Directory_and_Chronicle_1926 — Page 745

SHANGHAI

689

Band foreigners themselves being able to obtain a much higher rental for their land and finding native house property a very profitable investment, no opposition was made to their residence. In 1870 there were in the three Settlements 75,047; in 1880, 107,812; in 1890, 168,129; in 1900, 240,995; in 1910, 602,475; and in 1920, 0030,068. The Chinese population working in the Settlements, however, must be much greater than the total given, as there are many more thousands who sleep outside the limits. 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 to one hundred per cent. and that provisions and cost of living generally both of natives and foreigners have increased. The population of the native city is estimated by the Inspectorate of Customs at one million. The large congregation of nearly 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 255 Europeans (264 is the authorised number), 704 Sikhs (including 174 for gaol duty), 40 Japanese and 1,546 natives. There are 81 European, 240 Tonkinese, and 488 Chinese police for the French Settlement. 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.

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

Year

Foreigners

1895

4,684

1900

6,774

1905

11,497

1910

13,526

1915

18,519

1920

23,307

Ordinary Income Tls. 482,603

Natives

240,995

345,276

1,045,177

452,716

""

1,780,415

488,005

>>

2,555,056

620,401

""

3,051,017

759,839

""

4,823,483

CLIMATE

The climate of Shanghai is generally allowed to be fairly healthy. The highest recorded number of deaths from cholera among foreigners was 32 in 1890. Of these, 11 were amongst residents. With the exception of the year 1912, when there were 14 cases, the average number of cases amongst foreigners has been slightly over three

per annum during the last twenty years. The average number of deaths of foreign residents from small-pox during the last twenty years has been 15 per annum. Amongst the foreign population the general death rate was 15.4 per thousand in 1915, 14 in 1916, 20.7 in 1917, 16.5 in 1918 (including Japanese), 20.6 in 1919, 15.2 in 1920, 18.2 in 1921, 19.3 in 1922 and 17.2 in 1923. These rates compare favourably with those of many large towns in Europe and America. There were reported 9,663 deaths amongst the natives in the "Anglo-American Settlement" in 1912, 8,062 in 1913, 8,198 in 1916, 9,612 in 1917, 8,441 in 1918, 9,646 in 1919, 8,546 in 1920, 8,610 in 1921, 9,517 in 1922 and 8,436 in 1923, which make the rate 19.3, 15.8, 13, 14.9, 12.8, 14.3, 11.2, 11.0, 11.7 and 10.3 (the lowest ever recorded) per thousand. The thermometer ranges from 25 deg. to 103 deg. F., the mean of ten years having been 59°19 deg., the average being 41 13, 64.99, 77:91 and 52.49 for first, second, third and fourth quarters, respectively. Shanghai approaches nearest to Rome in mean temperature, while the winter temperatures of London and Shanghai are almost identical. In October and November there is generally dry, clear, and delightful weather, equal to that found in any part of the world; but when the winter has fairly set in the north-east winds are extremely cold and biting. On January 17th, 1878, the river was frozen over at Woosung. The heat during July and August is sometimes excessive, but generally lasts only a few days at a time. In late years very severe gales have become more frequent. On 27th and 28th July, 1915, a typhoon of extraordinary violence visited the district doing much damage. The mean of the barometer is from 29.769 in the third to 30-245 inches in the first quarter. The annual average of rainy days in Shanghai during eight years was 124; 55 wet days occurred in winter, and 69 in summer; the annual rainfall averages 49.57 inches, about 15 in winter and 302 in summer. The mean degree of humidity is from 786 in the winter to 82'6 in the summer months.