Directory_and_Chronicle_1929 — Page 965

SWATOW

885

storms which, accompanied by a tidal wave, struck the port on the night of August 2nd, 1922. Seismic disturbances, also, have frequently been felt here. The most serious was that on February 13th, 1918, when, it is computed, over 2,000 people were killed and several thousand injured, while the damage to property was immense. The native population of Swatow is estimated at about 200,000 inhabitants.

A Chinese syndicate, with a capital of $3,000,000, obtained the necessary sanction for the construction of a railway from Swatow to Ch'ao-chou-fu, and work was commenced on the line in 1904. The line, which is 28 miles in length, was opened to traffic on November 25th, 1906. The contractors were Japanese, who supplied all material, the rails and engines coming from America and the carriages from Japan. The construction of the line has brought about a great inflation of land values.

Swatow has an electric light plant of its own, and on account of the cheap price at which the current is supplied this method of lighting is finding favour with the Chinese, and, to some extent, replacing the use of kerosene lamps. A new waterworks was completed early in 1914, the reservoir being at Kia-kun, about eight miles inland. In the middle of 1919 a telephone service was introduced.

The foreign trade of Swatow has never been large. Tea and sugar were formerly the principal exports, but the tea trade here, as in other China ports, has to a very large extent passed away. Increased attention is being given to the cultivation of vegetables, fruit, indigo and tobacco leaf. It is thought probable that in the near future minerals will assume increased importance in the export trade of this port, as prospecting discloses more of the latent wealth of the district. The net value of the trade of the port coming under the cognisance of the Foreign Customs for 1927 was Hk. Tls. 87,786,646, as compared with Hk. Tls. 85,873,105 in 1926, Hk.Tls. 71,505,772 in 1925, and Hk. Tls. 85,677,489 in 1924.

亞細亞 Ah si ah

DIRECTORY

ASIATIC PETROLEUM Co. (SOUTH CHINA), LTD. (Incorporated in England)-

Teleph. 8; P.O. Box 8; Tel. Ad: Petrosilex

J. B. Harrison, manager

A. Prismall

N. S. Loe

H. S. Forster, installation manager Agency

The Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Co., Ld.

Astor House Hotel-Teleph. 61; Tel.

Ad: Stirling

S. K. Yap, proprietor S. C. Yapp, attorney W. S. Lee, manager

BANKS

BANK OF CHINA, THE-Teleph. 133; Tel.

Ad: Centrobank

行銀灣臺

BANK OF TAIWAN, LTD.-45, Customs Road; P.O. Boxes 13 and 24; Tel. Ad: Taiwangink

CHARTERED BANK OF INDIA, AUSTRALIA

AND CHINA

John Manners & Co., Ltd, agents

HONGKONG AND SHANGHAI

CORPORATION

Bradley & Co., Ltd., agents

BANKING

NATIONAL CITY BANK OF NEW YORK Bradley & Co., Ltd., agents

P. & O. BANKING CORPORATION, LTD., THE Jardine, Matheson & Co., Ltd., agents

BEST & Co., H. C., General Merchants, Constructing and Consulting Engineers, Surveyors and Architects-32-34, Chee On Street; P.O. Box 38; Tel. Ad: Besco; Code: Bentley's

Managers of

Swatow Engineering Co. Swatow Amusement Co.

BOAN SENG, General Merchant and Com- mission Agent-20, E-Ann St.; Teleph. 68; Tel. Ad: Jin; Codes: A.B.C. 5th edn. and Private

G. T. Chen, proprietor

T. K. Chen, C. J. Chen, T. H. Chen

and C. M. Chen, assistants

BOUTROSS BROS.-P.O. Box 55

A. J. Allanson