Directory_and_Chronicle_1940 — Page 773

FOOCHOW

A391

markets abroad, and the value of their export appreciated considerably. Coastwise exports suffered least in value: timber maintained the previous year's level; fresh, dried and preserved fruits declined slightly, as did mushrooms. markets abroad claiming a percentage from the domestic market owing to the better prices obtainable.

The year under review was a very unfortunate one for those connected with the tea trade. As explained in the previous year's report, the Black Tea Bureau, which was instituted with the object of assisting the black tea trade, was in April of this year reconstituted as the Fukien Trading Company, and as such made a considerable loan to the tea farmers, replacing the advance usually made by the Chinese tea merchants. After the fall of Amoy the Provincial Government, fearing an attack on Foochow, ordered the shipment of all black teas to Hongkong for storage and sale. This decision caused considerable losses, not subsequently regained, to foreign firms through the necessity of transferring their offices, and it is feared the tea itself suffered not a little from the precipitate shipment and the difficulty of securing adequate and satisfactory godowns in Hongkong, already congested with goods. The figures for tea exported abroad show a total value of $3,679,959 as against $4,511,138 for 1937. The bulk of the Foochow congou tea, it is understood, was sold to Russia, but there was still believed to be a balance at the end of the year both of that variety and also the souchong variety, as the prices. especially of the former, were too high. As regards the green teas, domestic imports, which are intended for scenting locally, declined from $5,948,638 to $3,036,985 in value on account of the hostilities in the Yangtze Valley; while the value for domestic exports also decreased from $6,003,958 to $4,680,211 in comparison with the preceding year owing to the weakened demand from the North. These two factors combined had disastrous repercussions on the jasmine growers, the price of the flower, the crop of which was heavy, falling off very considerably.

Passenger traffic both inwards and outwards declined appreciably, owing partly to the distance of the steamer anchorage from the city and also the restrictions on the movement of males. The majority of the passengers recorded were women and children.

The total number of vessels entered and cleared during the year was only 887 as compared with 1,469 during 1937, though the tonnage varied but little, being 1,266,786 as compared with 1,538,106 tons for the previous year. Sharp Peak continued to be the anchorage for steamers, the barrier blocking the river at Temple Rock below Kuant'ou in 1937 being maintained. Shipping passed through various vicissitudes during the year, due to shortage of cargo- boats, labour troubles with the stevedores the vessels at Sharp Peak, and the interdiction by the naval authorities on river traffic below the Ming An Pass between the hours of 7 p.m. and 5 a.m. (varying to 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.). These factors combined to delay shipping and increase demurrage costs. However, with an increasing number of cargo-boats being put into commission. and better organisation, the end of the year saw an improvement and an increase in the number of ships entering and clearing. The Min River Conservancy Board's dredger was laid up throughout almost the whole year, and as a consequence the river is silting up in various places and creating new channels, rendering navigation even by launch and cargo-boat a hazardous procedure. Freight rates were increased to a certain extent, principally by the change in the scale of charges from a weight to a measurement basis.