Directory_and_Chronicle_1932 — Page 953

WUCHOW

州梧

Trú-chau

Wuchow, opened to foreign trade on June 4th, 1897, by the Special Article of the Burmah Convention, is situated on the Sikiang or West River at its junction with the Fu or Kuei (Cassia) River. By the steamer routes at present authorised it is distant about 220 miles from Hongkong and Canton. Wuchow is the limit of navigation for ocean-going steamers; but, during eight months in the year, vessels drawing not more than 3 feet can reach Kueihsien (150 miles beyond Wuchow), and Nanning (360 miles from here) can be reached almost all the year round by boats drawing 2 ft. The population of the city and suburbs is estimated at about 65,000; it is slowly increas- ing, more especially in the riverine suburbs, which comprise the business quarter. The annual inundations caused by the rise in the river-there is an average difference of 60 feet between the winter and summer levels-are a source of great inconvenience to the inhabitants and at times bring about a total cessation of business. To obviate this, the principal steamship offices, the Custom House and other Tax Offices are located on pais (houses built on pontoons), moored alongside the river bank. July, 1924, Wuchow was visited by a very high flood-73 feet 9 inches-which is the second highest on record. In winter the only local industry worthy of mention is boat building; when the river falls the foreshore is lined with matsheds, where native craft of all descriptions are constructed. The situation of Wuchow makes it the natural distributing centre for the trade between Kweichow, Eastern Yunnan, Kwangsi, and Hongkong and Canton. The future is full of promise, and Wuchow is sure to make a bold bid for second place as the largest trade mart in the south of China. Local merchants are making strenuous efforts to divert to Wuchow, via the Liuchow and West Rivers, the trade of south-eastern Kweichow, which is principally supplied via the Yangtsze. Attempts are being made to work the manganese, antimony, copper, and tin mines which abound in the Kwangsi Province.

TRADE

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In

The gross value of the trade coming under the cognisance of the Maritime Cus- toms had steadily grown to Tls. 23,237,078 in 1920, but subsequently, owing to frequent military operations and the disturbed state of the country, the trade diminished to Tls. 11,952,197 in 1922, this being the smallest figure on record since 1908. The value of trade recovered to Hk. Tls. 17,485,294 in 1923 and Hk. Tls. 21,030,247 in 1924, but owing to the boycott of Hongkong, in 1925 it fell again to Hk. Tls. 13,604,856. The boycott ended in October, 1926, and the trade for that year recovered to Hk. Tls. 17,291,745. In 1928 the figures further increased to Hk. Tls. 27,942,671 as compared with Hk. Tls. 23,004,288 in 1927, but fell again in 1929 to Hk. Tls. 21,860,065 owing to military disturbances, and in 1930 to H.k. Tls. 22,256,711.

Mr. H. D. Hilliard notes in his report that the year 1930 opened ominous- ly at Wuchow with war clouds gathering in the vicinity of the port. Insurgent forces menaced the districts to the north and at the end of January were within a short distance of the city, which was placed under strict martial law. Fortunately, the attempt to capture Wuchow proved unsuccessful, but, it was not till the middle of May that normal traffic on the West and Fu Rivers was resumed. Trade was in full swing from the beginning of June till the end of July, when a recrudescence of activities on the part of the Kwangsi faction once more placed the province in a state of warfare, and, although from August onwards no actual clash on a major scale took place, the year closed with both sides remaining on the defensive, and with trade, to all intents and purposes, at a standstill. The province was blessed with a bountiful crop of rice, and, large quantities of surplus stocks, were exported by junk to Canton and other places. The import trade in foreign piece goods was much reduced, party on account of the continued fall in the value of silver but also due to a preference, especially in the case of grey drills and jeans for dyeing locally, being shown in favour of the products of Shanghai fac- tories, which can now be transhipped at Hongkong without losing their native