Eyo 4
- CANTON
+
:
!
i.
ping visiting the port increased from 7.7 million tons in 1930 to practically 9 million tons in 1931. Of this total, 6.9 million tons were under the British flag the Japanese flag taking second place with 0.8 million tons, and the Chinese flag taking third place with 0.5 million tons. The increase in toh- nage is attributable mainly to rice-carriers from Wuhu. The railways in the district continued to function throughout 1931 without serious interrup- tion, in spite of occasional difficulties arising from floods in the spring and autumn, and troop movements, which were fairly heavy at times. Some pro- gress was made in construction work on the Canton-Hankow Railway north of Shiuchow and on a branch line between Shiuchow and Chuchow, while surveys were made for several other branch lines. According to the latest report of the Bureau of Reconstruction, 5,765 miles of provincial motor high- ways, 7,493 miles of district roads, and 1,007 miles of town roads had actu- ally been completed up to the end of 1930. The 1931 figures for road-build- ing are not yet available, but a considerable amount of work was accomplish- ed both in the city and in the outlying districts. The city has an automatic telephone service, and the system was connected up with Hong Kong during the year under review.
:
▸
The trade of the port coming under the cognisance of the Foreign Customs during the past ten years is shown by the following net figures:—Hk. Tls. 243,231,704 in 1931, Hk. Tls. 196,208,149 in 1930; Hk. Tls. 183,589,036 in 1929; Hk. Tls. 171,580,923 in 1928; Hk.' Tls. 172,484,412 in 1927; Hk. Tls. 261,605,704 in 1926; Hk. Tls. 201,720,711 in 1925; Hk. Tls. 201,506,410 in 1924; Hk. Tls. 219,203,728 in 1923; and Hk. Tls. 197,287,935 in 1922.
}
MODERN CANTON.
Ample means of communication exist between Canton and Hongkong, a distance of 112 miles by railway and about 95 miles by water. British steamers with luxurions accommodition and a large number of native craft ply daily between the ports. There is daily steam communication with Macao and regular connection with Wuchow 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 Chinese launches to undergo inspection at the hands of an engineer appointed by the Customs before obtain- ing licences to ply, the number of launches is not so large as previously. There is a safe and commodious anchorage within 150 yards of Shameen. Canton was connected by telegraph (an overland line) with Kowloon in 1883, and an- other overland line was completed from Canton to Lungchau-fu, on the Kwangsi and Tonkin frontier, in June 1884. An agreement was entered into with the South China Wireless Co., a British concern, in the latter part of 1923, for the installation of a powerful wireless station, to give a continu- ous commercial service with Hongkong and Shanghai and communications with Peiping, Japan, the Straits Settlements, etc. The electric light service of the city since it was placed under government supervision has improved and leaves little room for complaint. The automatic telephone system, the installation of which was completed in 1930, is very efficient and the number of subscribers is steadily increasing and already exceeds, 7,000. A long- distance telephone service between Hongkong and Canton was opened on September 1st 1931 and three minutes conversation may now be had between these two cities for a fee of three dollars. Transport facilities on the Canton- Kowloon Railway, which consists of 22 miles in British territory and 9 miles in Chinese, and was completed in 1911, have also greatly improved in 1931 with the introduction of new locomotives and general reconditioning of the line! An express train now takes a little over three hours to cover the journey whereas a year ago it took half again as long. Real work has also begun on the completion of the Canton-Hankow Railway and it will not be lang. before the line will have been extended from Shiukuan, 140 miles north of Cantón, to. Lokcheong. The mountains to be traversal to complete the Canton-Hankow Line offer, however, great engineering difficulties which
י
2
་
7
་
:
I
է