Directory_and_Chronicle_1940 — Page 408

A32

TIENTSIN

mum qualification for any voter, irrespective of nationality, is the payment of Tls. 200 per annum in respect of land-tax or rental assessment tax or the occupation of premises of an assessed annual rental value of Tls. 600.

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A feature of Tientsin which arrests the attention of visitors is the open-air storage of cargo on the British and French Bunds, which have thus become in effect a general godown." A great deal of confusion and congestion formerly existed from this practice, but the British Municipality has since elaborated an excellent scheme whereby the Bund is divided into numbered steamer-sec- tions and storage-spaces, and the roadway is now kept clear of cargo. The result has more than justified expectations, and the orderly storage of goods in marked-off spaces not only allows a proper control to be kept over all such cargo but has facilitated communications by keeping the carriage-way clear of obstructions.

The Racecourse is situated about 3 miles to the west of the Gordon Hall and comprises a very valuable property of about 1,227 mow of land. New betting buildings of reinforced concrete, which surpass anything of the description in the Far East, were constructed in 1921.

In spite of the general trade depression, the Chinese Government Tele- phone Administration registered an increase both in activity and in revenue for the year 1930. An extension of lines was made in the west end of the na- tive city in May, and another was made in the Hopei district in December. There was a partial change to automatic machines, which are greatly appre- ciated by the subscribers. At present there are 11 long-distance lines operat- ing between Tientsin and places as far afield as Peiping and Shenyang, while a relay service was established between Tientsin and Antung, Dairen. Port Arthur, and Japan.

TRADE IN 1938

The value statistics for the port of Tientsin as recorded by the Customs were as follows: direct foreign imports, $233.9 million as compared with $84.1 million; coastwise importations of Chinese merchandise, $96.9 million as against $93.2 million; direct exportations to foreign countries, $176.1 million against $128.9 million; and coastwise exportations of Chinese produce, $96.8 million as compared with $52.2 million for the year 1937.

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Drastic reductions in the Import Tariff enforced during the year removed the incentive to smuggle, the so-called special trade through East Hopeh ceasing. Sugar, artificial silk, piece-goods, paper, kerosene, marine products, etc., formerly smuggled by way of the Chitung coast, were shipped to Tientsin and passed through the Customs as regular imports. While the rapid fall in the exchange value of the Chinese dollar forced the prices of European and American imports to an almost prohibitive level, Japanese imports maintained a more stable price-level due to the acceptance at par in North China of a yen valued at 1s. 2d. Of total imports from abroad valued at $233.9 million, the value of imports from Japan was $125.2 million. Included in these imports from Japan, however, were considerable quantities of cargo first imported into Japan and then reshipped to China in order to reap the special benefit in the matter of exchange. Coincident with the import trade there was a sudden increase in the number of bonded godowns. For years the port had been served by two public bonded godowns only; during the year under review 10 public and nine private bonded godowns were licensed and were filled to capacity. Japan practically monopolised the trade in cotton piece-goods, her imports being valued at $13.2 million out of a total import valued at $15.1 million. Total imports of wool and manufactures thereof reached the record value of $8.85 million as compared with $2.89 million in 1937, Japanese imports increasing in value from $786,000 to $7.5 million. Carded or combed wool formed an exception, Great Britain and Australia being the principal suppliers with, however, the quantity imported being reduced from 739,005 kilogrammes. In overcoatings, tweeds and homes spuns, Poland, the chief suppliers in previous years, was outsold by Japan. The increase from 229,064 to 1, 466,927