Directory_and_Chronicle_1936 — Page 795

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CHANGSHA

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second memorial temple to Tso Tsung-tang, one of the most famous lieutenants of Tseng Kuo-fan. There is also a temple on one of the western streets to Chia I, the most celebrated scholar of his day, who died in Changsha, B.C. 165. In the temple is a marble settee which is alleged to have been used by Chia I.

Outside the city there is a very fine hospital, which was erected at a cost of $185,000 by a former Yale graduate for the use of the Hunan-Yale Medical College The direction of the hospital is in the hands of a board, composed equally of repre- sentatives of the Hunan gentry and the Yale Mission. The Yale School and College buildings are in the immediate neighbourhood. These are all outside the north gate. Outside the south gate are the famed antimony works of the Huachang Company, which has branch offices in the Woolworth Building, New York. There are two electric-lighting companies.

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On the island are to be found the British Consulate and the residences of the indoor Customs and Post Office staffs and of the managers of the Standard Oil, Asiatic Petroleum, British-American Tobacco Companies, Butterfield & Swire and many other mercantile firins.

Many new roads have been built and motor buses now run daily direct to Ning- siang, Yiyang, Changteh and Taoyuan to the Northwest, Hengchowfu, Leiyang. Chenchow and Ichang to the South and to Siangtan and Paoking to the Southwest from Changsha. Satisfactory progress is being made with the Chuchow-Shuichow section of the Canton - Hankow Railway. From Canton the line is now open to traffic as far North as Pingshek where it meets the Changsha-Kuangtung motor road. From Changsha southward the line is not yet open to traffic beyond Lukow. Bridges and tunnels, which involve considerable engineering difficulties, have yet to be constructed at various places between Lukow and Pingshek. The permanent way and the laying of rails from Lukow to Hengchow have been practically completed, however. The line may perhaps be open to traffic as far South as Hengchow by the end of 1935, and Dr. Ling, the Engineer in-chief, estimates that the entire Chuchow-Shuichow section of the Railway should be completed by the end of 1936. Up to July, 1935, the Eurasia Avia- tion Corporation maintained a regular weekly service of two flights in each direction between Peking, Hankow, Changsha and Canton. The aerodromes at Hankow and Changsha were flooded in July, however, and the Corporation decided to divert its aeroplanes for service on a newly opened route between Sian and Chengtu. It is hoped that the Peking-Canton service will be re-opened shortly.

TRADE IN 1934

Although Changsha, or rather, the province of Hunan of which it is the capital city, suffered from floods in the early part of the year and from drought throughout the summer, it is generally agreed that this part of the country had a prosperous year on the whole. This is borne out by the 36 per cent. increase registered by the statistics for that part of the trade coming under Customs cognizance. During April and May rain fell persistently, with the result that several districts around the Tungting Lake and in the south of the province were inundated. Fortunately, however, these floods were of short duration, and no great damage was done. Following upon the floods came a long spell of dry weather that ruined the first rice crop in many parts of the country. As has been indicated already, however, trade passing through the port of Changsha was quite the reverse of discouraging. The Customs statistics were as follows (according to value): direct imports from abroad, 4.1 million dollars as against 4.4 million dollars in the previous year; coastwise importations of Chinese merchandise, 11.4 million dollars as against 7.4 million; direct exportations abroad, 1,000 dollars as against 12,000 dollars; and coastwise exportations of Chinese produce (of which much is actually destined for abroad via Hankow or Shanghai), 15.4 million dollars as against only 10.9 million dollars. Thus the combined import sections of trade show an increase of 31 per cent. and the combined exports an increase of 41 per cent. in comparison with the value figures for 1933. Kerosene oil is the principal "direct" foreign import into Changsha. Withdrawals from bond amounted to 20.4 million litres during the year, a decrease of 2.2 million litres. Owing to lack of competition with Russian oil, prices rose

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