CHINA
A11
Netherlands'
3.44
3.56
3.49
Italian
1.97
2.47
2.18
Danish
2.34
1.89
2.15
French
2.69
1.19
2.05
American
1
2.58
0.26
1.59
Portuguese
0.21
1.11
0.59
Freight rates on the China coast were converted into Hongkong currency on the 22nd June and at times reduced owing to poor trading conditions. In terms of Hongkong dollars or sterling the rates were about the same or slightly lower than in 1938.
TRANSPACIFIC FREIGHTS
Rates were effective throughout 1938 on the more important commodities as per Tariff No. 8 of 6th October 1937, taken from the Shanghai Transpacific Freight Tariff. As from the beginning of 1939, all rates of freight remained stationary until the 19th September when, as a result of the greatly increased operating charges caused by the outbreak of war in Europe, an all-round in- crease was made to the extent of approximately 20 per cent except in the case of raw silk, the rates on which remained as previously until the 1st December, on which date they were increased by 50 per cent. A further general increase of 15 per cent, with the exception of silk, was expected to become effective early
in 1940.
FREIGHTS VIA SUEZ
Rates of freight under Conference control were increased at the end of the year 1939 by about 50 per cent, with "open" commodities registering even higher increases.
RAILWAYS
The extension of the Lung-Hai Railway from Sian to Paoki, a distance of 130 kilometres, was completed in 1936, with a further extension to Lanchow, 450 kilometres north-west of Sian, being under contemplation. An extension south- west from Paoki to Chengtu, a distance of 550 kilometres, was one of the pro- jects coming within the new construction plans. Also included in these plans was the construction of the 523 kilometres line from Chungking to Chengtu, connecting the two leading cities of Szechwan, with eventual extension to Tachienlu in Sikang. Other contemplated construction work included the Hu- nan-Kweichow Railway, connecting Chuchow, important city on the Hankow- Canton line, with Kweiyang, the capital of Kweichow province; the Szechwan- Kweichow Railway of 350 kilometres, connecting Chungking and Kweiyang, under joint Chinese and French construction; the 550 kilometres Yunnan-Kwei- chow Railway, connecting Kweiyang with Kunming, the capital of Yunnan; the 770 kilometres Szechwan-Yunnan Railway, connecting Suifu, on the Yangtze River in Central Szechwan, with Kunming; the extension of the Hunan- Kwangsi line, already completed from Hengyang to Kweilin, to Nanning in Kwangsi; the extension of the Kweichow-Kwangsi Railway, running from Kweiyang to Nanning, to Liuchow; the construction of the line from Nanning in Kwangsi to Chennankwan and thence to Langson in French Indo-China, under joint Chinese and French auspices, a distance of 150 kilometres; and the Yunnan-Burma Railway of 700 kilometres in length.
In the South-east, plans called for the construction of the 263 kilometres Nanchang-Pingsiang Railway; the 450 kilometres Nanking-Kiangsi Railway, connecting at Kweiki with the Chekiang-Kiangsi line; and the Canton-Meihsien Railway of 500 kilometres, connecting the Southern port of Canton with East- ern Kwangtung's leading town.