Directory_and_Chronicle_1939

CHUNGKING

A379

pared with 7,673 quintals valued at $1.5 million during the previous year. Bristles declined from 9,620 to 8,454 quintals, mainly due to difficulties in shipment, while the trade in medical substances declined in value from $3.1 million to $2.5 million owing to the loss of markets in the South Sea Islands. In spite of a good crop of sugar cane, exports of sugar fell by 11,718 quintals. Following the dislocation of communications, four new trade routes have been used for the transportation of cargo to foreign ports, viz.: (1) from Chungking by river to Hankow and thence to Hongkong by the Canton-Han- kow and Canton-Kowloon Railways; (2) from Chungking to Kweiyang and Kunming by highway and thence abroad by the Yunnan-Tonkiu Railway; (3) from Chungking to Kunming via Suifu and Chaotung for exportation abroad by the Yunnan-Tonkin Railway, or further to Tengyueh for exportation to Burma; and (4) by the direct Chungking-Hongkong aeroplane, which is the quickest and most expensive means of transportation, used for sending small consignments of white bristles and valuable medicines. Owing to the difficulties in transporting materials from Hongkong, the construction of the Chengtu- Chungking Railway has been delayed. At Chungking a station is being built at Kiulungpu, some 10 kilometres distant from the city, together with a spacious wharf for the transportation of cargo on the waterfront, and another at Ts'aiyuanpa, in close proximity to the city, for the convenience of passen- gers. The whole Szechwan-Shensi highway from Chengtu to Paoki was opened to traffic in May, while through traffic by highway from Chungking to Chang- sha and Kunming via Kweiyang was possible at the end of the year. Besides being connected with Chengtu and Kweiyang, Chungking was further linked during the year by long-distance telephone with Kwangyuan, Loshan, and Kiakiang. A project will shortly materialise connecting Chungking with Hankow and Changsha also by telephone. In the middle of December the Chungking-Hongkong air line was inaugurated by the China National Aviation Corporation. The aeroplanes on this line fly from both ends twice a week, and the service may be increased to thrice weekly if necessary. The factory of the Szechwan Cement Company at Manaochi was formally opened on the 10th October. It has a capital of $2 million and a maximum daily output of 900 barrels, each weighing 170 kilogrammes, the local market price being $10 per barrel. As to improvements of waterways on the Upper Yangtze, the breakwater wall at Chaipantzu and the tracking path at Hsintan were com pleted in March. The blasting of the pinnacle at Kunglingtan has had ex- cellent results, while an effort is being made to improve the south channel during the present low-water season by further blasting.

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