Directory_and_Chronicle_1924 — Page 679

TIENTSIN

613

It is satisfactory

and for vessels with a draught of 20 feet to come to Tientsin Bund. to record that in 1920 the financial position of the Commission was considerably in- proved by the guarantee of a monthly grant of Tls. 30,000, which is sufficient to cover the ordinary recurring expenditure.

Mention was made in the report of the Commissioner of Customs for 1920 of the Peiho reversion scheme and of the advisability of concentrating energies and resources. on the diversion of the Yungtingho. A scheme for the latter was worked out at an estimated cost of $17,500,000, to which a further sum, varying from $2,000,000 to $10,000,000, may have to be added if it is finally decided to construct a protective sea-dike to prevent deterioration of the Haiho channel, regarding the necessity of which opinions are divided. At meetings which took place in July and August, 1921, the members of the Commission came to the conclusion that in the present financial state of China it would be impossible to procure the funds necessary to finance either the total Peiho reversion or Yungtingho diversion schemes, both of which they considered were essential for a radical solution of improvement of the system of the rivers in the northern portion of the province. They, therefore, decided to recommend a scheme for the partial reversion of the Peiho, estimated to cost $2,500,000, of which the Commission had in hand about $2,250,000, as this would ensure fulfilment of all the conditions requir- ed by the Haiho Conservancy Board and would materially improve the navigation for boat traffic between Tientsin and Tungchow. It was recognised, however, that the flooding of the Paotihsien and adjoining districts would not be fully provided against, although the effect of floods would be reduced by the amount of water drawn off by the Peiho. The Chinese Government has been approached by the President of the Commission for sanction to carry out the partial diversion scheme, which, it now seems probable, will be taken in hand at an early date. Thanks to the efforts of Admiral Woo Yu Ling in his capacity as Director- General of River Affairs of the Eastern Metropolitan Area, over 80 per cent. of the land required for the excavation of a channel for reverting the supply has been acquired. Before closing these remarks upon the conservancy interests of Tientsin, it is fitting to refer to a very important scheme recently brought forward by Mr. Maze, the Commissioner of Customs there, viz., his proposal to establish a deep- water port at the river entrance below the town of Taku. The construction of certain training works by the Hai Ho Conservancy Board in the vicinity for the purpose of preventing further encroachment on the fairway of the North Bank, and of maintaining the new line of direction of the Bar Channel, seemed to him a favourable opportunity for suggesting that reclamation works to the north of the training works should be undertaken in order to secure sufficient ground for the construction of steamer-wharves, godowns, coal-yards and raily

Iway- sidings on land reclaimed between the North Fort and the inner end of the Deep Hole. The Engineer-in-Chief of the Hai Ho Conservancy Board advises that from an engineering standpoint the scheme is quite feasible and would not 'be unduly expensive, and that the position concerned-situated, as it is, at the actual mouth of the river-is, for a variety of reasons, the most suitable site avail- -able. The first reach of the river is straight, is about 1,000 feet broad, and is deep, thus possessing obvious advantages for the accommodation of shipping. It is superior in this and every other respect to sites a little further up stream, which are not only much more limited in extent but do not possess such favourable advan- tages as regards breadth of river or depth of water. If facilities for deeper draught steamers are provided on the above lines, it is no exaggeration to state that the shipping interests of the port would be revolutionized and that the trade of Tientsin and North China would greatly benefit. A deep-water port below Taku, for example, would form a convenient shipping centre for the coal business; similarly, the oil companies trading there would probably find it advantageous to erect installations at the river entrance and-provided sufficient depth of water can be secured in the future-bring ocean-going steamers alongside and discharge direct. In the past, the Tientsin steamer traffic has necessarily been restricted to coasting vessels only, which impeded the general expansion of trade. It is impossible, however, that the future needs of the port can be indefinitely met by such means, and if this important trade centre is to maintain and improve its present influential position it is essential that facilities for ocean-going shipping be provided on modern lines.

Turning to the civil administration of the city, it is well known that during the long satrapy of Li the trade and importance of the city developed exceedingly.