Keswick said that grave inconvenience to all shippers consignees and clients was caused, and unti 1 living conditions became more secure, and people could go about their business without hindrance in that portion of this great international port, the general conditions must continue to suffer severely.
Mr. Keswick also emphasized the fact that another disability under which the port as a whole was labouring, and which was liable to affect their company to an increasing extent, was the lack of facilities for conducting the usual dredging operations necessary to keep certain parts of the river and steamer berths free from silt. It was understood that the Consular Body was working on this matter, and he hoped that their efforts would shortly lead to the release for public use of the necessary dredging craft.
Among those present at the meeting were Messrs, Pan Ching-poe, Horace Kadoorie, D. Morison, Dr. A Korff and L, J. Davies, directors, while the shares represented by the attendance numbered 19,549.
In his speech, the chairman said:—When we met here about a year ago I expressed a degree of optimism with regard to the immediate prospects of qur business which was fully justified by conditions as they appeared at that time. Unfortunately the outbreak of hostilities between Japan and China in mid-summer completely shattered our hopes of an unusually successful year.
The situation abruptly changed from one of apparent security and hopefulness to a condition of acute anxiety as to whether the foundations of the company might not be rocked by a major calamity in the form of wholesale destruction of our valuable wharf and godown properties, Fortunately although our business suffered and considerable damage was inflicted on our various buildings and plants the financial position of the company has not been unduly strained,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.