Directory_and_Chronicle_1920 — Page 996

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KONGMOON-WUCHOW

DIRECTORY

ASIATIC PETROLEUM Co.

E. Jean Odufré, manager

BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO Co., (CHINA),

LTD.

Y. G. Moy, manager

CONSULATES

GREAT BRITAIN

Consul General-(residing at Canton)

CUSTOMS, CHINESE MARITIME

Acting Commissioner-H. J. Sharples Assistant (Foreign)-P. E. Huber Medical Officer-J. A. McDonald Assistants (Chinese)-Wong Tat tso,

Huo Ch'ih Ch'ien and Cheung Iü- shang

Tidesurveyor and Harbour Master-

T. H. Smith

Assistant Boat Officer-J. Rasmussen Examiners-L. G. J. W. Schmitto, A.

Z. de Souza, D. A. Carlos, and Ë. B.. da Rosa

Tidewaiters-J. P. Wilson, W. C. A Wolnizer, T. Thoresen and W. G. Motterham

POST OFFICE, CHINESE

Acting Postal Commissioner-F. A.

Nixon (Canton)

STANDARD OIL CO. OF NEW YORK-Tel. Ad:

Socony

C. E. Meyer, manager

E. S. Winters

WUCHOW

州梧

WV-chau

Wuchow, opened to foreign trade on June 4th, 1897, by the Special Article of the Burmah Convention, is situated on the Sikiang or West River at its junction with the Fu or Kuei (Cassia) River. By the steamer routes at present authorised it is distant about 220 miles from Hongkong and Canton. Wuchow is the limit of navigation for ocean-going steamers; but, during eight months in the year, vessels drawing not more than 3 feet can reach Kueihsien (150 miles beyond Wuchow), and Nanning (360- miles from here) can be reached by boats drawing 2 ft., almost all the year round. The population of the city and suburbs is estimated at 50,000; it is slowly increas- ing, more especially in the riverine suburbs, which comprise the business quarter. The annual inundations caused by the rise in the river-there is an average difference of 60 feet between the winter and summer levels-are a source of great inconvenience to the inhabitants and at times bring about a total cessation of business. To obviate this, the principal steamship offices, the foreign Customs House and the native Customs and Lekin stations, together with numerous shops and hotels, are located on pontoons (locally known as Pais) moored alongside the river bank. The situation of Wuchow makes it the natural distributing centre for the trade between Kweichow, Eastern Yunnan, Kwangsi, and Hongkong and Canton. The future is full of promise, and Wuchow in the course of a few years is sure to make a bold bid for second place as the largest trade mart in the south of China. Local merchants are making strenuous efforts to divert to Wuchow, via the Liuchow and West Rivers, the trade of south- eastern Kweichow, which is principally supplied via the Yangtsze. Attempts are being made to work the antimony, copper, and tin mines which abound in the Kwangsi Province. The gross value of the trade coming under the cognisance of the Maritime Customs has steadily grown from four to over seventeen and a half million Taels, and the revenue is over five hundred and fifty thousand Taels, while the Native Customs control a junk trade worth over ten million taels and collect over 100,000 taels duty. The principal articles of export are antimony, timber, oils (aniseed, cassia, wood and tea), indigo, hides, and live stock. The coal, which should form one of Wuchow's largest exports, still lies buried in the surrounding hills. There is daily steam communication with Canton, maintained by four Chinese-owned steamers. There are a number of steamers on the Hongkong-Wuchow run, chiefly cargo vessels, but