AMOY
A439+
Built in 1923 the reservoirs are capable of holding 400,000,000 gallons of water, enough for one year's consumption. The Company have now provided Kulangsu with water. The water is carried over from Amoy to Kulangsu in boats and pumped to reservoirs on the high points of the Island. The quality of water supplied compares very favourably with any supply in the Far East and is extensively used by visiting. steamships.
TRADE IN 1934
The main factors affecting adversely the trade at Amoy during the year
were:
1. The unsuccessful rebellion of the 19th Route Army (suppressed by Government troops. in January 1934) and its accompany evil, the prevalence of bandits in the interior;
2.
3.
The imposition of high tariff rates on cotton, woollen and artificial silk piece goods, matches, sugar, kerosene oil, etc. and the consequent increase of smuggling activities;
The decrease in remittances from oversea Chinese.
In spite of the adverse conditions to trade enumerated above, there were three main factors which tended to counteract their effect and even to bring a slow and gradual recovery of trade to this port:-
1.
2.
3.
The success of both the spring and autumn rice crops;
The overwhelming victory of the Government troops over the Com- munists in north-western Fukien towards the end of the year;
The abolition and reduction of export duties on quite a number of commodities.
The total value of foreign imports into Amoy during 1934 amounted to some 16 million dollars, only half that of 1933. It must be noted, however, that the import duty collection for 1934 showed a decrease of about 1.2% only. This paradoxical phenomenon may be attributed to two factors: (1) The imposition of an import duty on foreign rice since May 1934 accounts for as much as 21.5% of the total import duty collection. (2). The introduction this year of true C.I.F. values for returns purposes tends considerably to show a lower value of trade.
Direct exports to abroad amounted to 3.5 million dollars, showing a slight increase over that of 1933 (3.3 million dollars.).
It is worthy of mention that during the year some nine million dollars were exported, mostly to Hongkong and some to Swatow, and only about six millions: were imported from Shanghai. Such a discrepancy helps to explain the strain exisiting on the local money market which in turn produced an adverse effect. on trade generally.