Directory_and_Chronicle_1932 — Page 954

Directories & Chronicles 香港指南 All

872

WUCHOW

status. Firewood suffered heavily from the excessive protection fees demanded by the military and from exactions by bandits and was unable to complete with the North and East River products. The wood oil trade experienced the same disabilities and, moreover, had to face competition with the Szechwan product. During the summer months an amalgamation of the various shipping interests succeeded in putting a stop to the ruinous rate-cutting competition which had existed during the first six months of the year. The arrival, how- ever, of other chartered vessels once again induced a renewal of competitive rates, and at the end of the year heavy rebates, especially on cotton yarn, were being offered, both on the Hongkong and Canton runs. The Great Eastern Road connecting the eastern extremity of the city with the northern suburbs by municipal roads was completed during the year.

The principal articles of export are manganese ore, antimony, timber oils (aniseed) cassia, groundnut, and wood), tea, indigo, hides, live stock and firewood. The coal which should form one of Wuchow's largest exports, still lies buried in the surrounding hills. There is daily steam communication with Canton and Hongkong, maintained by Portuguese, British and Chinese steamers, some of which are manned by foreign officers, and have first-class passenger accommodation. During the last few years a large native passenger trade has sprung up between Wuchow and upriver towns, and a fleet of motor boats make regular trips to Konghau, Kuaiping, Kueihsien and Nanning. Wuchow itself offers few attractions to the tourist, but the river scenery on the way up, especially between the Shiuhing and Takhing Gorges, where the stream winds in and out among the green hills to form a succession of apparent lakes, is picturesque and has been compared to the Rhine.. Wuchow is connected by telegraph with Hongkong, Shanghai, etc.; and the Chinese Post has establislied postal communi- cation with the principal towns in Kwangsi. In 1922 the Maritime Customs completed the erection of seven new buildings to accommodate the whole of their staff. These houses, some of which are three storeys high, are constructed of ferro-concrete in the most up-to-date style. They are brilliant examples of modern tropical buildings, and are the chief architectural feature of Wuchow.

The year 1924 saw much systematic effort toward municipal improvement. local Board of Public Works was inaugurated early in the year, with a competent engineering and surveying staff. Much creditable work was accomplished in spite of set-backs by flood and fire and the hampering effects of political and financial limitations. Streets were widened, sewers laid, and ponds and marshy places re- claimed and filled and made suitable for building sites. The near-by hills and valleys, long used merely as burial grounds, are now becoming the scene of road making, tree-planting, and house-building. The old city wall has been entirely demolished and ambitious plans for the near future include the extension of wharf facilities, the pre- paration of new business districts, and the construction of a reservoir and filtering plant for a modern water supply.

An important innovation, since the early part of 1926, has been the institution of telephones throughout the city. These are run by a private company. The Yungyuen- Yunghu motor road was opened to traffic early in 1929 and another road connecting Kweilin and Wingfook was completed shortly after. Otherwise, the work of building: motor roads throughout the province, which has made great strides during previous. years, came to a halt. On the night of the 22nd August, 1929, a violent typhoon swept over the port, resulting in the sinking in the harbour of 38 laden junks and 50 sam- pans, with the loss of several lives.

Directory_and_Chronicle_1932 — Page 954

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