Directory_and_Chronicle_1935 — Page 505

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CHEFOO

A123

September 14th, 1921. The breakwater is 2,600 feet long, the height from the base of the foundation mound to the top of the parapet is 51 feet, and the width of the base of the foundation mound ranges from 117 feet to 133 feet. A railway track has been laid over the mole. In 1933 Chefoo was made a Special Area by the Provincial authorities, and the City limits now include a number of surrounding towns and villages. The population of this Special Area is estimated at 230,000.

普

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The Chefoo-Wehsien motor Road was opened to traffic in 1933 and a regular and express service of cars operate daily between Chefoo and Wehsien, connecting at the latter port with the Kiao-tsi Railway. During the past several years, additional motor roads have been opened throughout the province and practically all important towns are now connected by road with Chefoo, including Tsingtao and Weihaiwei. None of the roads are metalled, as it has been found impracticable to adopt this surfacing but, gnerally speaking, they are kept in first class condition, and due to the long periods of dry weather in Chefoo the earth surfacing thereof has proved eminently satisfactory for conditions in Shantung. However, after heavy rains the roads are unusable for a period of from twenty-four to forty-eiglit hours.

Amongst the main exports of Chefoo are Pungee Silks, Silk Waste, Vermicelli, Ground Nuts, Fruit, Hair Nets, Handmade Laces and Embroideries, and there are also considerable exports of locally distilled wine. Amongst other industries is the Chefoo Brewery and several Clock factories which enjoy a brisk business with all China ports, as well as with the Straits and Java. The port was connected in 1900 by telegraph cables with Tientsin, Port Arthur, Weihaiwei, Tsingtao and Shanghai, in addition to telegraph land lines with all large interior cities.

TRADE IN 1933

From the customs statistics available, the total value of trade of the port for the year under review increased by something over 6 per cent. as compared with the rather poor figures for the previous year, and, in this connection, it should be noted that the Chefoo statistics for the period under review were reduced cons derably in favour of Lungkow by the transfer of five Maritime Customs stations to the control of the latter port. Importations from Japan were encouraged by the complete raising of the boycott on goods from that country and by the low exchange value of the yen, and it may be of interest to record that legitimate arrivals from Japan, Dairen, and Manchuria together constituted nearly 56 per cent. of the value of the total direct imports, while there is good reason to believe that, in addition, considerable quantities of sugar, artificial silk, and other commodities from the free port of Dairen have illegally penetrated the district. Diminished foreign sugar figures were counterbalanced to some extent by larger importations of Chinese sugar, but the local demand for this commodity was insufficiently met by these arrivals and must have been satisfied partly by illegal trade. The influx of Chinese capital funds from Manchuria and Korea has brought about a quite remarkable land and building boom in the port, and this was responsible for the improved figures for construction materials: timber, cement, machinery and metals. Coastwise importations of silk cocoons and wild raw silk had a further relapse, declining by over 50 per cent. The combined foreign coastwise figures for shipments show a serious decline. With regard to exports, Vermicelli did well quantitatively but the industry suffered from the heavy decline in prices.

The same may be said of the groundnut trade, shipments being above normal but prices seriously low. Trading in embroidery, drawn thread work, and lace was well up to normal; the hair-net businese met support from America; the exports of pongees declined by 20 per cent., somewhat less than might have been expected considering the general depression in the luxuries trade. The old straw-braid industry of the district is now almost at a standstill. All the silk filatures in Chefoo and most of those in the interior have ceased operation for the time being, and only a little weaving is done, but the Silk Improvement Commission is continuing its useful experiniental and educational work with a view of bettering the future of the silk industry.

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At the close of the year under review there were approximately 4, 967 kilometres of highway open to traffic and the connecting up of all 109 hsien with each other by modern roadways is the latest objective of the Provincial Government's road construction scheme. From Chefoo it is now possible to travel by motor car eastwards along the coast to Weihaiwei; westwards to Tengchow, Hwanglisien, Lungkow, Laichow, and Weihsien (connecting at this point with the Kiao-Tsi Railway); or southwards to Tsingtao.