Directory_and_Chronicle_1932 — Page 535

MUKDEN

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(Northern tomb), about four miles to the north of the city. The tomb is similar in arrangement to the Tungling. There are many other objects of Manchu historical intcrest in the town and its vicinity. Mukden possesses good hotel accommodation for foreign visitors. The large, new Yamato Hotel, built by the South Manchuria Railway, was opened in the Spring of 1929. There are also the German owned Lengmuller and Keining Hotels, the Japanese Miyako Hotel and the Russian Oriental Hotel.

TRADE IN 1930.

Any hopes that might have been entertained of improvement in trade in the Moukden area, owing to the conclusion of the Sino-Soviet dispute and the good harvests of 1929, were soon dispelled by the collapse of the dollar and the world-wide depression of commerce. The fall in exchange, already noted in the last trade report, was rapidly accentuated in the spring and continued with but slight intermission to the end of the year, rendering mer- cantile transactions extremely difficult in view of the uncertainty and the prohibitive cost of foreign goods. The low exchange should have favoured exports, but, while farmers and dealers were holding their stocks in the hope that prices would rise, the world depression was extending and the pur- chasing power of Europe and America diminishing to such an extent that the demand for Manchurian produce became almost negligible. Another factor militating against the staple soya bean trade was the poor quality exported, due to the adınixture of dirt and other foreign substances, which resulted in many complaints from Europe. The effects of the depression in trade were evidenced in the large number of bankruptcies reported from all the chief trading centres and in drastic reductions of staff in such large concerns as the South Manchuria Railway and the Chinese Eastern Railway. Climatic conditions were most unfavourable to agriculture. Drought was experienced in the early summer, but the anxiety of farmers was soon dispelled by copious rains, which, however, were almost continuous from mid-July to mid-August, causing general damage everywhere and, in the Liao basin, the most disastrous floods within memory. Apart from actual damage done to crops, life, and buildings, which was very great, large areas on the Liao River and its affluents. were covered deep in sand and rendered permanently unfit for agriculture. Traffic on the Pei-Ning Railway was suspended again and again as renewed freshets came down, and the loss to the Railway Administration, both in damage to the track and in loss of business, ran into several millions of dollars. It cannot be too strongly emphasised that these floods are, in a large measure, duc to ci

deforestation of the country. The loss c livelihood owing to floods and trade depression drove many desperate characters, in the latter part of the year, to brigadage, of which many sericus cases were recorded. The establishment of peace throughout the whole of North China cannot but have a potent influence in the icstoration of better commercial conditions. An exception to the general trade depression was the spinning and weaving in- dustry, which enjoyed a comparatively prosperous year, and it is hoped shortly to install a further 10,000 spindles in addition to the 20,000 already in opera- tion. Plans are also on foot to start a paper factory, and the erection of railway shops which will provide materials for the many new Chinese lines which are rapidly forming a network over Manchuria, is under contemplation. The market in locally manufactured woollens continued to expand, and consi- derable quantities of coarse goods found a ready sale both locally and in the hinterland. The quality of Mongolian wool does not admit of finer materials being woven, nor would there appear any reasonable prospect of better grades being introduced, owing to the poor nature of the grass on which the sheep are fed. A new and handsome railway station was opened on the 26th Decem- ber, which should prove a boon to the public, as the former station was merely a platform. Other noteworthy events were the commencement of through traffic between Kirin and Peiping in October and between Shenyang and Pukow on the 24th November. The first step was made towards sanitary improvements, a sewer-pipe line being laid across the International Settlement. Plans are also under consideration for the construction of waterworks, while the existing electric tramline was extended through the city up to the Small North Gate.