A162/
SHANGHAI
more frequent. On 27th and 28th July, 1915, a typhoon of extraordinary violence visited the district doing much damage. The mean of the barometer is from 29.769 in the third to 30:245 inclies in the first quarter. The annual average of rainy days in Shanghai during eight years was 124; 55 wet days occurred in winter, and 69. in summer; the annual rainfall averages 4957 inches, about 15 in winter and 30.2 in summer. The mean degree of humidity is from 736 in the winter to 82.6 in the summer months.
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DESCRIPTION
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The streets of the International and French Settlements run north and south and east and west, mostly for the whole length of both; crossing each other at right angles. They were when first laid out twenty-two feet wide, but have since at very great expense been mostly made much wider In spite of this, however and the more stringent regulations, the traffic problem is becoming increasingly acute in Shanghai as elsewhere. Notwithstanding the soft nature of the soil the roads are kept in remarkably good order, despite the heavy motor traffic. With the introduction of trams the whole track of the Maloo, one inile in length, was laid with Jarrah hard- wood blocks, and the section of Nanking Road between Kiangse Road and the Bund was paved with the same material. Owing to the nature of the ground; expensive piling or concrete foundations are necessary before any building over one storey in height can be erected, and all stone has to be brought from a long distance. The Soochow Creek, between the British Settlement and Hongkew, is now crossed by nine bridges, seven of which are adapted for carriage traffic.
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Many foreign houses, surrounded by gardens, have been erected near the outside roads, especially on the Bubbling Well, Avenue Haig, Yuyuen, Great Western and Sinza Roads,, which are the main outlets from the Settlement, and from which most of the other roads branch off. These roads are planted with trees on both sides, forming fine avenues of five to six miles in length, Building activity of late years may be described as remarkable and unparalleled in the history of the port.
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Mention should be made of the many 10 and even 20 storied apartment houses in the central as well as western districts. Foreigners for the most part have migrated to these. These are now too numerous to enumerate off-hand.
TRADE FOR 1935
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The value statistics for the trade of Shanghai in so far as they are recorded by the Customs, were as follows: direct foreign imports, 507.7 million dollars as against 600.5 million in the preceding year (a decrease of 15 per cent.); coastwise. importations of Chinese merchandise, 298.7 million dollars as against 314.5 million (a decrease of 5 per cent.); direct, exportations to foreign countries, 289 million dollars as against 272.3 million (an increase of 6 per cent.); and coastwise exportations of Chinese produce, 456.8 million dollars as against 475.1 million (a decrease of 3 per cent.). During the year Shanghai handled 1,552.2 million dollars' worth of cargo for which statistics are available, as compared with 1,662.4 million dollars' worth during 1934. Shanghai's share in the total foreign import trade of the country was reduced from 57.82 per cent. in 1934 to 54.90 per cent. in the year under review, while the percentage of exports to foreign countries declined from 50.83 to 50.14 per cent., The excess of imports over exports was reduced from $412,848,900 in 1933 to $324,495,058 in 1934. The figure for the year 1935 was $216,473,722, showing a further decrease of $108,021,336. The net decrease of $91,245,302 in the direct import value of 1935 as compared with that of 1934 was mainly attributable to the reduced trade in taw cotton (including yarn), tobacco, wool and woollen manufactures, metal manufactures, vehicles and vessels, oils, fats, etc., machinery and tools, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, cotton piece. goods, and coal, fuel, etc. Imports which registered important increases were cereals and flour, sundries, and books, inaps, and paper. The principal groups of commodities which contributed to the net increase of $16,776,034 in direct exports were vegetable oils, textile fibres, seeds, and ores and metals, Exports of yarn, thread, plaited and knitted goods, piece goods, tea, sundries, hides, leather, and skins, and cereals' and cereal products registered substantial decreases. As pointed out in previous reports, it is not possible in reviewing the trade of Shanghai, which handles half of the importations and exportations of China in its capacity as entrepôt of the country, to account for yearly variations in statistics by an analysis of local conditions nor to
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