Directory_and_Chronicle_1931 — Page 678

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NEWCHWANG

The country in the immediate vicinity of the port is flat and unpicturesque in the extreme, and the town itself has nothing in the way of attractions for the traveller. The climate, from the foreigner's point of view, is one of the best in China, the sum- mers being comparatively cool, while the winters are cold and bracing. The hottest summer temperature rarely exceeds 90° (Fahr.), but cold blasts from the North pull down the "mercury" in winter months often to 6° and 10° below zero (Fahr.). The river is generally frozen over for three months of the year, but navigation is practically suspended for four monthis, from December to the following March. Formerly New- chwang was shut off from the rest of the world during winter, but the advent of rail- ways has changed all this. The Government Railways of North China, through their branch line from Koupangtzu, maintain daily communication with Tientsin, Peking and Mukden; and the South Manchurian Railway, through its branch line from Tashih- chiao, maintains daily communication with Dairen, Port Arthur, Mukden, Tiehling and Changchun. At the last-named place the Chinese Eastern Railway connects for Harbin and Europe by the Trans-Siberian Railway.

TRADE IN 1929

The introduction of the National Import Tariff at Newchwang from the 1st February 1929 was not without direct influence on the trade of the port. Merchants considered it their best policy to hold small stocks of foreign goods for the time being and to watch carefully any fluctuation in demand. At the same time many articles of import which, owing to the imposition of surtaxes, had been deflected to the port of Dairen returned to their natural artery of trade when the National Consolidated Tariff was enforced at Dairen also. On the other hand, with the imposition of export surtaxes at Newchwang, the bulk of the staple exports found their way to Dairen and Antung, where the levy of this surtax was not enforced. Goods exported by Japanese mer- chants, however, were exempted from the surtax, provided the export application was endorsed by their Consul, and but for this factor the export trade would have been even still more adversely affected. As an example, mineral products, such as coal, pig iron, and soapstone, owing to their place of production being adjacent to the port and to the goods being exported by Japanese merchants, were not affected. In addition, trade liad to contend against the usual fluctuations in the fêng-p'iao, but in the latter part of the year the restoration of the "exchange tael" made possible the purchasing of goods on credit and did much to relieve the tightness of the money market, Due to an arrangement made between the local salt-refining companies and the Chiu Ta Salt- refining Company, Tientsin, salt once more figures prominently amongst the list of exports, and there is every hope that the quantity exported during 1930 will be even larger. During the latter part of the year all match factories at Newchwang stopped work owing to their absorption by the Swedish Match Factory. Conditions on the Peiping-Moukden Railway continue to improve. A direct telephone system was in- augurated to connect with the head office, whereby cars can be applied for with as little delay as possible. The special advantages, however, offered to merchants by the South Manchuria Railway are still greater, there being connection with the two treaty ports of Dairen and Antung, no tax offices along the line, and quick transport. though the total number of junks entered and cleared at the Native Customs was greater than that of the previous year, the quantity of cargo carried by them was small. No new large junks are being built to replace the old ones, and steamers year by year continue more and more to take their place.

Al-

The value of the trade of the port during the year 1929 was Hk. Tls. 78,127,779, as compared with Hk. Tls. 75,544,140 in 1928, and Hk. Tls. 71,175,375 in 1927.

The chief articles of export are agricultural products-beans, millet, maize, etc., and their by-products-beancake, bean oil and samshu, with a fair amount of bristles, ginseng, native medicines, wild and refuse silk and skins and furs thrown in. There are six new steam bean mills which have an aggregate output of 9,800 cakes a day. Another article of export has lately arisen in Fushun coal, and the South Man- churian Railway, finding the cost of laying down the coal at Newchwang is cheaper than at Dairen, is developing the export trade from Newchwang with the opening of the new port of Hulutao on the Pohai Gulf it is expected that a serious rival to New- chwang in the coal export trade will be constituted. The harbour of Hulutao is in process of construction at the hands of the Netherlands Harbour Works Company and considerable reclamation of land and levelling of hills has already taken place. Hulutao will tap the resources of Eastern Mongolia and South-western Manchuria. It will be an ice-free port and may in time compete successfully with Dairen. Hulutao is