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report No. 29, shows how the city of Hankow, as early as 1908, was adapting itself to the new order.
"Hankow continues to grow very rapidly, and the foreign concessions are extending wherever land will permit, and new buildings are going up on every hand. Property is still increasing in value at almost incredible rates, and the prediction that prices of land would drip seems less probable as time goes on. The British concession has been extended during the year, improvements are being made, and the new area will soon be built up. The Japanese concession is being improved rapidly. Work an the bunding is going on, and they hope to have it completed before the next summer rise of the river. Streets are being laid out, several substantial foreign buildings have been erected, and work hag been started on the new Japanese consulate. The concession was extended 1,500 yards along the river front, with a depth of the original concession, during the early part of the year.
"A new company known as the International Export Company has erected a place in the German concession of considerable size and will engage in canning meats, preserving and; shipping eggs, and the slaughtering business.
"The large factory of the British-American Tobacco Company is now practically completed and the leaf department already operating. They are preparing about 25,000 pounds of tobacco a day and have 300 Chinese women engaged as stemmers. The machines in the cigarette factory are being set up, and they hope to start manufacturing the middle of 1908.
"The beautiful new buildings of the German-Asiatic and Russo-Chinese banks are nearing completion, and should be ready for occupancy within a few months. New municipal buildings have been erected in the German-Russian concessions, supplying commodious offices for the municipal authorities. The British and French concessions expect to erect municipal buildings during 1908.
"The Hanyang Iron and Steel Works have completed their large new steel plant, which is equipped with the most modern open-hearth furnaces and latest rolling-mill machinery.
The Standard Oil Company and the Asiatic Petroleum Company have each erected a large storage tank to take care of the increasing oil business.
