Directory_and_Chronicle_1910 — Page 795

KIAOCHAU

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unabated during 1907 and 1908. The total value of trade has increased from 30.7 millions Haikwan Taels in 1906 to 37.9 million Haik wan Teals in 1908.

The Bay of Kiaochau is an extensive inlet about two miles north-west of Cape Jaeschke. The entrance is not more than 1 miles across, the east side being a low promontory with rocky shores, with the new town of Tsingtau ("green island," from a small grassy island close to the land) about two miles from the point of the peninsula. On the west side of the entrance is another promontory with hills rising to about 600 feet. The shore here is rocky, and dangerous on the west side, but on the east side is a good stretch of sandy beach. The bay is so large that the land at the head can only just be seen from the entrance (about 15 to 20 miles away), and the water gradually gets shallower as the north side of the bay is approached. The old Chinese Kiaochau city stands at the north-west corner of the bay about 5 miles from the sea and beyond the frontier of the German Protectorate. At Tsingtau there are two anchorages for big ships; the larger and better is round the point of the east promontory, on the north side, and the other, smaller one, on the south side. A new mole was "opened" on March 6th, 1904, which accommodates five vessels with berths. A second mole, was opened a few months later and a third mole for kerosene ships has since been constructed. Both have direct connection with the railway. The hills are nearly bare rock of granite and porphyry, but an extensive scheme of afforestation has been decided upon. The soil of the valleys between the ranges and the plain country on the north-east is alluvial and very fertile, and is carefully cultivated. Wheat, barley, millet, maize, and many other grains in smaller quantities are grown. The foreign residential quarter at Tsingtau has been well laid out, and there are some good foreign Hotels. The first sod of the Shantung Railway was cut by Prince Henry of Prussia in October, 1899, and the line to Chinanfu was opened on the 1st June, 1904. It did a prosperous business in 1905, and the returns for 1906 showed an increase of 30.4 per cent. in goods traffic and 6.2 in the passenger traffic. In 1907 the returns showed an increase of 5.74 per cent. in passengers and 9 per cent. in goods and cattle for 1908. The passengers carried numbered 828,735 and the goods approximated 486,981 tons. The coal mines are progressing favourably. The output of the Shangtung Mining Co. at Fangtse and Hung shan in 1908 was 322,682 tons. A brewery, soap factory, and a tannery are in full work. Fruit grafting is just becoming a promising enterprise. The development of the town of Tsingtau has made considerable progress; the town is partly lit by electricity, houses are springing up in all directions, and a system of water supply has now been completed. The new harbour works are nearly finished. The outer breakwater and two piers have been in use since March, 1904. The dry dock commenced operations in October, 1905, and continues to expand. The dock employs 36 Europeans and an average of 1,300 Chinese workmen. There are two German newspapers published, a weekly paper called the Kiautschow Post and a daily paper called Tsingtauer Neueste Nachrichten. The climate is temperate, and it is expected that the Bay will in course of time become a summer resort for the residents of Shanghai, there being an excellent bathing beach. The net value of the trade of the port for 1908 was Tls. 37,878,225 against Tls. 34,341,499 in 1907 and Tls. 30,723,851 in 1906. These figures illustrate the way in which Kiaochau is advancing to the front as a trade emporium. Kiaochau has become the principal market in North China for straw braid. Passengers and goods now freely move to and from the hinterland without any Customs control or restriction. The revenue of the Colony for the current year is estimated at 3,620,597 marks, as compared with 2,725, 00 marks in 1908, and the treasury contribution is fixed at 8,545,005 marks, about one million less than in 1908.

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