“ As the neap tide rises at least 6 feet， a through high war depth ofat least 30-32 feet is available every day of the year.“The Whangpoo Conservancy is an encouraging example of theapplication of Western engineering skill and administrative methodsto Chinese conditions， and is one of the many instances of efficientThe author is much indebted to Dr. H. Chatley for supplying him withinformation in regard to the work of the Whangpoo Conservancy Board. Dr.
Chatley has recently been appointed as Chief of the Board in succession to Mr. H. M.
von Heidenstam.
service rendered by the Maritime Customs to the Chinese nation.
The large mail steamers which formerly were obliged to anchor atWoosung， and transport passengers and baggage to and from Shanghaiby 1aunches are now able to proceed up river and dock at wharves inthe Settlements.
In 1921 a committee of harbour and river experts of the firstrank was convened to make definite proposals as to future programmeand the necessary organization. The detailed report recommendedimprovement of depths on the Yangtze Bar， and the provision of publicharbour facilities， public docks， wharves， moorings， etc.， supplementingthe existing accommodation.
Currency Reform
There was an article in the Japanese Treaty， made after the BoxerOutbreak， which， if it been carried out， would have been a great boonto commerce. It was that China was to “establish a uniform nationalcoinage and provide for a uniform national currency.“A short résumé of currency used in foreign trade in China may beinteresting.
The Spaniards in the early days in their trade with Chinaintroduced the Carolus dollar， so named from Carolus III of Spain（175 9）， and sometimes called the “pillar” dollar， from the pillar ofHercules contained in its design. This was the standard familiar to thefirst British traders in Canton. Spanish dollars issued at a later datecame into circulation. but were not considered by the Chinese withas much favour as the Carolus dollar， which came to have a fictitiousvalue.
After the Taiping Rebellion， owing to the shortage of Carolusdollars， Mexican dollars were imported and put into circulation， butat first these were not acceptable， and compared with the Carolusdollar， were at a discount. In later days the Carolus dollar lost its earlypopularity， and was seldom seen on the market.
It became necessary to adopt the tael as the standard， in place ofthe Carolus dollar. The tael was not a coin， but an ounce of silver byweight. The value of the tael in different parts of the country variedconsiderably and this introduced the vexed question of exchange.
The merchant in China is still confronted with the uncertainty offluctuating exchange， between the money of his own country and thetael， beween taels and Mexican dollars， and between the value of thetael in one part of the country and in another. It is small wonder thatthe problems arising from exchange have occupied some of the keenestminds among bankers and merchants.
In the Customs Service a standard tael， known as the HaikwanTael， has been adopted.
Of course one of the chief difficulties is that all the Chinesecurrencies are based on silver， while the currencies of Europe and NorthAmerica are based on gold.
The fluctuations in exchange introduce an element of gamblinginto trading， and at times have led to serious consequences.
Mixed Court Rules of 1902
There had been considerable friction between the Mixed Courtin the International Settlement and that in the French Concession，as to the matter of jurisdiction. The whole matter was referred to theConsular Body， Which appointed a special committee consisting of theConsuls-General of Germany， France and Great Britain.
A code of Provisional Rules defining the respective jurisdictions ofthe two Mixed Courts was drawn up. This received the approval of theConsular Body and local Chinese authorities on June 10th， 1902， andon June 28th it was endorsed the Diplomatic Body at Peking.
Tramway Service
It was at this period， on August 21st， 1902， that the ShanghaiMunicipal Council accepted the tender of the Brush Electric companyto construct and operate electric tramways in the InternationalSettlement， the whole scheme to be in operation within three years ofthe signing of the contract.
Unfortunately owing to the lack of width of the streets， thenarrow gauge was adopted， reducing the carrying capacity considerably，and making it necessary to attach trailers to the cars.
At first some of the Chinese were suspicious as to the safety ofriding in conveyances moved by the mysterious electric current， butconvenience and cheapness soon overcame their scruples， and thetramway became a profitable enterprise. The overcrowding has madethe trams more patronized by the Chinese than by foreigners.
First Automobiles
The introduction of motor cars into Shanghai came in 1902，when two Oldsmobile cars made their appearance. The LicensingDepartment of the Municipal Revenue Office was puzzled in regardto the question of registration and at first regarded the automobileas a form of carriage. These vehicles caused much consternation andnumerous runaways. At the time when they appeared there werecarriages， ricshas， bicycles， wheelbarrows， and sedan chairs. Graduallythe motors increased until at the present time （1928） there are over7，000， and carriages have almost entirely disappeared.
Trade Statistics
The Boxer Outbreak of 1900 had as one of its consequences adepression in trade， but this was followed by a rapid recovery.
The Customs Report of 1901 shows that foreign imports weregreater than for any previous year， even for 1899， which had been anexceptionally good year， and were more than double the figures for1891. The statistics for the Port of Shanghai were as follows：1899 1900 1901
Net Foreign Imports Hk. Tls. 38， 823， 995 Hk. Tls. 38，729，112 Hk. Tls. 41，663，387
Net Native Imports 14，958，250 8 ，736，291 14，216，377
Exports 7 0，822，474 5 0，263，756 62，546，012
Total Hk. Tls. 124，604，719 Hk. Tls. 97，729，159 Hk. Tls. 118，425，776