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1026
CANTON
Canton altogether. For many years the trade transacted there by foreigners has been limited, but since 1900 an appreciable increase has been noticeable. Tea and Silk are the staple exports. The export of Tea for the year 1909 was 21,055 piculs, as compared with 16,604 piculs in 1998; in 1901 the export was as low as 6.653 piculs. The extent to which this trade has fallen off will be seen in a comparison of the above figures with those for 188%, when the export was 131,141 piculs. The quantity of Silk exported in 1909 was 36,313 piculs, which is quite up to the average of recent years, and shows that Canton Silk is so far maintaining its position in the world's markets. Both Tea and Silk are carried in large quantities to Hongkong by junk for transhipment. The export of Sugar in 1909 was 71,016 piculs, as compared with 61,938 piculs in 1908 and 70,366 piculs in 1907; the import of Sugar in 1909 was 331,957 picals. The net value of the trade of the port coming under the cognisance of the Foreign Customs during the past eight years has been as follows:-Tls. 113,766,687 in 1910; Tls. 107,067,267 in 1909: Tls. 103,696,530 in 1908; 103,782,947 in 1907: 94,108,696 in 1906; Tls. 92,243,650 in 1905; Tls. 96,247,076 in 1901, and Tls. 110,559,826 in 1903.
Ample means of communication exist between Canton and Hongkong, a distance of about ninety-five miles, by foreign steamers plying daily, and a large number of native craft. There is daily steam communication with Macao and regular connection with Wuehow and West River ports, and with Shanghai, Newchwang, and Kwangchauwan. The steam-launch traffic under the Inland Steam Navigation Regulations has proved a great success, though since rules were enforced in December, 1901, compelling all Chi- nese launches to undergo inspection at the hands of an engineer appointed by the Customs before obtaining licences to ply, the number of launches is not so large as previously. There is a safe and commodious anchorage within 150 yards of the river wall at Shameen. Canton was connected by telegraph (an overland line) with Kow- loon in 1883, and another overland line was completed from Canton to Lungchau-fu, on the Kwangsi and Tonkin frontier, in June, 1884. The electric light and the telephone system have been introduced into a portion of the city. Through Railway com- munication between Canton and Kowloon was established in October, 1911. The British section of the line extends from Kowloon Point to Lowu, a distance of 22 miles. The Chinese section, which has its terminus at Taishatow (East Gate), is 83 miles in length. A connection with the Canton-Hankow Railway will be made. The survey by an American syndicate of a railway route to connect Canton with Hankow was made in 1899. Work upon the branch line from Canton to Samshui (about 30 miles) commenced in December, 1902, and a length of ten miles, as far as Fatshan, was opened on November 15, 1903. The line was extended to Samshui the following year. The completion of the railway to Samshui brought the West River ports within easy distance of Canton, it being now possible to reach Wuchow in Kwangsi in less than twenty-four hours. That the advantages of rapid communication are appreciated may be gathered from the fact that about three millions of passengers a year are carried on this short line. There is very little freight traffic. The railway has practically killed the passenger traffic by steam launches to Fatshan, but an increase in the railway fares in 1908 revived it to some slight extent. Work on the grand trunk line was started at both ends, and a section, about 12 miles long, from Canton, northward to Ko Tong Hi, was rapidly approaching completion, when in October, 1904, on account of friction between the Chinese authorities and the constructor of the railway, work was entirely stopped. Then it became known that Belgian capitalists had acquired extensive holdings in the American-China Development Company, and, in consequence, a strong agitation was aroused among the Chinese aiming at the cancellation of the concession, and the construction of the line with Chinese capital only. The agitation proved entirely successful. The concession was cancelled by the Chinese Government, who paid to the American-China Development Company a sum of Gold $6,750,000 as compensation, including the cost of the works already completed. As soon as the concession was cancelled a movement was organised by the commercial men of the three provinces which the line will traverse to raise the necessary funds for its construction.
A large sum of money was subscribed or promised by Chinese at home and abroad on condition that there would be no official control of the railway. This attitude on the part of the merchants naturally brought them into serious con- flict with the provincial authorities, but they successfully urged their claims to freedom from official interference, and construction work has been proceeding at the Kwantung section since 1997 under the direction of a Chinese engineer. The first section of the line--from Wongsha to Kongtsun, a distance of 17 miles, with three intermediate stations-was opened on July 17th, 1907, and in December, 1908, a further section to Yuntam, 44 miles from Canton, was opened. At the end of 1911 a total of