Directory_and_Chronicle_1931 — Page 957

NANKING-WUHU

Djang Fang, prin. of Middle School H. T. Li, registrar of the Middle School C. T. Gee, supt. of construction and

resident engineer

T. Y. Ni, business manager

S. F. Tsu, Chinese secretary to the

president

Miss M. H. Purcell, English secretary

to the president

885

VACUUM OIL Co.-Teleph. 41414; Tel. Ad:

Yangtse

W. Brydon, representative

WING CHONG Co., Universal Providers--

-1, The Bund, Hsiak wan

YANGTSE HOTEL-Tel. Ad: Yangtse

W. Brydon, proprietor

WUHU

蕪

Wú-hú

.e., swamps) _was April, 1877. It is half-way" port has the appear- This is mainly

This port (the name of which signifies grass and lakes," opened to foreign trade, by the Chefoo Convention, on the 1st situated on the Yangtsze, in the province of An-hwei, and is a between Chinkiang and Kiukiang, though nearer to the former. It ance of a thriving and busy town, and is admirably located for trade. owing to the excellence of its water communication with the interior. A large canal, with a depth of five to six feet of water in the winter and 10 to 12 feet in the summer, connects the port with the important city of Ning-kuoh-fu, in southern An-hwei 50 miles distant. Another canal runs inland for over eight miles in a south-westerly direction to Taiping-hsien, an extensive tea district. This canal, which is only navigable in the summer, passes through Nan-ling and King-hsien, where the cultivation of silk is carried on, and may some day be of importance. The silk districts of Nan-ling and King-hsien are situated within 50 miles of Wuhu. Besides the canals leading to Ning-kuoh-fu and Taiping-hsien, there are two others communicating with Su-an and Tung-pó.

TRADE IN 1929

Trade in Wuhu, as in all agricultural districts, depends chiefly on a good harvest and favourable conditions of transport. In both respects the year 1929 was disappoint- ing. The spring harvest, consisting of rape and winter wheat, was satisfactory. Unfortunately, during the summer there was a dearth of rain, and a shortage of rice resulted in an embargo being placed on its export at the end of the year. Facilities for transport were noticeably reduced by many Chinese vessels being commandeered by the military, and roads in the interior were made unsafe by bandits. Regardless of the above-mentioned adverse circumstances, the net value of trade rose con- siderably, but the reason for this increase cannot be attributed to a larger turnover, but was caused by the very high prices prevailing for the principal items of local produce. During the low water season a large number of lighters was employed between Wuhu and up-river ports to convey rice to Hupeh, Honan, and Szechwan. The net value of the foreign import trade represented an increase of over 1 million Haikwan taels; but with the exception of sugar and English grey shirtings, few items show abnormal development. Russian kerosene oil, which made an unexpected appear- ance on the local market in 1927, has not been imported since. The value of exports to foreign countries reached a high-water mark of approximately Tls. 1,300,000, the principal item being iron ore from the local nines to Japan and Korea, the total amounting to some 7,000,000 piculs, while re-exports from Tayeh total an additional 1,300,000 piculs. The excellent harvest caused an exceptional increase in the export of rape seed. Figures for wheat show a further increase, the shortage in other provinces making wheat-growing well worth while to farmers. The formerly flourishing trade in silk cocoons appears to be more and more neglected. The motor highway from Wuhu to Wanchih, w which is connected with the Wanchih-Ningkwofu line, was completed in the spring.

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