Directory_and_Chronicle_1938 — Page 792

A390

CHUNGKING

1898, it rose to 101 ft., on 11th August, 1905, to 108 ft., on 22nd July, 1920, to 95 ft. 2 in., on 14th July, 1921, to 100 ft., 90 ft. at the beginning of August 1931 and on 4th August 1936 to 93 feet. In 1908 it only attained a height of 52 feet 4 inches. According to a Chinese report, the river rose 120 feet in 1878. On the left bank of the Kialing and facing Chungking, extending below the junction of the two rivers, is the walled city formerly styled Kiangpei Ting and now known as Kiangpei Hsien. It is proposed eventually to connect the two towns by a steel bridge. These two cities and the large villages in their immediate neighbourhood are estimated to contain a population of about 700,000.

The port was declared open to foreign trade in 1891, since which date a large trade has been done both in imports and exports, carried at first in foreign chartered junks, but for the last ten years in steam and motor vessels.

TRADE IN 1936

In spite of famine, brigandage, and communist disturbance, Chungking enjoyed another year of commercial prosperity. The greater political stability and the more satisfactory financial conditions prevailing throughout the year had a favourable effect upon trade in general. However, the long dry speli that resulted in scanty harvests everywhere seriously restricted the purchasing power of the masses. Further, the unprecendented low water-level in winter caused much interruption to steamer traffic. The famine which occurred in the summer and was prolonged to the autumn took a very heavy toll of lives, especially in the districts in North, East, and South Szechuen, and caused immeasurable damage and misery. The boom which was anticipated after the complete rout of the communists in June never came. On the other hand, the year opened hopefully, with the money market and exchange further stablished and public debts fully liquidated. There were no failures of note to record amongst the native banks or mercantile houses. From the commercial and revenue standpoint the year 1936 may be pronounced satisfactory and clearly indicates the upward trend which has been so marked a feature of the present decade. But Szechuen is still really in a state of development, the potentiali- ties of which it would be difficult to estimate. The following were the valne statistics of the trade of the port: direct foreign imports, $2.4 million as against $2 million in 1935; coastwise importations of Chinese products, $51.3 million as compared with $44.8 million; direct exports (composed entirely of parcel traffic in medicines, white fungus etc., with Hong Kong), $57,000; as against $69,000; and coastwise exportations of Chinese merchandise, $37.6 million as against $25.1 million. The main foreign imports are still kerosene oil and gasolene, of which withdrawals from bond amounted to 4.1 million and 3.3 million litres respectively as against 6.4 million and 1.5 million litres for 1935. The marked development of highways has led to a larger consumption of gasolene, while decrcase in the import of kerosene may be attributed to the disastrous famine, which further restricted the buying power-already at a low point of the rural population, who consider the use of kerosene as a luxury. Native imports still constitute the leading category, with a value of $51.3 million, or an increase of 14.45 per cent over the figures of 1935 and 87.35 per cent over those of 1934. Of coastwise importations, cotton yarn ranks first, with a total value of $18.1 million as against $26.4 million in 1935. Shanghai sheet- ings show every sign of further progress, with a value of $9.4 million as against $3.7 million in 1935. As the local dyeing and weaving work is much inferior to that in Shanghai, and as the result of the remission of local tax granted by the Government, the Shanghai products have gained a firm footing on the inarket, and this accounts for the corresponding decrease of yarn registered during the year. With the exception

With the exception of brown sugar and leaf tobacco, the value of which differ but little from that of the previous year, all branches of export trade show remarkable increases, and this was specially so in the case of wood oil, bristles, and goat skins. The first-named commodity was an important factor, with a total value of $14.6 million for 147,406 quintals, the highest