Directory_and_Chronicle_1904 — Page 668

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Agencies

TAINAN-FU, TAKOW, AND ANPING

Hongkong & Shanghai Banking Corp'n American Asiatic Steamship Co. China Commercial Steamship Co. Douglas Steamship Co.

Portland and Asiatic S. S. Co. Hamburg-Amerika Linie Jenkins & Co., Ld., "Shire Line" Occidental and Oriental S. S. Co. Pacific Mail S. S. Co.

Toyo Kisen Kabushiki Kaisha Shell Transport and Trading Co. Union InsuranceSociety of Canton, Ld. Alliance Marine and Gl. Assur. Co., Ld. Commercial Union Assurance Co. Liverpool and London and GlobeIn.Co. Law, Union and Crown Insurance Co. Sun Insurance Office

Manufacturer's Life Insurance Co.

TAINAN-FU, TAKOW, AND ANPING

The city of Tainan-fu [until 1889 known as Taiwan], situated in lat. 23 deg. 6 min. N. and long. 129 deg. 5 min. E., is the commercial capital of Formosa. It is for an Eastern city moderately clean and well paved. The walls are some five miles in circumference. The shipping port of Tainan-fu is Anping, situated on the coast about three miles to the eastward of the city and connected with the suburbs by a creek. The port is an open roadstead, vessels having to anchor a mile or so from the beach. From the 1st November to the end of May the anchorage is a perfectly safe one, but during the S. W. monsoon a heavy swell sets in, rendering it difficult, and at times impossible, for vessels to load or discharge. The foreign residents in 1901 numbered 43, including 34 British, 8 Spanish, and 1 German subjects. Tempered by sea breezes, Anping during the summer months can boast of a cool climate. From 1st October to the end of April there is little or no rain, and the temperature leaves nothing to be desired. The value of the total foreign trade of the Tainan district comprising the two ports of Anping and Takow, was £919,819 in 1902, showing an increase of £62,059 on the previous year's total. Kerosine is the only import which remains in the hands of foreigners. The Government-General has established a special bureau for the encouragement of the sugar industry and the management of all matters relating to sugar. Its object is to improve the methods of cultivation and manufacture of sugar. Of the six staples of Formosan trade, namely, tea, opium, camphor, salt, sugar and rice, three-opium, camphor and salt-have already been monopolised by the Formosan Government-General, which now derives three-fourths of its ordinary revenue from these sources. Formerly, the trade in opium and camphor in this district was in the hands of the few foreign merchants at this port, and amounted, before the Japanese occupation, to nearly £250,000 annually. Since the creation of the monopo- lies the merchants have thus been deprived of two-thirds of their income. They feel the hardship particularly in the case of the camphor trade, which was originated and developed in this district entirely by their capital and enterprise, and for the loss of which they have as yet received no enquivalent.

Takow is a port twenty-four miles to the southward of Anping. It takes little or no share in the import trade, but is a principal centre for the sugar export trade.

The last stand against the Japanese was made at Tainan-fu, Takow, and Anping, by Liu Yung-fu, the Black Flag General. Takow was bombarded on the 15th October and the resistance collapsed without any serious fighting, and Tainan-fu and Anping were occupied on the 21st October.

The total shipping, excluding sea-going junks, entered and cleared, during 1902, was 677 vessels of 795,472 tons. This showed a decrease of 49 vessels and 36,197 tons compared with the returns of 1901. Foreign-going ships showed an increase of 17 in number but a decrease of 3,783 tons. No German ships entered or cleared at the port in 1901, but in the returns for 1902 Germany is represented by 6 vessels of 4,968 tons. Foreign shipping has been injuriously affected in recent years by a decrease in the volume of trade with the opposite coast, caused by the increased tariff on imports and the imposition of export duties in Formosa. The British Consul in his report for 1902 observes that with the exception of two sailing ships, which brought timber from Foochow, the British ships which visited Tainan during the year came from Hongkong or Swatow chiefly in ballast, and loaded there with general cargo, principally sugar, for the northern coast ports of China. No British ships or foreign vessel cleared for the Japan ports during 1902, the large sugar and rice export being carried exclusively