Like Shanghai, the real estate business In Tientsin is not particularly flourishing, although great hopes a entertained' for the. future. One thing can be said in favour of Tientain, there have been no failures. in|, real estate firms. They seem to be holding their own. On the other hand it is only necessary to take a stroll through the various foreign concessions to get an insight as, to how depression hag hit the port. "To Let" or "For Sale" signs are to be seen everywhere, principally on pri-vote houses and godowns. In several stances the owners and landlords of vacant houses are reducing the rents In order to find tenants. The dearth fof tenants. for private residences to be due to many foreigners having lett the port. Houses in the'
concessions which only a fevr and modern residences in London Road, but they are mostly occupied by well-to-do Chinese, the majority Jef whom must be radio enthusiasts judging by the number of wires and miniature "antennas" to be seen on {the roads.
'A new park was constructed near the King's Silver Jubilee and it is called Jubilee Park. Tt is small in Jcomparison with Victoria Park, but when the finishing touches have been put on and it has been nicely laid out it will be an attraction to the general surroundings. On one side Jot the park is open country, so it is good place to go to for fresh als uncontaminated with the—general congested surroundings of the city's [parks in the centre of Tientsin.
Smuggling Continaes Unabatea The merry game of smuggling con-Linues, despite recent reports that effective means were being taken by responsible Chinese authorities stop the "racket" It is considered ltrat no effective measures are. pos-isle without the assistance of the Japanese authorities. "Meanwhile Ko-roan smugglers carry on their ileli trade with impunity. Artificial stk} Jor rayon is being brought into Tien-tin from Chinwanglao as hand baggage at the average rate of 500 bales per day. Piece goods and other sricles are also being brought into fentsin without paying railway freight or duty. not, Saturday last the foreign train inspector of the Peiping-Licaning Railway Administration, while going through the third class compartments of the early morning train for Shanhaikuan discovered $25,000 in silver wrapped up in the bedding and personal belongings of a gang of Korean smugglers, Both the "loot" and the {Korean smugglers were turned over {to the Japanese Consular police. For the convenience of the Japanese Consular Police whose presence at the Fest station is becoming practically 8 necessity, quarters have been est~ ablished near the station, close' to. the branch office of the' Japanese gendarmerie.
"Nigger in the Woodpite"
Foreigners in Tientsin are wondering how long this unsatisfactory state of affairs is going to last, as It seems that irrespective of the number of Korean smugglers turned over to the inese Consular Police, and There must be "a nigger in the woodpile" somewhere.
The South Manchuria Railway Com-tony at last have found suitable: cffges in Tientsin, right in the centre Jof the French Concession. They have rented the whole of the fifth floor of the new Sin Hua Trust Building: et the corer of Rue de France and Mr. Ohta has been ager of the Tientsin Kidnapping "Racket"
The local Paoantu in the Native dimeult to find of Rue clu Verdun in the French Concessio foreign residential quarter, are five I in-a row, with the yr Sale" sign, and which are occupied have. Chinese tenants, principally doctors or lawyers.
In other parts of the French Con cession, however, large modern buildings of five, six and seven storeys are being erected, notably at the corner of Rue clu Chalyar, opposite the National Grand Hotel, practically Ju the heart of the French Concession. Practically all of these new and modern buildings are being built for the account of wealthy Chinese concerns, the designers and architects being foreign firms, such Brossard Mopin & Ca.
British Concession Activity The British Concession also has its share of building activity and the new roads show that at least the Chinese believe in better times ahead for Tientsin. New shops have been opened, really modern shops with plenty of window space. Shannon Road Is an example of this kind of building development.
As an example of British enterprise, London Road easily comes The British Municipal Council mac a splendid job of this. The P. W. D. laid a beautifully asphalt-paved road with small shrubs oF trees running! down the centre, and it is beautifully Uighted at night with electric light standards in the middle of the road, the lights being. fixed at such a hhelght that the whole of" the road clearly is illuminated. London. Road isa short cut from the British and French Concessions to. the Tientsin Race Course and is much in use on race days, There ure quite a number of fine marked "Datren.""" city are dete: mined to puta stop to the kidnapping "racket." 'They have succeeded in smashing the tenth Kidnapping gang since they launched their organized campaign three weeks ago. Eight of the ringleaders and 8 lot of small fry were arrested and. fall confessed to thais' participation in_a series of crimes.
The ringleaders admitted the murder of two farmers who resisted ab-
@uction and they are being held on the murder charge for trial before] the Hope! Court. The confessions these led to the arrest of five other ringleaders and their accomplices. The arrest of the gang was effected fatter one of the victims had reported to the Pacantui. They had abducted Chuang Kuo-cheng and Chang Tung shun, but later released Chang to convey a message to Chuang's family atthe meeting to discuss the Jamount of ransom money would be held at a certain spot near Lupeikou, Jo-suburb of Tientsin. Tt was arranged that the kidnappers would be jearrying red lanterns. But instead fof relatives of the victim meeting Kidnappers, the police turned. up. Three fully armed gangsters were rested. Chuang had succeeded escaping from the gang they said, but 's0 far he has not returned to his
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.