Directory_and_Chronicle_1933 — Page 547

MUKDEN

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In August, 1923, a Chinese Municipal Office was inaugurated to control municipal affairs in Mukden city and suburbs (excluding the mart Settlement area, which continued under the control of the Land Office); its functions comprise upkeep and lighting of roads, issue of building and other permits, collection of various taxes and fees, and the management of primary schools. With improved roads, motor traffic has made tremendous strides during the last year or two, and there are now nearly 1,000 motor trucks and over 1,800 cars registered in Mukden. In 1932 the Chinese Muni- cipality was extended to included the control of municipal affairs in the Commercial Mart area.

Nurhachu, the founder of the Manchu dynasty, established himself at Mukden in 1625, and his tomb (the Tungling, Eastern tomb), about seven miles east of the city, is an object of great interest. The great mound and funeral hall are enclosed within a high wall pierced by one large gateway which holds three arched portals, and the avenue of approach is spanned by two lofty stone arches elaborately sculptured. Two massive couchant lions guard the portal. Nurhachu's son is buried at the Peiling (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 interest in the town and its vicinity. Mukden possesses good hotel accommodation for foreign visitors. The large 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 and other Hotels and the Russian Oriental Hotel.

TRADE IN 1931

Trade experienced another disastrous year in the Moukden area, conditions being even worse than in 1930. The effects of the floods on the Liao River were felt in the falling off in cereal exports. Many failures were recorded in the early part of the year in Moukden and other large trade centres in the district, 240 bankruptcies being recorded in Moukden alone at the lunar New Year. The decline in the earnings of the South Manchuria Railway Company, the revenue of which decreased by 30 million yen in 1930, continued throughout the year and was accentuated by the growing com- petition of the Chinese lines. Grain prices declined with the increase of stocks for which there was no sale. In the timber trade there was also a sharp fall in prices owing to the general depression and accomanying dullness in the building trade. In Moukden itself, however, there was a certain amount of building activity in the early summer, due to the low price of building materials, and this is probably the only line of trade in which there was any activity. The kerosene oil market witnessed another very bad year.

The use of vegetable oils, especially sesamum seed oil, for illuminating purposes continued, and sales of mineral oil were affected further by imports of Russian oil at very low prices. Reduced consumption and a tendency to buy the cheaper grade articles were noticeable in the cigarette träde. The general state of stagnation extended to most industrial enterprises and to railway construc- tion, and there were no new developments to record. The Moukden mills had a poor year, a new ironworks, new paper mills, and some new railway extension lines are being planned, however The enterprise of the Small Arsenal in designing and completing in June the manufacture of the first motor-truck to be made in China should be placed on record. This plant is also now manufacturing steam radiators. Activity in military aviation continued, and many firms of various nationalities have been competing in the market, resulting in quite a number of purchases of various types of machine. Several round-the-world aviators visited Moukden during the year and stimulated interest in aviation. At the close of the year an air-line was started from Moukden to Harbin.

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