Directory_and_Chronicle_1907 — Page 1004

CANTON

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In consequence of the decline in the importance of Canton as a place of trade, caused principally by the opening of some of the northern ports, many of the merchants by whom lots were purchased there in 1861, at enormous prices, withdrew from Canton altogether. For many years the trade transacted there by foreigners has been limited, but since 1900 an appreciable increase has been noticeable. Tea and Silk are the staple exports. The export of Tea for the year 1905 was 22,742 piculs ; in 1901 the export was as low as 6,653 piculs. The extent to which this trade has fallen off will be seen on a comparison of the above figures with those for 1888, when the export was 131,141 piculs. The quantity of Raw Silk and Vocoons (exclusive of Refuse and Wild Silk) exported in 1905 was 38,370 piculs; in 1904, 40,900 piculs ; in 1903, 38,149. Ten years ago, in 1896, the export was 23,704 piculs. These figures, however, which are taken from the Foreign Customs returns, do not give the total export, but only those in foreign vessels. Both Tea and Silk are carried in large quantities to Hongkong by junk, for transhipment. The export of Sugar in 1905 was 138,719 piculs; the import was 165,981 piculs. The net value of the trade of the port coming under the cognisance of the Foreign Customs for 1905 was Tls. 92,243,650, as compared with Tls. 96,247,076 in 1904, and Tls. 110,559,826 (the largest on record) in 1903,

Ample means of communication exist between Canton and Hongkong, a distance of about ninety-five miles, by foreign steamers plying daily, and a large number of native craft. There is daily steam communication with Macao and regular connection with Wuchow and West River ports, and with Shanghai, Newchwang, and Kwangchauwan. The total tonnage for 1905 entered and cleared was 5,567,995. The steam-launch traffic under the Inland Steam Navigation Regulation has proved a great success, though since rules were enforced in December, 1901, compelling all Chinese launches to undergo inspection at the hands of an engineer appointed by the Customs before obtaining licenses to ply, the number of launches is not so large as previously. There is a safe and commodious anchorage within 150 yards of the river wall at Shameen. Canton was connected by telegraph (an overland line) with Kowloon in 1883, and another overland line was completed from Canton to Lungchau-fu, on the Kwangsi and Tonkin frontier, in June, 1884. The electric light and the telephone system have been intro- duced into a portion of the city. A projected railway between Canton and Kowloon received the Imperial sanction in 1898 and a preliminary survey was made, but there are no signs yet of a commencement of the work from the Canton side, though since the autumn of 1905 active progress has been made with the British section of the line which will extend from Kowloon Point to Samchun. The survey by an American syndicate of a railway route to connect Canton with Hankow was also made in 1899. Work upon the branch line from Canton to Samshui (about 30 miles) commenced in December, 1902, and a length of ten miles, as far as Fatshan, was opened on November 15, 1903. The line was extended to Samshui the following year,. The completion of the railway to Samshui brings the West River ports within easy distance of Canton, it being now possible to reach Wuchow in Kwangsi in less than twenty-four hours. That the advantages of rapid communication are appreciated may be gathered from the fact that during 1905 as many as 2,657,489 passengers were carried on this short line. The greatest number carried in one day was 14,750; very little freight was carried. on the grand trunk line was started at both ends, and a section, about 12 miles long, from Canton, northward to Ko Tong Hü was rapidly approaching completion, when in October, 1904, on account of friction between the Chinese authorities and the constructor of the railway, work was entirely stopped. Then it became known that Belgian capitalists had acquired extensive holdings in the American-China Development Company, and, in consequence, a strong agitation was aroused among the Chinese aiming at the cancellation of the concession, and the construction of the line with Chinese capital only. The agitation proved entirely successful. The concession was cancelled by the Chinese Government who paid to the American-China Develop- ment Company a sum of Gold 86,750,000 as compensation, and to cover the cost of the works already completed. As soon as the concession was cancelled a movement was oganised by the commercial men of the three provinces which the line will traverse to raise the necessary funds for its construction. A large sum of money has been subscribed or promised by Chinese at home and abroad on condition that there shall be no official control of the railway. This attitude on the part of the merchants naturally brought them into serious conflict with the provincial authorities, but they have successfully urged their claims to freedom from official interference, and con- struction work is now in progress under the direction of a Chinese engineer. Recently a Chinese-owned line from Canton to Whampoa has been under discussion. A concession for a line from Macao to Canton was granted in November, 1904, to a Sino-

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