Tales of Old Shanghai - Library - All About Shanghai - A Standard Guidebook - Chapter 9

All About Shanghai
Chapter 9 - Communications
RADIO AND CABLE

RADIO and cable communication facilities in Shanghai are reliable. All traffic offices for either radio or cable are under the control of the Bureau of International Telegraphs. Radio offices are centrally located in Sassoon House (Cathay Hotel) with a branch office at 15 Avenue Edward VII.

The traffic offices for cablegrams are at 34 Avenue Edward VII, opposite the radio branch office. The branch office for cablegrams is at 27 Peking Road.

In Sassoon House are the Chinese Government Radio Administration and the Shanghai Coast Station, with their traffic offices. In the same building are, the R.C.A. Communications, Inc., subsidiary of Radio Corporation of America, and the Mackay Radio and Telegraph Co. Both of them are the transmitting companies of the Chinese Government Radio Administration. The traffic offices at 34 Avenue Edward VII for cables are three in number, Great Northern Telegraph Co., Ltd.; Eastern Extension, Australasia and China Telegraph Co., Ltd., and Commercial Pacific Cable Co.

Cablegrams and radiograms from Shanghai without any special service indication are rated per word in Shanghai dollar cents (effective from June 1, 1934) as follows:

Messages in code (five letters per word or less) are charged at six-tenths ordinary rate with a minimum charge of five words for each telegram. Thus the word rate to London being $3.45, the code-word rate is $2.07.

Urgent messages, having priority, must be clearly marked and are charged at double the ordinary rate. Deferred messages are. charged at half the ordinary rate. Lettergrams (minimum 25 words) are charged at one-third the ordinary rate. Deferred messages are not accepted for China, Hongkong or Japan. Telegraph traffic offices are cooperating with post offices, at Shanghai. Radiograms or cablegrams may be filed at almost every post office.

Differences in Time should be taken into consideration in calculating time of delivery. When it is noon in Shanghai (according to the official time chart of the Chinese Government Radio Administration) in the following places it is:-

POSTAL SERVICES

Only a little over a decade ago there were seven separate Post Offices in Shanghai, as most of the countries then represented here maintained their own mail services. Today the Head Post Office at the corner of Soochow and North Szechuen Roads, under the control of the Directorate General of Posts, which also controls the postal services over the whole country, handles all Chinese and foreign mail matter entering and leaving Shanghai, the foreign mail being that of the forty-eight nationalities represented here.

The Post Office maintains registered express delivery and insured mail (for letters and parcels)nservices. Express articles for China may be posted either as registered or ordinary mail matter but for abroad must be registered.

The following are the rates charged for the main services:

1. ORDINARY: Letters Post Cards
Local 2 cts. 1 ct.
China 5 2-1/2 cts.
Hongkong and Japan 5 2-1/2
Foreign 25 5

REGISTERED (additional to ordinary):
China 6 cts.
Europe 25
United States 25
Japan 6

3.-EXPRESS (additional to ordinary):
China 12 cts.
Hongkong No service
Japan (must also be registered) 12 cts.
Foreign (must also be registered) 50

4. INSURED (additional to ordinary & registration):
China 1-1/2
Japan 10 cts. for each $120.
Foreign 50 300 Gold Frs.

5.-AIR-MAIL (additional):
Nanking 25 cts.
Hankow 25
Tientsin 25
Peiping 25
Canton 50

Postal Remittances and Savings Bank. A remarkable and highly successful development of the Chinese Postal Service is the Postal Remittances and Savings Bank, a government institution of great efficiency, which is rendering invaluable service to millions of people. Particulars of international remittances, as issued in the Bank's Annual Report, will be of special interest to the visitor to Shanghai.

The total number and value of international money orders issued in 1933 were 25,319 and $1,431,660.58, respectively, while the total number and value of international money orders cashed were 40,772 and $1,979,886.11, respectively. The Postal Remittances and Savings Bank is one of the few institutions in the world which will honour a draft for less than $50.

It is conducting a regular and efficient banking business, paying interest at 4% per cent. on current savings accounts and six to seven per cent. on fixed savings accounts for one to two years.

Air Mail Service. Another successful development of the postal service is that of air mail lines, tariffs for which have been quoted in the foregoing tables. The China National Aviation Corporation transports air mail to Nanking, Hankow, Tientsin, Peiping, and Canton. The last named service is of particular value inasmuch as it makes possible the delivery of letters to Europe almost a week sooner than by steamer. The distance to Canton, 960 air miles, is covered by plane in ten hours. From Canton mail is taken to Singapore by steamer where it is again taken by air and delivered in Europe in eleven days. (Canton service temporarily suspended).

AIRWAYS

Ancient China, in recent years, has become airminded, and foreign planes are being imported in large numbers for military, commercial, and air mail services.

It is now possible to travel to almost any large city in China within a few hours, safely and comfortably. Airways are controlled by the Chinese National Government. Private flying is not allowed. The China National Aviation Corporation, in which the Pacific American Airways Co. is interested, has a service running North and South from Shanghai and into the interior of China. The extension of the southern service to Manila is contemplated.

The Eurasia Aviation Corporation is a transport company controlled by the Chinese Government and has weekly service to Lanchow, a city in the interior of China just South of Mongolia. Due to political disturbances the line which formerly ran to Tehukuchak was discontinued at this point. It is, therefore, difficult to make train connections to Europe. It is hoped to re-establish the former line to Tehukuchak (where European connections are made) in the near future. Bi-monthly mail and passenger service to Peiping is maintained by this company.

The China National Aviation Corporation has aerodromes at Shanghai, Nanking, Anking, Kiukiang, Hankow, Shasi, Ichang, Wanhsien, Chungking, Chengtu, Haichow, Tsingtao, Tientsin, Peiping, Wenchow, Foochow, Amoy, Swatow, and Canton.

Over the Gorges by Air. A recommended air flight is up the Yangtsze River over the stupendous Yangtsze Gorges. This trip may also be made by river steamer but requires three weeks, whereas the air trip takes but four days, with overnight stops at Hankow. This round trip costs $780 in local currency. Cities passed on this trip are Nanking, the capital of China; Anking, seat of the Government of Anhwei Province, Kiukiang, Hankow, "The Collecting Place of Nine Provinces;" Shasi, Ichang, a walled city in the midst of a wild, mountainous region; Wanhsien, noted for junk trade and, finally, Chungking, the end of the line, a city surrounded by a wall a hundred feet high.

In flying from Shanghai to Peiping the cities of Tsingtao and Tientsin are passed while the Shanghai Canton line takes in Wenchow, Foochow, Amoy, and Swatow. _____________

Names of Streets. In the International Settlement of Shanghai the streets running parallel to The Bund are named after the provinces of China while those intersecting them are named after cities. * * *

The population of China is estimated at about one third of the world total. * * *

Kiangsu Province, of which Shanghai is the capital, has an area of 45,000 square miles, Shanghai approximately 30 square miles. * * *

"Cumsha" (tips) to servants is expected from foreigners for practically every service. It is a custom but it may easily be overdone. You don't tip a servant for lighting a cigarette but you do tip him for fetching a drink. * * *

Chinese, on the whole, are bargainers but once their word is given they usually can he depended upon. If a Chinese says "can do" you may safely leave your order with him. When he says "no can" his word s final. * * *

The average Chinese is a peaceable fellow, an agriculturist at heart, a pacifist almost always. A smile is almost always a passport to his friendship.