, $8,007 or 2:07%. Hongkong Villages, $6,325 or 3'08%.

Yaumati, $570 or 0.16%. Mongkoktsui, $12,895 or 6·10%. Kowloon Point, $13,300 or 2.14%. New Kowloon, $4,855 or 457%. Kowloon Villages, $535 or 0.57%. Decrease:

Hung Hom and Hok Un, $160 or 0·05%.

The rateable value of the whole Colony amounted to $14,410,153 being an increase of $127,967 or 0·89%.

There were 22 appeals against the adopted assessments of 57 tenements, and reductions aggregating $11,320 in rateable value were made by order of the Court.

For the period 1908-1917 the assessment of the whole Colony has risen from $10,816,753 to $14,410,153, an increase in rateable value of 33 22%.

The circulation on the 31st December of notes of the three Banks having authorised issues was as follows :-

Hongkong & Shanghai Bank,

Chartered Bank of India, Australia, & China, Mercantile Bank of India,

$21,433,096

6,577,429

1,149,504

$29,160,029

The currency of the Colony consists, in addition to the notes of these Banks, of British, Hongkong, and Mexican Dollars and of subsidiary coin, which continued at par throughout the year.

The total issue of subsidiary coins, less those demonetized, now amounts to $21,264,370 nominal value, and they were up to the year 1905 readily absorbed at par, large quantities being taken by the neighbouring provinces of China. During 1916 ten cent pieces of the face value of $5,028,000 were shipped to England for purposes of demonetization. The discount which prevailed between 1905 and 1916 may be attributed to the immense quantity of similar coin which

was minted at Canton as well as to the amount of Hongkong coin minted largely in excess of the needs of the Colony by itself. In 1905 the Hongkong Government ceased to issue any subsidiary coin and in 1906 it began a policy of demonetising all its subsidiary coin received as revenue. This policy has been continuously followed since except during a brief period in 1911. Coin to the face value of $22,735,459 has thus been redeemed. The total issue by the Hongkong Government was of the face value of about $44,000,000.

II-TRADE AND SHIPPING, INDUSTRIES, FISHERIES, AGRICULTURE, AND LAND.

(a.)--SHIPPING AND TRADE.

The total of the Shipping entering and clearing at Ports in the Colony during the year 1917 amounted to 621,090 vessels of 34,105,067 tons, which, compared with the figures for 1916, shows a decrease of 21,704 vessels, with a decrease of 2,276,390 tons.

Of the above, 48,026 vessels of 20,547,119 tons were engaged in Foreign Trade, as compared with 48,350 vessels of 22,308,311 tons in 1916, and were distributed as follows:-

1916. Numbers.

1917. | 1916.

Numbers.

Tonnage.

1917. Tonnage.

British Ocean-

going ships, 7.7%

6.3%

30.8%

25.3 %

Foreign Ocean-

going ships,

78

86

30.7

346

British River

Steamers, ...

14.6

13.8

18.5

19.5

Foreign River

Steamers, ... 4.7

34

4.7

4.1

Steam Launches

(under 60

tons),

13:3

13.6

10

0.9

Trading Junks, 519

543

14:3

156

100'0

100·0

100.0

100·0

N.B.-The movements of Fishing Juuks are not included in this table.

Of vessels of European construction, 3,570 Ocean Steamers, 3 Sailing Ships, 4,135 River Steamers, and 3,223 Steamships not ex- ceeding 60 tons entered during the year, giving a daily average of 299 ships, as compared with 319 in 1916, and 316 in 1915.

The average tonnage of individual Occan Vessels entering the Port has increased from 2,238 9 tons to 2,2649 tons. That of British Ships has decreased from 2,5597 tons to 2,472′0 tons, while that of Foreign Ships has increased from 2,032:2 tons to 2,0420 tons.

The average tonnage of individual River Steamers entering during the year has decreased from 453′0 tons to 3102 tons.

was minted at Canton as well as to the amount of Hongkong coin minted largely in excess of the needs of the Colony by itself. In 1905 the Hongkong Government ceased to issue any subsidiary coin and in 1906 it began a policy of demonetising all its subsidiary coin received as revenue. This policy has been continuously followed since except during a brief period in 1911. Coin to the face value of $22,735,459 has thus been redeemed. The total issue by the Hongkong Government was of the face value of about $44,000,000.

II-TRADE AND SHIPPING, INDUSTRIES, FISHERIES, AGRICULTURE, AND LAND.

(a.)--SHIPPING AND TRADE.

The total of the Shipping entering and clearing at Ports in the Colony during the year 1917 amounted to 621,090 vessels of 34,105,067 tons, which, compared with the figures for 1916, shows a decrease of 21,704 vessels, with a decrease of 2,276,390 tons.

Of the above, 48,026 vessels of 20,547,119 tons were engaged in Foreign Trade, as compared with 48,350 vessels of 22,308,311 tons in 1916, and were distributed as follows:-

1916. Numbers.

1917. | 1916.

Numbers.

Tonnage.

1917. Tonnage.

British Ocean-

going ships, 7.7%

6.3%


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