Directory_and_Chronicle_1931 — Page 1012

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FOOCHOW

disastrous floods known there in living memory; the river, rising through heavy rains, overflowed and deluged the country, sweeping away villages and causing immense havoc and loss of life. The Chinese population of Foochow was estimated at 388,164 in 1929.

TRADE IN 1929

The steady and gratifying revival of trade, which was first apparent at Foochow in 1928, maintained its healthy progress during 1929. Contrary, however, to the conclusions at which one might naturally arrive from a cursory glance at the Customs returns, the prevailing impression among traders is that the year was anything but a prosperous one from the merchants' point of view. Likin was officially abolished. on the 15th January, but, simultaneously with its abolition, consumption taxes on practically all kinds of commodities were instituted. Although the old-style money- shops notes, known as t'ai-fu-p'iao, were officially withdrawn from circulation and clean big dollars were the only recognised currency in the province, the market was flooded with paper notes, which were nominally convertible by law at their face value. Owing to a dearth of silver dollars and the consequent inability of money shops to redeem their own notes, this paper currency steadily depreciated. Thanks to the determined policy pursued by the authorities and the timely co-operation of certain financial organisations, a much-feared crisis was averted, and the parity of the notes was practically restored before the close of the year. Though foreign imports record a general increase, it is unfortunate that these increases appear mainly amongst those commodities which may be classified as the daily necessities of the lower classes while articles which might be taken as a proof of the gradual improvement in the standard of living evince a general tendency to decrease. In the case of exports, moreover, manufactured goods, year by year, show further signs of decline, while the products of forestry and agriculture predominate more and more. The total value of imports from foreign countries was slightly higher than in the previous year. The most noticeable increases took place in almost every item of fishery and marine products, which is all the more remarkable in view of the fact that Fukien is endowed with a long and honeycombed coast-line teeming with all kinds of fish. The decrease in the importation of rice is, unfortunately, not due to plentiful local supplies, but rather to the high price of foreign rice, the purchase of which has become prohibitive to such an extent that other foodstuffs, such as flour and sweet potatoes, are being used as substitutes. Russia bought freely of green tea, mostly shipped via Shanghai, but the crop of congous, was unsatisfactory in quality, and prices were high. There is no- doubt that Foochow tea is losing favour in the foreign consuming markets as compared with tea from the North China districts, mainly on account of excessive dust. There was a considerable advance in road construction in and around Foochow. The city and Nantai are now linked up by one straight motor road, and there is a scheme for a new bridge across the river in place of the present one, which was constructed in the early days of the Ming Dynasty and, though picturesque and of historical interest, does not meet modern traffic requirements. The motor road connecting Foochow and Amoy is nearing completion and should shortly be open to traffic. Reclamation work along the north bank of the Min River, immediately below the Wan Shou Bridge, was put in hand during the latter part of the year. Owing to the institution of a tax by the local authorities on fishing vessels, which discouraged this class of junk from entering ports except when absolutely necessary, a noticeable decrease occurred in the number of junks entered and cleared at the Native Customs.

The net value of the trade of the port coming under the cognisance of the Foreign Customs was Hk. Tls. 52,533,576 in 1929, as compared with Hk. Tls. 49,264,752 in 1928, Hk. Tls. 35,204,017 in 1927, Hk. Tls. 34,284,907 in 1926, Hk. Tls. 32,983,033 in 1925, and Hk. Tls. 35,907,840 in 1924.

KULIANG

A refuge from the heat of summer at Foochow can be gained by a four hours- chair ride to the top of Kuliang, i.e., "Drum Pass," which is a mountain resort situated about nine miles east of Foochow. The thermometer indicates an average of 10 degrees cooler on the mountain than it is in Foochow; the nights are always cool and blankets a necessity for comfort. Dr. Rennie was the first to build a house of foreign