Directory_and_Chronicle_1935 — Page 423

TIENTSIN

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certain dyes, paper of various kinds (mostly of Japanese origin), rice, and timber all contributed largely to the poor showing made by imports. On the other hand, important increases occurred in carded and waste wool, wheat, wheat flour, sugar, kerosene, and gasolene; but as far as the last three items are concerned the increase was quantitative only, values declining owing to competition in the case of the mineral oils and owing to the low price of the Japanese commodity in the case of sugar. In some instances the depreciation of the United States. dollar helped imports from the United States of America. Had it not been for the poor trading conditions outlined above, and the growing poverty in the interior due to the low prices receivable for agricultural products, the rise in the purchasing power of silver should have stimulat- ed the import trade more than it did. The 10 per cent. decline in the value of direct exports to foreign countries is serious in view of the fact that it follows upon a heavy decrease during the previous year. Prices for export produce were exceedingly low at the beginning of the year, and, for some items, remained low throughout the whole twelve months. Thus decreases in the value figures may be noticed against certain quite heavy increases in the quantitative statistics, as, for instance, in the case of dried egg yolk, where a gain of 12,000 piculs in weight shows a loss of $425,000 in value. Fortunately for the export trade statistics as a whole, a loss of 10 million dollars in the value figures of raw cotton was minimised by a gain of 8 million dollars for sheep's wool, these two important staples offsetting each other by a quantitative loss and gain, respectively, of 162,000 piculs. Besides wool, the other principal exports to do well quantitatively were bristles, furs (as a whole), fresh eggs in shell, dried egg yolk, groundnuts, apricot seed and hemp; while, besides raw cotton, decreases were registered for moist and frozen egg yolk, melange, walnuts, beans and peas, sesamum seed, and jute..

The industrial depression of the previous year was aggravated by the military movements that took place in the Luanho region and by the loss of the vast Jehol market, and, generally speaking, curtailing of working hours and output was the order of the day, some mills only being kept going under pressure from the labour unions. The year was not absolutely featureless, however, as two new cotton mills (one spinning and one weaving factory) were established, while there were interesting signs of development in the woollen industries. In shipping, there was a decline in the tonnage of vessels entering from and clearing for abroad, principally due to the diversion of Japanese vessels to the direct Shanghai-Dairen run; but there was a further improvement (by 500,000 tons) in coastwise shipping.

An event of the year was the opening to shipping of the Tientsin harbour above the International Bridge, vessels not exceeding 235 feet in length being allowed to berth between Yamato Road and Hashidake Road in the Japanese concession on and after the 13th November. By the end of the year five Japanese steamers had taken advantage of this new convenience to shipping by loading and discharging alongside the Japanese Bund within that section of the harbour.

The province was too much upset during the year under review for any new road- building to be undertaken; on the contrary, all the energies of the provincial authorities had to be devoted to the reconditioning of the many existing roads that were damaged by military operations.