Since the month of July there has been a steady increase In the consumption of electricity by me dustrial enterprises in: Shanghai. The graphs for the Ulustration of Kkllowatt hour sales of electrical energy from the Shanghai Power! Company show that, in comparison with past years, Shanghai is actually" using "more electricity than ever. There has been a [sharp upward curve from 1919 onwards in the total kilowatts of fond. Business as a whole, leaving Jout of account the temporary checks due to disturbances in 1925, 1927 and. 1932, has steadily infereased its demand for electrical Jenergy. The large power custum~ fers, during the last four years have shared in this progress, the figures for their requirements in 1934 Yeing consistently above those of the other three years except during February when the seasonal dip," owing to Chinese New Year, ]was' steeper than in 1933. Apart from February and July, the present year also showed an advance on previous years in the consumption of the cotton mills, The rise of the general load of Jeonsumed energy from 50,000 kilowatts in 1919 to over 300,000 kilowatts in 1994 Is, indeed, " remarkable Index of Shanghai's grow These are broad conclusions and fare not much affected by the evid-~ fence of decreases—some of them [subsequently corrected—In certain Industries such as flour mills, tobacco and cigarette factories, and rubber mills. There are definite signs of marked increases In the general Industrial output, partifeularly in the silk and textile industries, while metal-working plants are estimated to be abe of last year's volume of production by about 30 per cent.
This survey seems to confiet with the general view taken the existing state of affairs. does not appear to tally with the note of depression with which Tocal documents are so. greatly concerned AS a barometer the power station is not infallible but e'has a significance which is deserving of attention, although, of course, it Is not comprehensive in Its reaction to portents. Shanghai is a city of lights. Yet lights" do not come within the scope of the figures cited In respect of the inddustriat consumption of energy. Tt may be interesting to remark on this point that, even in the general Toad, the external lighting which is such an amazing feature of Shanghat by night 1s a compara-ively negligible factor. Tt would seem that the only non-productive electrical idiosyncrasy which can secure notice in the general tale for Shanghai's dealings with the Power Company is the human desire to defy the assaults of the heat of a China summer. This year—It the recollection be not too ppainfil to note—Shanghal gained the distinction of mention in Brit ish Broadcasts by virtue of its hheat wave. The practical result is now seen in the increased consumption of electrical energy during the summer for the purpose of manufacturing ice. Shanghai held 1 fire In its hand and, by race of the Power Company, was able dimly to think upon" the frosty Caucasus", and so to gain a measure of relief. With these reservations it must still be admit-fed that the records show a cheering Industrial activity which requires consideration in the light of the prevalent depression. Perhaps, too, they may give a certain' amount of encouragement to those who, with all reason, are coiinselling' prudent provision against leven salnler days than have yet inflicted themselves on this city.
Barometers do. not lie. They may mislead and they may be misled. For example the activity of the building trade at this moment—skyscrapers rising on all sides, plang discussed for others to eclipse them—might give another barometrical reading of heartening Import. The comparative prosper of Shanghai during several years of depression in the in-Terior nas often been cited to suggest: tnat Shanghai is really more self-contained than people imgine. That theory can be carried to extremes. It is true that world~ conditions have encouraged the development here of industries. which would have been impossible
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.