Section of Annual Report Covering the Activities of the Various Companies in 1937
In the section of the annual report of the Municipal Council covering the activities of the various Public Utility panies clu 1937, chief interest centres it the re ports supplied by the various: Companies, extracts from which re appended:—The China General Omnibus Ca., Ltd.
The year 1937 was the most critical in the history of the Company. With the outbreak of Sino-Japanese hostilities in and around Shanghai during August, the Company suffered a severe setback as the result of the closing of the Eastern and Northern riots, following a hasty evacuation of residents to other parts of the Settlement.
The Company's services North of Soochow Creek and East of Garden Bridge had perforce to be suspended from the middle of August and, apart from the resumption of the service to the North Station in December, conditions did not permit of a return to normal operation when the year closed The Shanghai Electric Construction Ca, Ltd Thirty Trolley Buses were converted from solid to pneumatic tyres during the year, thereby bringing the total number of vehicles so converted up to 73, Sino-Japanese hostilities broke out in August since when it has not been sible to operate Any Tram or Bus services in the Eastern northern districts, At the close of the year the service in operation was equivalent to about forty per cent, of normal, Buildings and plant were practically undamaged despite the fact that two of the Company's properties are situated in the Eastern District where a good deal of fighting took place. Overhead Wires and equipment, particularly in the Eastern and Northern districts, were extensively damaged and repairs are now being effected Permanent Way Track was damaged in various sectors but not to any serious extent, excepting in Bounda Road where about one hundred yards of double track will require to be renewed. The Company's residential fats in the Eastern district were looted and left in a state of disorder.
While the material loss due to local hostilities will amount to a con siderable sum. it will be fragmentary compared with the Company's loss in revenue, The following are some statistics for the year 1937, with corresponding figures for the previous year. It should be remembered that any com parison of "vehicle miles run" and "passengers carried" for these two years has been vitiated by reason of Seriously restricted operations due to local hostilities, Operation Vehicle Miles run Passengers Carried 112.085.249
Shanghai Gas Company, As a consequence of intense aerial bombardment and shell fire in the vicinity (2 the Yangtszepoo Works, and the resulting intimidation of Chinese employees, it was imperative to shut down the plant on August 16, The supply of gas was re-established on September 8, when the gas sold was only 40 per cent. of the corresponding sales during 1936, The Company also suffered a loss of appliances and equipment. the value of which is estimated at damage to the Company slight, although the gasholders rowly escaped being hit by be and shell fire
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.