For the month of April, wholesale and cost of living indices continued to show advances as compared with the figures for the precious month, owing largely to the further sharp advance in the price of steel and iron End the general increase of various commodity prices, including those of concrete cement, cigarettes, cotton yarn, cotton cloth, lumber, hides, Deans, ete. The wholesale price index for the month was 123.9, showing an advance of 0.7 per cent. as comared with the gute of 1230 for March, and an advance of 155 per cent. 0s compared with the gute' of 107.3 for the same month last year, and Fegistering @ new high for the last five years, which was only five per cent. below the highest mark, reached in August, 1091, Lo, 1303, It will be recalled that the general advance ju. commodity prices. began November, 1936, and has continued in Shanghat unabated over since, until now the wholesale price index is fully 19 por cent, in advance of that for October last year. 'This tendency is by no means confined to Shanghai only: for example, the price index for North China cities was 111.52. for October last year, but reached 194.12 for' April. this. year, an advance of fully 20 per cent, Tonnage of goods transported in [March, as well as the umber of passengers carried by the Shanghal-}Hongehow-Nanking and Nanking-Shanghai Railways, was well above the level of a month ago and of a year ago, Transport by alr, accord to the figures of the' Eurasia (Corporation, showed a setback April as compared with March, as far Jez the number of passengers was conjecrned, while figures for freight and malt in kilogrammes rose slightly. Data from the ENA. reveal the same tendency. Reflecting the effect fof the tramway strike, the number of ossengers cartied by tram and bus jin the Settlement registered a drop {in April compared with the previous {wore Nounen op Wnoursatss Prucks Govan Goode 2 Ail iamattured Goss SagTapads Che Ree Avge 2074 "Chih Keo" Ave.(poti With the exception of provisions and fuels, which showed drops, and of chemicals, which remained station bry most of the commodities register~ ed advances in price, particularly metals and building materials. The drop In the Index number for provi slons was caused by the weakening rice quotations; while the drop in {fuel price was caused by the smaller demand for coat, with the advent of warmer weather.
From the various groups on our table it will be seen that raw mat= rials for the month showed slight Arops, "while "manufsetured goods showed further advances. The price Index for raw materials stood at 113.7, a drop of 0 per cent, as compared with that of the previous month, which was 1144; whilie the index for manufactured goods stood at 120.6, an advance of 14 per cent, a compared with that of April, which was ton, mont Teavk PERS Re. "1 ead The generat index number for the cost of living for the month stood at 1174, an advance. of 05 per cent.
compared with that of March, which was 1168, and an advance of per cent as' compared with that of the same month last year, which was 111. teen HRT ren look Salon Sharon ates Seed has ing ian Goga Increases occurred in building ac~ tivity all the three municipalities. The value of permits issued by the SNLC. Increased. from $751,300 in March $014,280 In April, though comparing the first four months of the currer year with the corresponding period 1036, the value of contracts award-ta was mot much more than half fas large this year as in 1990. On the other hand, large increases occurred in (he value of permits award-the French Concession, sur-thet previous month; the combined sing. considerably the figures of
dug" ofthe January—ApellAgures Jor the Concession was almost double {ho is aguren, in the city Gov minent. of Greqler Shanghol, th fave of building construction. was pee cent higher than that of Who previous month and 80 per cent, than That of ne corresponding monn last year." The' most important. bulldinus ier" wnleh permits were awarded in this aren were the Tungent Univer= Sity in Woosung, a spinning mull Fufuah a school, andy museum for the production of electiclty, receded somewhat during the month of Apa but "was considerably higher than hat of year 959, 'Owing, party" to approval by the contra potieat Gouna of inefeases fmrihe. fax soles, several significant Shanges have taken ploce in the pro-dillon of those eaminoltes om which fonsoldsted. taxes' are levied." An= felpation "of ineeayed "levies "on Slunrates—the rates being 23 po cent higher on low grades and 160 per Cent higher on Deller grades—eaused Sharp dustustions in the activities elgafette factories," Production was Speeded up in March, andy ge a result, ihe amount produced. increased in the month: to 05.0 cases, as com-fared with S4oH4 eases in February. Who been reported that, afler ths ehforeement of the. increased taxes, number of factories either closed down er reduced their output, nied {set will probably' be rileeed in the 'Apri Murer. With commodity prices the grade, the colon yarn Me dlsiry showed "good progress," the utp of yarn naving advanced from Februsty to: March by about 70:00 Guista the output of flour during the peried under. review' simest oupiedy white the_tnerease Jp. the Production" of matches. and cement Sag even. more substan, a5 can seen from our table. ower ibnnet: Doand Vigssive Berean axp Cuxanen "Pron wid For abroad, (out 'FFom aa fr Chines Borda
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.