Directory_and_Chronicle_1941 — Page 267

TIENTSIN

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British Concession, British Extension, and the Extra-Mural Area- have been amalgamated to form one Municipal Área under a Council elected on a broad franchise. New land regulations have come into force, and it is stipulated therein that the new Council consist of ten members, of whom five shall be British subjects and five shall be Chinese. Candidates must be nominated by two electors and all electors are eligible to serve on the Council. The minimum qualification for any voter, irrespective of nationlity, 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-sections and storage spaces, and the roadway is now kept clear of cargo. The result has more than justified expecta- tions, 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 Telephone 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 native city in May, and another was made in the Hopei district in December. There was a partial change to automatic machines, which are greatly appreciated by the subscribers. At present there are 11 long-distance lines operating 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.

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TRADE IN 1939

Whatever the future may hold for Tientsin, the second largest port of China, the past year must inevitably stand out, as one of the most eventful on record. Due to the Sino-Japanese conflict, many restrictions on merchants and the public generally were imposed, rescinded, and finally reimposed, but probably the most important event was the enforcement in March of the exchange control cn all exports. The collapse of the national dollar also seriously affected the import trade, as the prices at which European and American goods could be placed on the local market became quite prohibitive to the average consumer. To add further to the general confusion, the port was submerged by a disastrous flood towards the end of August, and the water did not disappear from the streets for over six weeks. All commercial and industrial activities of the port were suspended, and for a time no cargo could be discharged at the wharves, many vessels with cargo for Tientsin being diverted to other ports. On top of all this came the news of the outbreak of the European War. Importers hesi- tated to accept orders for fear of inability to make deliveries in time, while exports were perforce reduced to a minimum. Not only have the majority of the German firms suspended business, but most of the British concerns also operated on a much smaller scale. Considering all these handicaps and adver- sities which local business circles had to contend with, it is gratifying indeed that the local import and export trade should have achieved such satisfactory results, direct foreign imports being value at $344.6 million as against $233.9 million, coastwise importations of Chinese merchandise at $113.6 million as against $96.9 million, direct exports abroad at $95.6 million as against $176.1 million, and coastwise exportations of Chinese produce at $73.3 million as com- pared with $96.8 million.

The import trade of the port enjoyed an exceedingly prosperous period in the first half of the year, in which anxiety over the soundness of the local cur- rency led to a tide of speculative purchasing. The tendency was later further

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