Directory_and_Chronicle_1912 — Page 989

638

SHANGHAI

Roman Catholic Cathedral at Tungkadoo was laid. The French were in 1849 granted the ground between the city walls and the British Settlement on the same terms; and, in exchange for help rendered in driving out the rebels who had seized the city in 1853, got a grant of the land extending for about a mile to the south between the city walls and the river. They have since by purchase extended the bounds of the Concession westward to the "Ningpo Joss House," a mile from the river. Negotiations were instituted for an extension of the Concession to Sicawei, a village chiefly occupie! by the Jesuits and their converts, situated at the end of the French Municipal Road and five miles from the French Bund, but in this the French were only partially successful, a small extension as far as the Old Cemetery being granted them in 1899. In the later fifties the Americans rented land immediately north of Soochow Creek, in the district called Hongkew, so that the ground now occupied by foreigners extends for nearly eight miles on the left bank of the river. Including the Creeks there are now fifteen miles of the Settlement with water frontage.

The last land assessment was made in 1907; on land in the Central District the assessment was on an area of 2,2243 mow, Tls. 77,205,106. This shows an increase of 1563 per cent, over the value in 1902" of Tls. 30,086,586. The Northern District, area 2,127 mow, was assessed at Tls. 23,146,844, increase of Tls. 13,432,310, or 138} per cent. on that of 1:02 ; the Eastern District, 5,753 mow, at Tls. 24,306,233, an increase of 93} per cent., and the Western (foreign residential) District, 5.538 mow, at Tls. 26,389,074, against Tls. 8,081,572 at the previous quinquennial period, an increase of 2263 per cent., a total on 15,643 mow of Tls. 151,047,257, against Tls. 69,423,773 on 13,126 mow in 1902, equal to 150 per cent. for the whole Settlement (exclusive of the French).

The assessment of the British and Hongkew divisions, respectively, wasin 1880 Tls. 6,118,265 and Tls. 1,945,325, total Tls. 8,063,590 ; in 18. 0 Tls. 12,397,810 and Tls. 5,110,145, total Tls. 17,507,955. The totals in 1907 were thus nearly twenty times those of 1880 and over eight and a half times those of 1890. The assessment for 1911 was for the Central District Tls. 77,068,800, Northern District Tls. 23,394,400, Eastern Tls. 25,261,200, Western Tls. 23,111,900, a total of Tls. 148,836,300, on which a tax of 6/10th of one per cent. less 20% was levied, estimated to yield, net, Tis. 690,500.

One piece of land in the Nanking Road, assessed in 1867 at Tls. 4,000 per mom, then basis of assessment on the best Bund lots, in 1899 at l'ls. 13,000, and in 1903 at Tls. 27,500, was recently sold for Tls. 85,000 per mor. The Overseer of Taxes in a late Report said : On the Bund and in Nanking Road east of the Fokien Road the value per mow would be at least Tls. 100,000." The average for the whole Settlement is Tls. 9,656 per mow, and for the Central District (old British Settlement), Tls. 34,706 ; the highest being Tls. 110,000. A great rise in values took place during the later months of 1895, and this has continued steadily ever since, chiefly caused by the influx of native capital seeking safe investment under foreign protection and by the great increase in population resulting from the establishment of numerous cotton mills, silk filatures, and other industries.

The total number of foreign houses in the four divisions of the general concession on 31st December, 1910, was 3,119 assessed at Tls. 4,809,155, against 3,082, assessed at Tls. 4,703,838, 2,928 assessed at Tls. 4,484,696, 2,721 assessed at Tls. 3,928,656, 2,567 assessed at Tls. 3,423,956, 2,472 assessed at Tls. 3,235,311, and 2,129 assessed at Tls. 2,189,94 › on the corresponding dates in 1909, 1908, 1:07, 1906, 1905 and 1904. On 52,008 native houses the assessment was $8,332,449 against 51,288 assessed at $8,298,051 in 1909, 50,826 assessed at $8,238,267, in 1908, 49,482 assessed at $8,14,048, in 1907, 47,210 assessed at $7,225.491 in 1906, and 45,328 assessed at $6,830,461 in 1905. In addition six per cent., half rate, is now collected on 306 occupied foreign houses assessed at Tĺs. 260,368 and 4,089 occupied native assessed at $383,766 outside the Settlement limits, but supplied with water by the Shanghai Waterworks Co. In 1909 the land of the French Concession was valued for assessment at Tls. 2:1,0 0,000; the rental assessment of foreign houses was Tls. 325,000, and of native houses Tls. 1,167,000. The British and French Settlements, exclusive of the extensions acquired in 1899, are now all built over, and the vacant spaces in Hongkew are being rapidly covered. The Captain-Superintendent of Police in his last report says that nearly the whole area "may be described as densely populated: how crowded few residents can have any conception." He thinks "that the native population is very much under-estimated," and considers that nearly three-quarters of a million earn their living within the Settlement. Many of the best foreign houses, both in the Settlements, and outside roads, are now occupied by Chinese, retired officials and merchants.

A greatly enlarged boundary for the Settlement was granted in 1901. This new territory has been thoroughly surveyed and many new roads are being formed. The area within Municipal limits is now 83 square miles, or 5,584 acres, with a population