Directory_and_Chronicle_1937 — Page 852

WUCHOW

Tax Office are located on pitis (houses built on portions), moored alongside the river bank. In July, 1924, Wuchow was visited by a very high flood -73 feet 9 inches-which is the second highest on record. The highest record-79 feet 6 inches occurred in 1915. In winter the only local industry worthy of mention is boat building; when the river falls the foreshore is lined with matsheds, where native craft of.... all descriptions are constructed. The situation, of Wuchow makes it the. natural distributing centre for the trade between Kweichow, Eastern Yunnan, Kwangsi, and Hongkong and Canton. The future is full of promise, and Wuchow is sure to make a bold bid for second place as the largest trade market in the south of China. Local merchants are making strenuous efforts to divert to Wuchow, via the Liuchow and West Rivers, the trade of south-eastern Kweichow, which is principally supplied a the Yangtsze. Attempts are being made to work the manganese, antimony, copper, and tin niiues which abound in the Kwangsi Province.

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Conditions in the province were entirely peaceful, throughout the year,. chiefly owing to the existence of a well-organised militia. The Kwangsi Pro vincial Government were able to extend their system of modern highways: considerably. The whole province can now traversed, from the vicinity of Wuchow by motor tar north-westwards into Kweichow, the capital of which province (Kweiyang) can be reached in some 24 hours as against the many·· weeks which such a journey "would have occupied in the days before motor highways came into existence. Owing to barrier formed by the West River, the road system terminates at Yunghit about 14 kilometres above. Wachow instead of at Wuchow itself; but a launch service connects these two places and, from the former town, almost any important city in the province can now be reached by car. Communications in the province have been further improved by the inauguration during the year of a regular aeroplane service. for mails and passengers between Canton, Wuchow, Nanning and Lungchow which operates three times weekly (subject to weather conditions) and accom- plishes the entire journey either way in one day.

TRADE IN 1935

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The result of this year's trade was again very disappointing Import trade showed a slight improvement as compared with the 1934 figures, but this was soon...!"} counterbalanced by the decreased export trade. Teu local big firms (six of them. were dealers in cotton piece goods) have gone bankrupt during the year and three of the regular steamers have abandoned their Hongkong run (also two 'on' the Canton run) due to scarcity of import cargo. Increased local taxation seemed to be the chief cause of these unfavourable trade conditions. Statistics are as follows: Direct foreign imports: 6.3 million dollars as compared with 5.2 millions in 1934; and direct exports to foreign countries: 8.9 million dollars as against 10 millions in the preceding year. The decrease in the total value of exports was attributable to a general falling-off in almost every item of the staple exports.

WOHOJ W

DIRECTORYTM

亞細亞

Ah Sai Ah

ASIATIC PETROLEUM Co. (SOUTH CHINA),

LTD.

R. Y. Frost

G.. Thomorson

E. B. Gammell (at Nanning)

FI 天 Teen Woo

BANKER & Co., Merchants and Com- mission Agents-Shipping Office:

Bankers'

:

Pontoon Teleph 264;

Cable Ad Banker

司公限有險保昌旗

Kee chong po him yar han kung sze

China Underwriters, Ltd., Life ·

Fire, Marine and General Insurance Agent Lam Kul Cho, 113, Kau Forg

Street; Teleph. 10