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KONGMOON
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reaches of which, near the main river, are lined with rafts, while further up in the vicinity of the town it is crowded with native craft of every description, thus rendering navigation for steamers difficult at all times, but especially so when the current runs fast during the summer months. The steamer anchorage is in the West River at the mouth of the Creek, opposite the Chinese Maritime Customs, but the town is included in the port limits. The population of Kongmoon is about 55,000, and it has the appearance of being a more populous centre, as it extends for a considerable distance on both banks of the stream. Formerly it was a business centre of considerable importance, but various causes have arisen which appear to have lessened its commercial standing and interfered adversely with the general prosperity of the port. It was generally considered that the proximity of Kongmoon to Hongkong and Macao and its favourable situation as an outlet and distributing centre for the southern prefectures of the province augured well for its future prosperity and development. This was, to some extent, true, but it should be remembered that facts have arisen which have tended to diminish rather than increase its commercial importance. Formerly it enjoyed direct communication with Shanghai and Foochow and was the real outlet and distributing centre for the south-western district of the delta and the Southern prefectures of the province. The development of Hongkong. and the opening of Kiungchow and Pakhoi as treaty ports, however, have seriously interfered with the junk trade and general welfare of the port, and have, besides, opened up other trade routes to districts hitherto dependent upon Kongmoon for their supplies.
At present there are no indications that the sanguine expectations, based upon imperfect knowledge, entertained concerning the over-estimated commercial possibilities of the place will be speedily, if ever, realized. There is daily steam com- munication with Hongkong, and considerable numbers of vessels trading under the Inland Waters Regulations arrive and depart daily. There are also several large junks trading regularly to Hongkong, Macao, and the island of Hainan. A railway from Kongmoon to Tonshan on the coast, a distance of about 80 miles, was constructed in 1909-10 under the supervision of native engineers, trained in America, but it stops short six miles from the sea, as to take the line right down would involve laying out a new town on the water-front and dredging operations The train now cross the South-West River by means of a pontoon ferry at Ngauwan (✈✈✈), but the construction of a bridge across the river between Tanshuihat (□) and Kungyikfou ( 4 ) was commenced in 1931. It is expected that this bridge will be completed in about two years and the line will then be looped at Sechian) Station. The completion of the bridge will enable freight trains to be run between Kongmoon and Toushan, which the present light pontoon ferry does not admit of. A branch line of the Sunning Rail- way was opened in 1920 from Sunning city. to Paksha. The company maintained a regular service between Pakkai and Towshan during 1930 and realised a net profit of some $90,000 on the year's working. A telegraph office was opened on the 8th December, 1907, in, the town, and in November, 1911, in the Settlement, and telegraphic communication is now possible with the Fatshan office. A high road between Kongmoon and Hok- shan, a town some 50 miles away, has been constructed, and a public company was formed, with a capital of $240,000, to make roads from Sunwui to Kong- moon and thence to Pakkai which will be suitable for motor traffic. The motor road from Hokshan to Sunwui was officially opened on January 10th, 1922.
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Considerable development has taken place in road-making and the Kongmoon-Pakkai motor road, about 3 miles in length and connecting the steamer anchorage with the city itself was opened to traffic during the early part of 1930, and a motor-bus' service was formally inaugurated on the 2nd June of that year.
TRADE IN 1931
In the Annual Report on the Trade of China issued by the China. Mari- time Customs Service it is recorded that Kongmoon experienced an exceedingly difficult year in 1931. The year 1930 closed with the purchasing power of sil- ver falling daily to new low records, but the full effects of this decline, were not fully realised until 1931. These exchange difficulties, coupled with the introduction on 1st January of a highly protective Import Tariff,, had the effect of creating a demand for native, commodities wherever these could be
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