Directory_and_Chronicle_1936 — Page 474

A94

IEI-TAI-HO AND CHINWANGTAO

occur was soon dissipated. From this point the situation began to improve; rehabilitation of the area affected by the events of the previous year com- menced; and trade began to recuperate. Further encouragement was provid- ed by the conclusion of an agreement for the resumption, as from 1st July, of through traffic on the railway between Peiping and Moukden, after an interruption of almost three years: Inasmuch as this traffic so far is limited to a passenger service, it is true that the agreement had little direct bearing on trade, but, psychologically at least, it had a stabilising effect on the district and North China generally that was not without a value. Shanhaikwan, which had been under Japanese military occupation for nearly 13 months before its retrocession to China, during which time the Customs had great difficulty in functioning owing to the delicacy of the situation, was particu larly encouraged by the general improvement in the situation and by the resumption of through railway traffic. This is evidenced by the 175 per cent. increase in the amount of revenue collected by the Customs at that centre. The value statistics for the trade of Chinwangtao and district during the year were as follows: direct import from abroad, 2.8 million dollars as against 2.6 million in 1933; direct exports to foreign, countries, 6.1 million dollars as against 5.1 million in the previous year; coastwise importations of Chinese produce, 6.2 million dollars as against 7.1 million; and coastwise exportations of Chinese produce, 17 million dollars as against 19.6 million. dollars. As regards these statistics, the rise in the figures for direct imports. from abroad is fully accounted for by the increase' of 275,000 dollars in the amount realised from the sale of confiscated goods, mostly artificial silk yarn and sugar, during the year. Of the export staples groundnuts did exceed-- ingly well under the impetus of the lower tariff rates; common window glass to the extent of 120,000 square metres, representing an increase of over 150 per cent., and special window glass to a value of 63,500 dollars were shipped abroad (Hongkong, Manila, Penang and Singapore); coastwise shipments of special glass also showed an increase, but, despite drastic reductions in price. to meet Japanese and Soviet Russian competition in Chinese markets, coastwise exportations of the common quality decreased by over 30 per cent.; and, as regards the most important commodity of all, 2.7 million metric tons of coal were exported as against 23 million metric tons in 1933, 495,000 tons of the foreign shipments going to Japan, 136,000 tons to Korea and 41,000 tons to Hongkong. In respect to this latter item in the export list, the Kai- lan Mining Administration met with considerable difficulties in maintaining their usual level of business both within China and with foreign countries during the year under review. The fall of the Japanese yen in terms of Chinese dollars had to be contended with; a mineral tax was imposed by the Government; labour strikes fomented by professional agitators occurred at the mines; and in face of keen competition from Japanese and other Chinese coal mines, f.o.b. quotations had to be reduced from about $8.85 a ton for coal and $26.80 a ton for coke and in 1933 to $6.85 a ton for coal and $18 for coke during the year under review. Accordingly, the Administration are still restricting output from most of the mines and, in the case of the Liuchiang Mine, have actually reduced the output owing to the decreased demand from Shanghai and the Yangtze Valley ports.

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