900
CANTON
In consequence of the decline in the importance of Canton as a place of tra caused principally by the opening of some of the northern ports, many of the merchas by whom lots were purchased there in 1861, at enormous prices, withdrew fr Canton altogether. For many years the trade transacted there by foreigners w limited, but since 1900 an appreciable increase has been noticeable. The trade of port coming under the cognisance of the Foreign Customs during the past ten years shown by the following net figures:-Hk. Tls. 201,566,440 in 1924; Hk. Tls. 219,203, in 1923; Hk. Tls. 197,287,935 in 1922; Hk. Tls. 165,232,378 in 1921; Hk. Tls. 140,814, in 1920; Hk. Tls. 147,953,136 in 1919; Hk. Tls. 103,226,078 in 1918; Hk. Tls. 102,844,940 1917; Hk. Tls. 109,081,638 in 1916; Hk. Tls. 103,817,195 in 1915; and Hk. Tls. 105,296,
in 1914.
The chief causes of the decrease of some 18 millions of taels in the trade of 1 as compared with 1923 were the political unrest, the additional tax exactions levied all directions, the resultant strikes and the tension between the local merchants a the Government.
Ample means of communication exist between Canton and Hongkong, a d tance of 112 miles by railway and about 95 miles by water. Foreign steamers a a large number of native craft ply daily between the two ports. There is da steam communication with Macao and regular connection with Wuchow and W River ports, and with Shanghai, Newchwang, and Kwangchauwan. The stea launch traffic under the Inland Steam Navigation Regulations has proved a gre success, though since rules were enforced in December, 1901, compelling all C nese launches to undergo inspection at the hands of an engineer appointed by t Customs before obtaining licences to ply, the number of launches is not so large previously. There is a safe and commodious anchorage within 150 yards of the riv wall at Shameen. Canton was connected by telegraph (an overland line) with Ko loon in 1883, and another overland line was completed froni Canton to Lungchau-f on the Kwangsi and Tonkin frontier, in June, 1884. An agreement was enter into with the South China Wireless Co., a British concern, in the latter pa of 1923, for the installation of a powerful wireless station, to give a continuo commercial service with Hongkong and Shanghai and communication with Pekin Japan, the Straits Settlements, etc. The electric light and the telephone syste have been introduced into a portion of the city. Through railway communic tion between Canton and Kowloon was established in October, 1911. TI British section of the line extends from Kowloon Point to Lowu, a distance of 22 mile The Chinese section, which has its terminus at Taishatow (East Gate), is 89 miles a length. A connection with the Canton-Hankow Railway has long been conten plated. The survey by an American syndicate of a railway route to conned Canton with Hankow was made in 1899. Work upon the branch line from Canto to Samshui (about 30 miles) commenced in December, 1902, and a length of miles, as far as Fatshan, was opened on November 15, 1903. The line was extended th Samshui the following year. The completion of the railway to Samshui brought that West River ports within easy distance of Canton, it being now possible to reach Wuchow in Kwangsi, in less than 24 hours. That the advantages of rapid communication ar appreciated may be gathered from the fact that about 3,000,000 of passengers a yea are carried on this short line. There is very little freight traffic. Work on the grand trunk line was started at both ends by the American concessionaires, and a section about 12 miles long, from Canton northward to Ko Tong Hü, was rapidly approachingr completion when in October, 1904, on account of friction between the Chines1 authorities and the constructor of the railway, work was entirely stopped. Then i 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 resulted in the concession being 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. 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. The railway is now completed as far asid
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