Directory_and_Chronicle_1937 — Page 739

HANKOW

A359

"The China Merchants' Steam Navigation Company, having completed their new and extensive bunding, started to build handsome new offices for themselves in 1919, and these were completed in December, 1920. Messrs. Butterfield & Swire have a four- storey reinforced concrete godown on the site of their old office. Messrs. Jardine Matheson & Co., Ltd., put up a very fine modern four-storey reinforced concrete, godown, on the site of the buildings destroyed by fire in 1917, the total measurement of the building being approximately 74,772 square feet. The English Church was re-built, and consecrated in May, 1904. A new Union Church was built in 1916-17 in the French Concession, and opened in April, 1917. The new British school building was occupied at the end of the summer holidays in 1920 and is a vast improvement on the former accommodation. A fourth oil installation, belonging to the Kwang Wha, Petroleum Co., Ltd., was completed in 1934.

The native city of Hankow was burnt by the Imperialist army in October, 1911, and a population of about 800,000 were thereby rendered homeless. At the end of 1914 it was estimated that fully 80 per cent of the burnt area had been reconstructed, though unfortunately on the old lines, all the laudable plans for modernising the city having fallen through, owing to difficulties in obtaining the necessary funds. During 1919 large tracts of land in the back of the native city were reclaimed and several new roads were constructed. A scheme for the development of a Greater Hankow was started with the backing of the Government.

The Hankow Race Club and Recreation Ground was incorporated in 1904, and developed in a remarkable way. The property of the Club is extensive enough to embrace a racecourse, an 18-hole golf course. football and cricket field, swimming pool. and, in fact,, every branch of sport indulged in by the members. Apart from this club, which is chiefly devoted to sport, there are the Hankow Club, the Russian Club and the French Club. which have splendid libraries, billiard rooms, bowling alleys, etc. The Hankow Golf Club was instituted in 1878. There is also a Chinese Race Club and an International Race Club with courses as good as any in China.

The success of the northern expedition of the Canton Government and the capture of the Wuhan cities and the establishment of the Nationalist headquarters at Wu- chang late in 1926, altered the position entirely from the point of view of foreign trade. A mob, aroused by agitators, stormed the British concession and, in order to avoid bloodshed, the unarmed British marines who were defending the place were ordered to withdraw and British women and children were evacuated. All British business firms closed down for a time and the Nationalist Government took possession with a Committee of Administration. Following upon protracted negotiations the British concession was handed over to the Chinese Authorities and is now adminis. tered by them. The Chen-O'Malley agreement provided that the municpal adminis- tration of the former British concession should be taken over by a Sino-British Council- This arrangement took effect on March 16th, 1927, and the administration of the cx- British concession has worked with remarkable smoothness and efficiency.

TRADE IN 1935

The year 1935 was, politically, for the port of Hankow one of the most tran- quil on record. This tranquillity was reflected in the labour market, where the Labour Control Bureau, established in 1934 by the Hankow Municipal Govern- ment, by exerting its influence both with employers and employed, succeeded in averting all labour trouble even when Hankow was in imminent danger from flcods. While the Hankow district itself was not affected by floods to any extent, the territory from which much of its export cargo originates Western Hupeh, and the Han River valley-suffered severely. Besides the floods, severe drought was experienced in many districts. As a result of the combined forces of flood and drought the early hopes of a good year did not materialise, the ramie and cotton crops being poor, the yield of the latter being estimated at only 669,800 quintals, a decrease of 485,800 quintals from the previous year's yield. Ricc and other crops showed proportionately smaller yet substantial decreases. Wheat, on the other hand, did remarkably well, the harvest being estimated to be not only greater by 15 per cent. but better in quality. The following are the trade statistics recorded by the Han- kow Customs for the year under review: direct imports, 33.2 million dollars