Hongkong is now a very crowded city with rich refugees pouring in from Shanghai, Peiping, Tientsin, Hankow, Canton and elsewhere. large. number of the tempo residents are foreign women children from these northern cities, while others have left here for their homeland. In spite of the seeming prosperity, no material benefits are regained by the influx of people from all parts of the country.
Of course, retail business is benefitted to some extent, particularly the th artes, restaurants, hotels, bus companies, ferries and landlords, Hongkong residents are much annoyed by the presence of these refugees who are responsible for the high cost of living.
De Prices for foodstuffs are higher than before the Sino-Japanese hostilities Landlords are raising rent, Office workers who wish 10 see a omen show during Saturdays and Sundays will find that the good seats were booked very early in advo though the picture is mediocre. tunately the rainfall during the latter part of the year was plentiful, otherwise a water famine might be serious for the increasing population. Roughly the census has increased by almost 300000.
Shipping companies operating a service between Hongkong and Canton are doing excellent business, which gives an opportunity for the increase of passenger fares and freight charges. Vessels are crowded. because the trams have suspended morning and noon service owing to the frequent air raids along the Canton-Kowloon Railway. Rich people in this city sent their families to Hongkong and go down there to see them over the week-end. In any event there are more people travelling between Canton and Hongkong by river than before.
Those who arrived here (ror Shanghai and Tientsin have to change to ships for Canton, as water at Bocca Tigris boom is too shallow for coasting vessels.
"Wholesale business is unsatisfactory. The uncertain situation discourages business on a large scale. The hinterland is a poor market for imports, although exports are fai good. On the whole the & ino-Japanese hostilities are harmful to trade.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.