Directory_and_Chronicle_1918 — Page 793

I

SHANGHAI

719

were, in the Central district, 141,423; Northern district, 151,562; Eastern district, 138,956; Western district, 107,274; in Foreign hongs, houses and mills, 33,168; in villages and huts within the limits, 36,772; in shipping and boats 11,246; a total, exclusive of the French Concession, of 620,401; 284,188 men, 165,632 women, and 170,581 children, as compared with 488,005 in 1910. The native population of the French Concession in 1915 was 134,095, consisting of 67,932 males, 34,127 females and 32,036 children (against 89,686, exelusive of 1:,284 in outside roads, in 19 0, 84,792 in 1905, 80,526 in 1900, 45,758 in 1895, and 34,722 in 1890), the estimated boat population 5,500, and in transit 7,000 being added, the total native population was 146,595. The Chinese population working in the Settlements, however, must be very much greater than the total given, as there are many more thousands who sleep outside the limits. The Captain Superinten- dent of Police a few years ago said: "For good reasons I am inclined to believe that the native population is very much under-estimated," and he then considered that three- quarters of a million work within the Settlement, although they do not all reside there. Taking into consideration the thickly populated surrounding Chinese territory with its added thousands that cannot be even approximated, the daytime population of the port, it is thought, must be well toward 1,500,000. This rapid increase has occurred notwithstanding that rents have risen from thirty to sixty and in some cases even one hundred per cent. and that provisions and cost of living generally both of natives and foreigners have increased. The majority are immigrants from other provinces who followed in the wake of foreigners, attracted by the high wages paid to skilled and unskilled labour required for the many industries. The population of the native city is estimated by the Inspectorate of Customs at one million. This large congregation of over three-quarters of a million natives in the Settlements and outlying roads, eight and two-thirds square miles, is kept in admirable order by a police force of 180 Europeans (284 is the authorised number, but 49 were at the end of the year on war service, others had resigned, and owing to the war no recruits were enlisted from home), 571 Sikhs, including 118 for gaol duty, 28 mounted troopers, and 1,540 natives for the north of the Yang-king-pang, being one constable for about each three acres, and for 284 head of population. A small contingent of Japanese was just into training at the close of 1916. There are nine police stations. There are 48 European, 237 Tonkinese, and 368 Chinese police for the French Settlement, or about one constable for every 212 inhabitants. As the natives have to be tried by their own authorities, and bribery and obstruction have to be contended against, and there is a want of the facilities found elsewhere, the difficulties of organizing and efficiently working such a small force are considerable. In few places are life and property more secure. A few years since the Captain Superintendent stated that twenty-four hours had passed without one defaulter being reported, an unique police experience for any city in the world of its population.

The following table shows the population and Municipal Revenue of the Settlement, exclusive of the French, for the past five quinquennial periods:-

Year

Foreigners

1895

4,684

1900

6,774

1905

11,497

19:0

13,526

1915

18,519

1916.

191,050

Natives

Ordinary Income

240,995

Tls. 482,603

315,276

*

1,045,177

452,716

1,780,415

488,005

2,555,056

620,401

3,051,017

630,510

""

3,333,151

CLIMATE

The climate of Shanghai is generally allowed to be fairly healthy. The death rate amongst the resident foreign population during the past two decades has ranged from 20.2 per thousand (in 1910) to 11.2 per thousand (in 1905). The rate including non-residents was considerably higher; it reached 34.6 per thousand in 1902, which, however, was exceptional. The number of registered deaths of foreign residents, including non-Chinese Asiatics (109 amongst Japanese), was 266 (including 63 children), and of non-residents, 73, in 1916. Partial outbreaks of cholera have occurred at intervals, but the larger proportion of the cases were among the ships in harbour. The highest recorded number of deaths from this cause among foreigners was 32 in 1890. Of these, 11 were amongst residents. With the exception of the year 191, when there were 14 cases, there have been no deaths from cholera among foreign residents, the average being slightly over three per annum during the last twenty years. The highest number

เ