Directory_and_Chronicle_1937 — Page 736

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KIUKIANG

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wise seem to offer favourable indications. The Kiukiang river gauge, registered// 13.96 metres on the 16th July, 1935, which, by the way, is the highest recorded reading since its establishment in 1870. Fortunately, the material damage caused by the flood in the district during the year under review is reported to be less serious than that sustained during the previous, highest record-viz., 13.868 metres recorded in 1931-on account of the comparatively shorter dura- tion of the recent inundation and also because of fewer cases of dike failures in 1935. The after-effects of the drought of 1934 turned Kiukiang into an importer of rice and cereals during 1935 instead of being an exporter of these commodities, which is normally the case. Up to the middle of the year Kiangsi was continuously obliged to import fairly large quantities of rice from abroad and from other ports to meet the great demand created by the failure in the crop. It is, however, gratifying to record here that the autumn harvest amounted to an almost full yield, thus gradually restoring this port to her former status as an exporter of rice and cereals. While the degree of progress achieved in the sphere of business expansion and industrial development is, in view of the peaceful condition which prevailed here, much below expecta- tions, great strides have been made, since the termination of the communist menace in this province, in the field of highway construction. The Kiangsi Provincial Road Bureau reports that by the end of the year under review Kiangsi possessed 5,890 kilometres of roads, of which 1,318 kilometres were constructed in 1935. In addition to the above, an extensive network of motor highways, aggregating 1,166 kilometres in length, is at present under construc- tion. The Nanchang-Yushan section of the Chekiang-Kiangsi Railway, which links Nanchang with Hangchow, was completed towards the end of the year, and the line will be thrown open to regular traffic early in Janury 1936. Work on the Nanchang-Pinghsiang section of the Chekiang-Kiangsi Railway is expected to start shortly and, when completed, will connect the latter line with the Canton-Hankow Railway. With the completion of these convenient means of overland transportation, to which a good deal of steamer-borne traffic ! will gradually be diverted, the Customs statistics are bound to lose much of their value as a guide to the actual state of domestic trade in this region. The available statistics regarding the value of trade coming under Custome cognizance during the year under review at this port are as follows: direct foreign imports, 4 million dollars as against 4.1 million dollars in 1934; coastwise importations of Chinese produce, 39.2 million dollars as against 38.2 million in 1934; direct exports to foreign countries, 915 dollars as against 260 dollars in 1934; and coastwise exportations of Chinese merchandise, 20 million million dollars as against 14.8 million dollars in 1934. As regards imports from abroad, rice registered 22,490 quintals from Saigon and 23,154 quintals from Rangoon, as against 17,426 quintals only from Saigon during 1934. Under coastwise importations, increases of 135,782 and 138,657 quintals were recorded under wheat flour and rice respectively. In 1935 the export of rice to Shanghai and Hankow totalled 324,097 quintals and importations from Shanghai 280,5:39 quintals, as against 44,418 and 141,882 quintals respectively in the previous year. The tex trade turned out to be unsatisfactory: black tea receded from. 24,562 to 19,166 quintals; tea leaf, unfired, from 8,261 to 3,259 quintals; and, tea, other kinds, from 10,203 to 7,644 quintals. The already declining tea tragis, has further affected by the rapid development of the tea industry in Soviet Russia. Owing to brisk demand from abroad, wolfram ore (tungsten) advance, from 240 to 28,249 quintals, this commodity resuming its former export route since the suppression of the communist element in the province. No appre- ciable development in the mining industry occurred. The monthly output of the Polo Coal Mine, in the Loping district to the east of the Poyang Lake, amounted to 3.000 tons monthly, the product, all bituminous coal, being mostly consumed in Nanchang and Hankow.

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