HARBIN
Harbin, the junction of the railways from Irkutsk to Vladivostock, and from Harbin to Kwangchengtze, where the latter joins the Japanese line to Dalny, has been made the seat of the Chinese Maritime Customs House to control the railway traffic by means of sub-stations at Manchuria Station on the western frontier and Suifenho (Pogranit- chnaia) on the eastern frontier. Its situation on the railway is within comparatively easy land communication with large grain-producing districts as yet but sparsely populated and far from being fully cultivated, though development is increasing. It is on the banks of a river navigable for large but shallow-draught steamers, and is in direct and uninterrupted communication for six months during the year with the fertile land about Petuna S.W. and of Sansing N.E.; also with vast districts watered by the Amur river and those on the banks of the less important Ussuri River, near Habarovsk. Possessing advantages such as these, Harbin promises eventually to become one of the greatest trading centres of China when the present disturbances in the surrounding country ceasc. The country around is a bean-growing country par excellence.
North Manchuria being also essentially a wheat country, it follows that the flour industry at Harbin is a flourishing one, though less than formerly owing to restrictions on import into the Priamur. There is a sugar factory at Ashiho on the railway, 26 miles east of Harbin. The timber trade has recently shown marked development. The net value of the trade of the district, as shown by the Maritime Customs returns, was Hk. Tls. 76,891,478 in 1926, as compared with Hk. Tls. 52,794,245 in 1925, Hk. Tls. 53,301,960 in 1924, and Hk. Tls. 39,276,918 in 1923. The New Harbin Municipality has put into active operation the long-devised plans for improving the town, including excellent cemented pavements and improved macadamised roads. Drainage has received considerable attention. The telephone system is automatic, and excellent, and managed by a special department of the Chinese Eastern Railway. The population of Harbin with Fuchiatien is given as 211,237. The Pinchiang villages contain 74,147 people, according to a recent census. Fuchiatien has 89,017 inhabitants according to the same census. The palatial building of the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank is evidence of the importance attached by the Bank to its Harbin branch. Private enterprise and the Chinese Eastern Railway have done a good deal in the direction of town improvement.
會商國美
DIRECTORY
AMERICAN CMAMBER OF COMMERCE
Chairman-J. L. Curtis
Secretary & Treasurer-W. P. Coltman
司公業實國美
AMERICAN MILLING AND INDUSTRIAL CORPORATION, Importers of American
Products; Owners of: A-shi-ho Sugar
Factory and Distillery, A-shi-ho Oil- inill, A-shi-ho Match Factory and "Dwigatel" Wagon-building Works at Tallin (Esthonia)-9, Skvoznaya Street; Teleph. 39-80; Tel. Ad: Amilco
A. I. Kagan, president
J. A. Kagan, vice do. (San Francisco) W. Toritch, signs per pro. (tech.dept.)
P. V. Ivanov, engineer
D. B. Lukashevker (sugar dept.)
P. J. Kutiin
L. M. Vorobeynikov
do.
do.
D. V. Azovtzev (alcool dept.)
A-shi-ho Sugar Factory (A-shi-ho)
D. P. Umnov, manager
A. A. Simko, engineer
Z. Kiseleff, do.
L. N. Rappoport, controller
"Dwigatel" Wagon-building
(Tallinn)
R. Stengel, manager
司公油火亞細亞商英
Works
Ying-shang A-si-a-huo-yu-kung-sze
ASIATIC PETROLEUM Co. (NORTH CHINA),
LTD., THE-Hongkong Bank Building;
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Tel. Ad: Doric
L. Parbury, manager