Gnteresting Figures Which Show the Steady Growth of the] Settlement:
Interesting figures regarding the aevenue of the Shanghai Municipal Council for the first half of this year are published in the last issue of the Municipal Gazette, which iMlustyate the steady growth of the settlement, Pawn Shops seem to te better patronised, possibly also owing ts the dif times experienced many, as the increase to municipal revenue is over Tls. 8,000, year's figures being Tls. 27,103 and this year's Tls. 35483, The total collections for the year, Ths. 6,069,117, compare with Ts, 6,103,167 for last year and Tls. 6,880,552 for 1928, but these figures are misleading as certain adjust ments have not been made. For! instance, in 1028, the total up to and including June shows Tls. 41,500,000 from the Electricity (De partment, In 1929 nothing was shown, while this year receipts from the Power Company are only} Tls. 145, as against the estimate for the whole year of Tls. 670,000 Most items show normal. inally Motor vehicles crease, while scme just as natur-
bieyel 201,412 this Ts. 286,825 Inst year, while es for private pony and carriage. together with livery stables, total Tls. 6,102 as against Tls. 6,963, showing that, despite the the streets, they are on laing further to motor!
'Municipal Rate shows large ineveases, and in this connection it remembered that for the period of the year the ate is two per cent, less, the extra charge imposed in' 1927 having been dropped as from July 1. The first half year, however, is well Foreign General rate Ths 2,829,019, as against' the Tls. 1/200,894' of last year and Tis. TOTAAL of 1928. Foreign special rate is Tls. 151,245 as against Tls. 142,059, Chinese general rate is Ins. 1,583,796, last year's being is, 1,478,347 for the rame period. Chinese special rate, however, shows very slight decrease, this being due to a few houses on outlying fweads which new donot. contribut te the S.M.C. rates but to the Chi nese authorities. Altogether municipal rate shows an increase over the first half of the last year of Is, 242,000, 'This is net sui in view of the extraordinary amount of building that is ap patent all over the settlement, and the openning up of new districts as business and residential areas. 'Land tax, the first item on the list, shews an' increase of Tls. 14,219.
Items such as exchange shops, tchaceo shops, gold and silversmiths, jeargo boats, ferry and passenger Voats and launches are practicely identical with last year's corresponding figures, but Chinese Loots are Tls. 1,000 less.
'A good" increase is shown ie bicycle licences, this being due to the increase of the fee from $2 to jem, ignored for so long by the authorities who did net] realize that there were so many bicycles in Shanghai, now proves 8 useful source of revenue, Figures for the first half of this 'Tis, 41,950, last year's months' showing Tls. 26,060.
'With all the motor lor are operating in Shanghai, it would thought that band would bbe on the decrease, yielding to modern methods. It' is the hope most people that they will disappear ent ly and be replaced by the more efficient and faster motor vehicles, but the revenue summary] shows nothing of the sort, and, rather, te tke contrary. This year's reventie is Tls. 61,347, an increase of Tls. 2,499.
Increayes are also shown rieshas both private and public. Fees for the former had increased from Tis, 108,957 last year, to Tls. 114,172 this year, while' public' rieshas' fees are up from Tls. 85571 to Tls. 86,133.
Wheelbarrows, however, show a slight decrease, from Tis, 32,706 to Tls. 22,198, 'One of the big items of Munietpal Revenue, Wha Dues, shows useful increase, and hose are reckoned on cargo landed locally, this item testifies to the still increased ecmimercial activity of tha' settlement, In 1988 the figure was Mis, 269,545, last year Tls. 342,286, first six months I higher figure of Tls.|, 914,672, Miscellaneous licence fees show small decrease of Tls. 1,300, while the item "miscellaneous the list of revenue from public and municipal undertakings shows nothing this year as yet, although the first six months of last year Tis, 18,538 bad been received. The estimated revenue for the whole under this miscellaneous head Inetoases of Tls. 1,000 each are shown against foreign theatre and! cinematograph, and Chinese theatre ete, "Other " amusements" have Jumped from Tis, 4,993 to Th 049, Sing Song house licences are up, from Tls, 31,047 to Tls. 84,037 Hffotel and Tavern" Isa dis~ appointment, dropping from Tls. 23,271 to Tis, 21,018, while "foreign liquor seller" shows a decrease of Tis, 450, not a large amount, but sufficient to show some' de-create in drinking, probably owing to the cost of liquor nowadays. of is Tls. 80,000.
Other public and municipal dertaking figures cannot be relied upon as true comparative figures, as they are the subject of adjuatments by the Revenue Department and will be shown correctly and fully inthe final statement of the your, So far increases are shi bythe Waterworks, Tls. 5 tramways, Tls. 4,500, French tram-Tis, 270, "The hi shows a decrease of probably owing to the strike these figures are based on mileage run, SHANGHAI GETS AUGUST,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.