A158
SHANGHAI
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more frequent. On 27th and 28th July, 1915, a typhoon of extraordinary violence visited the district doing much damage. The mean of the barometer is from 29.769 in the third to 30 245 inches in the first quarter.
<lays in Shanghai during eight years was 124, 55 wet days occurred in winter, and, 194,arter. The annual average of rainy 69 in summer; the annual rainfall averages 49:57 inches, about 15 in winter, and 30.2 in summer. The mean degree of humidity is from 786 in the winter to 82.6 in the summer months.
DESCRIPTION
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The streets of the International and French Settlements run north and south and east and west, mostly for the whole length of both, crossing each other at right angles. They were when first, laid out twenty-two feet wide, but have since at very great expense been mostly made much wider. In spite of this, however and the more stringent regulations, the traffic problem is becoming increasingly acute in Shanghai as elsewhere. Notwithstanding the soft nature of the soil the roads are kept in remarkably good order, despite the heavy motor traffic. With the introduction of trams the whole track of the Maloo, one mile in length, was laid with Jarrah hard- wood blocks, and the section of Nanking Road between Kiangse Road and the Bund was paved with the same material. Owing to the nature of the ground, expensive piling or concrete foundations are necessary before any building over one storey in height can be erected, and all stone has to be brought from a long distance. The Soochow Creek, between the British Settlement and Hongkew, is now crossed by nine bridges, seven of which are adapted for carriage traffic.
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Many foreign houses, surrounded by gardens, have been erected near the outside roads, especially on the Bubbling Well, Avenue Haig, Yuyuen, Great Western and Sinza Roads, which are the main outlets from the Settlement, and from which most of the other roads branch off. These roads are planted with trees on both sides, forming fine avenues of five to six miles in length. Building activity of late years may be described as remarkable and unparalleled in the history of the port.
Mention should be inade of the many 10 and even 20 storied apartment houses in the central as well as western districts. Foreigners for the most part have migrated to these. These are now too numerous to enumerate off-hand.
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TRADE IN 1936
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Generally speaking, Shanghai experienced a better year in 1936 than in 1935, the value statistics of the trade of the port, in so far as they are recorded by the Customs, being as follows; direct foreign imports, $555.2 million during the year under review as compared with $507.7 million during 1935; coastwise importations of Chinese merchandise, $436 million as against $298.7 million; direct.exports to foreign countries, $362.3 million as compared with $289 million; and coastwise exportations of Chinese produce, $462.7 million as against $456.8 million. During the year Shanghai handled $1,816.2 million worth of cargo for which statistics are available as compared with $1,552.2 million worth during 1935. Shanghai's share in the total foreign iinport trade of the country was increased from 54.90 per cent to 58.78 per cent in the year under review, while the percentage of exports rose from 50.26 per cent. The excess of imports over exports was further reduced from the previous year's figures of $216,473,722.to, $191,694,281. There was an increase of $47.5 million in the direct import value of 1936 as compared with that of 1935
though, as shown in a previous paragraph, the gold unit value of Shanghai's direct foreign imports fell by GU. 31,278,261. Important groupings showing increases include metals and ores, miscellaneous metal manufactures, wool and woollen manufactures, vehicles and vessels, chemicals and pharmaceutical, tobacco, paper, machinery and tools, dyes, and flax, ramie, jute, and their manu- factures. Imports which registered decrease were cereals and flour, sugar, raw cotton (including yarn), timber. animal products, canned and groceries, white and dyed cotton piece goods, and mineral oils. The principal, groups of commodities which contributed to the increase of $73.3 million in direct exports were vegetable oils (chiefly wood oil), animals and animal products, hides, leather, and skins, cereals and cereal products, ores and metals, piece goods, and beans. Exports of seeds, textile fibres and sundries registered substantial decreases. The itemised statistics for the port of Shanghai's foreign trade will be found in the new Shanghai Annual Returns in Volumes II and III of the Annual Returns for the Trade of China, while figures for domestic trade will be found in the Annual Returns for the Trade of China Volume IV. The.
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