Not so many years ago the prin-part of the business carried on along the river Sungari was in the hands of the Chinese Eastern Railway and all the profits went into the railway coffers, thus giving Soviet Russia a half of all. that came in. Nearly five years ago the Chinese government suddenly the entire fleet of leamers and barges belonging to the GE.R. and formed what is called "Tie North Eastern Shipping Bureau.'
The few private owners who still have craft o2 the river, have joined jin with the Syndicate and' consequently freights are Kept at a high level to the detriment of grain exports. The figures for 1930 lately published show that the net profits are $4,500,000 though the expenditure was $7,500,000, Ta other words, the total receipts amounted to approximately $12, }000,000 while. the total tonnage carried reached nearly 2,000,000 tons. Of the tonnage carrie 400,000 tons wag grain and $60,000 tons timber, the remainder consist ing of coal, firewood, hay, straw and general cargo.
There has been a complete change the kind of goods carried, timber Jand firewood this season represent ing 05 per cent. of the total quantity, while in former years grain always held the premier position. There bout 60,000 tons taken front Harbin to river ports, this including salt and kerosene.
Besides steamers and barges there are also 8,122 Chinese junks on the river which carried goods to the amount of $2,850,000 thus the grand total of freight on the river Sungari for the year 1930 amounts to $14,750,000 local currency. Owing to the high water that prevailed during the whole year, the largest steamers were able to navigate the rapids all the summer and there was no expenditure for lighters as has been the case when there was low water. There were also hardly any accidents to craft and insurance companies did not have to pay out heavy losses.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.