A new Race Course was opened by the Chinese north ofYangtszepoo, thus giving Shanghai three Race Courses. Racemeetings are very popular with the Chinese as well as with the foreigncommunity, and it has been said that no matter how dull generalbusiness may be, the Race Courses are always prosperous.
Ratepayers‘ Meeting, April 16thAt the general meeting of Ratepayers on April 16th, the Councilwas authorized to enter into a new agreement with the ShanghaiMutual Telephone company, by which shareholders should be securedan eight per cent dividend, the Council should be represented on theBoard of Directors, surplus earnings should accumulate for the benefitof subscribers, and the automatic telephone should be approved forgeneral use.
A resolution was also passed allowing the Council to follow one oftwo alternative plans in regard to the Shanghai Waterworks company,either to raise money to complete the purchase, or to enter into someagreement with the company similar to the one entered into with theShanghai Mutual Telephone company, by which the Council couldexercise some control over the operation of a company dealing with apublic utility.
Appointment of Traffic commissionThe Council took the important step of appointing a commissionto study the whole question of traffic in Shanghai. As the Settlementgrew, the roads became more and more congested. There were constantaccidents and it was apparent that well devised regulations shouldbe put into force. Motors, trams, buses, ricshas, hand carts, bicycles,wheelbarrows and pedestrians, using the same thoroughfares, presentedIn recent years another form of racing had been introduced into Shanghai—
Greyhound Racing. It has severely criticized on the ground that it is more of agambling institution than a sport.
Eventually the latter alternative was adopted.
many serious problems.
New Honan Road BridgeThe building of the Honan Road Bridge was pushed forward, andin its construction beauty was combined with utility, the result from anarchitectural point of view being very satisfactory.
New Forms of ConveyanceTwo new forms of conveyance were sanctioned and introducedduring the year. The first was the pedicab, a combination of bicycleand ricsha. The Passenger occupied the ricsha, and a man, by pedallinga bicycle, pulled it along. At first the pedicab promised to be popular,but in a short time it was found that it was not as comfortable, safe orcheap as the ricsha pulled by a runner.
The other new conveyance was the bus. The China GeneralOmnibus company began to operate in August. According to theprospectus there was to be no overcrowding and every passenger was tobe entitled to a seat. For a time it furnished a very comfortable way oftravelling, but gradually the rules were relaxed, and for some reason oranother overcrowding was allowed so that there came to be little choicebetween the bus and the tram.
Sale of the Bowling AlleyOne of the last of Shanghai"s old buildings disappeared withthe sale of its ancient Skittle Alley at 49 Nanking Road. The Alleyhad stood on this site for 70 years. The Bowling Club in its historyhad passed through many vicissitudes, with periods of prosperity andThe commission made its report, with the result that much has been done in theway of introducing traffic signals, and regulating traffic by making some streets onewayroads during certain hours of the day.
periods of depression. The land on which it stood belonged to anotherold institution, the Fives Court Club, which had already taken stepsfor the sale of its property. The Bowling Club continued its existence innew premises on Hardoon Road.
The Kiangsu-Chekiang WarAs stated in the opening of this chapter, the most important eventof the year 1924 was the Kiangsu-Chekiang civil war.
Although we refer to it as a civil war, yet in reality there was nohostility between the people of these two provinces. The war was apart of the struggle carried on between the great political parties, theFengtien and Anfu on the one side, and the Chihli on the other.
Agreement of Peace between the Two ProvincesA well-known agreement between the rival generals, Lu Yunghisang,Director-General for the Reorganization of Military Affairs inChekiang, and Ho Feng-ling, Defence commissioner of Shanghai andSungkiang, on one side, and Chi Hsien-yuan, Tuchun of Kiangsu, onthe other, had been signed in August, 1923, for the preservation ofpeace between the two provinces.
As we have stated, after the assassination of General Hsu Kuoliangthe pact had been endangered by the appointment of a new Policecommissioner in Shanghai by the Chekiang authorities, but a rupturehad been temporarily avoided.
Meanwhile both the authorities of Kiangsu and Chekianglooked upon Shanghai, which geographically is situated in the formerprovince, as a very desirable possession, especially on account of therevenue to be derived from the illicit opium traffic and also from thefact that the Kiangnan Arsenal is on the outskirts of the city.
Cause of HostilitiesGenerals Tsang Chi-ping and Yang Huachao, after being defeatedin Fukien, took refuge in Chekiang. When the news reached MarshalWu Pei-fu of the Chihli Party, who controlled the Yangtze provinces,he insisted they must be expelled, and when this was not done hecommanded the Tuchun of Kiangsu to take up arms against Chekiang.
Headed by Chi Hsieh-yuan, the Kiangsu army moved onShanghai. In order to resist the advance, the Chekiang forcesestablished several lines of defence, one of which extended from Liuhoto Minghong.
State of Emergency