Directory_and_Chronicle_1937 — Page 848

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KONGMOON

With unremitting efforts of the provincial authorities and the co-operation of the people in the interior, a few hundred miles of highways have been completed during recent years in the districts around Kongmoon. Places a journey to which took one to travel in many days formerly can now be reached within a few hours. Of all the highways that connect with Kongmoon, the most important one is that which links up this port with Fatshan known as Kongmoon-Fatshan Highway

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populous and richly cultivated districts. Regular motor-bus services are maintained throughout the year. A journey from Kongmoon to Fatshan takes 5 hours only which might again be shortened to less than 33 hours, should the different cections of the road be linked up by bridges instead of by ferry boats which are being employed in crossing rivulets transversing the districts in which the road, is constructed..

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A telegraph office was opened on the 8th December 1907 in the town, and in November 1911, in the Settlement, and telegraphic communication is now possible with the Fatshan office. Long distance telephones or the overland telegraph lines between Kongmoon and Canton, Shekki (7) and Young kong (I) were completed in the early part of 1933 and have been open to communication. In order to bring this port into closer touch with Canton, it is reported that contemplations will be made, before long for the installation of radiophone system linking Canton with Kongmoon. The estimated cost of the project is reported, to be $100,000...

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TRADE IN 1935

In struggling with the world depression, trade at this port during the year under review was altogether unsatisfactory. The decrease in foreign imports is most noticeable as the difference between the figures for this heading and those recorded under direct commerce with abroad is almost equal except- by 0.7 million dollars. Not until after the anomaly was rectified early in March, direct imports changed their routes into the district via Canton where duty was paid owing to the existence of a wide disparity between the Gold Unit Standard Dollar cross rate for duty collection at this port which was based on quotations at Shanghai, and that in Canton which was determined on silver: dollar basis, as a result of the high premium of silver dollars in terms of gold. The decline in the foreign import trade is accounted for, by the unfavourable conditions outlined above, in addition to the imposition of high provincial taxation besides ordinary Customs duties. While the transfer of control of the Shekki Station ()-exports formerly included in Kongmoor statistics-to Lappa from 1st March was responsible for a portion of the decline in the value of the outward trade, exports received serious set backs from the high cost of silver for the greater part of the year, the fall in prices abroad, and the nationalisation of silver by the Provincial Government in November. It may be worthy of mention that the nationalisation of silver, in so far as this part of the country is concerned has not been' beneficial, to the export trade, inasmuch as, with the adoption of a like policy by the Hongkong Government in December, Hongkong dollars began to depreciate in value; and that, as nearly all the port's export trade is carried on with Hongkong, unless prices are increased, the same outturn in Hongkong currency would realise less returns in Canton 'subsidiary silver coins or small coin dollar notes.

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The total value of the port's trade in 1935 was Standard $9,500,000 as compared with $15,009,000 in 1934, $25,134,000 in 1933 and $28,734,000 in 1932.

The principal articles of export consisted of silk, palmleaf fails, fresh fruits, dried and salted turnips, garlic, black tea, soy and sauce, sugar taires, fresh vegetables, tobacco leaf, prepared tobacco, oranges, cassia lignea and wood' oil. With the exception of the last 3 items, all exports showed, decreases Large quantities of softwood poles are brated down th' the form of rafts, which are dismantled here, Most of them come from places Beyond Wuchow and also from North River. The yearly, value of this branch' of the trade f quite considerable. Paper is manufactured by the Kongmoon Paper Mil

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