SHANGHAI
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distance above the native city. It commenced as a small rifle factory in 1867. The Great Northern Telegraph Company's cable was laid to Shanghai in 1871, and that of the Eastern Extension Company in 1884, there being now three distinct lines of communication with Europe. An overland line to Tientsin was opened in December, 1881, subsequently extended to Peking, and in 1894 connected with the Russian land lines through Siberia to Europe. There is also a line west to Hankow and south as far as Lungchow, on the Kwangsi border, there connecting with the French Tonkin lines. A railway constructed by a foreign company was opened to Woosung in June, 1876, but after running for sixteen months it was purchased and taken up by the Chinese Authorities. During the short time it was running the passenger traffic alone covered the working expenses, leaving sufficient profit to pay a small dividend. Towards the close of 1895 consent was given by the Throne for the construction by the provincial authorities of a line of railway from Shanghai to Soochow, a distance of about eighty miles. This is now in course of construction, the portion between Shanghai and Woosung having been opened to traffic on 1st September 1898. The line is to be extended to Chinkiang and Nanking. A scheme for Tramways in the settlements has often been put forward, but so late as 1896 was refused sanction by the ratepayers, which, however, was given at the annual meeting in March 1998. There are five locally owned lines of steamers running on the coast and the river Yangtsze. Many manufactories under both native and foreign auspices have sprung up of late years, and would have done so in large numbers long ago had it not been that the native authorities offered strong opposi- tion to any manufactures under the control of foreigners and prevented the importa- tion of foreign machinery. Although the right under the Treaty to import machinery is quite clear, the British Government hesitated to enforce it; but the Japanese, in the treaty of 1895 which closed the war, obtained the insertion of a clause specially authorising its importation. The consequence is that five cotton spinning and weaving companies have been floated, one under the auspices of Messrs. Jardine, Matheson & Co., one under those of the American Trading Company, one under the management of Messrs. Ilbert & Co., one by Messrs. Arnhold, Karberg & Co., and one by Messrs. Fearon, Daniel & Co., which have built mills of from 40,000 to 60,000 spindles each. With the number of mills working and others in course of construction, the place is rapidly assuming the appearance of a thriving district in Lancashire. At the close of 1897 there were ten Cotton Mills, either in operation or completion, containing over 300,000 spindles and capable of turning out 800 bales of yarn per day. Approaching Shanghai from Woosung the extensive mills of the Shang hai Cotton Cloth Administration (a native owned business) meets the eye-the old premises were destroyed by fire in 1893, and the present buildings were completed in 1895. These mills were the first erected in Shanghai, and the ex-viceroy, Li Hung-chang, has a considerable interest in them. Above these on the river side are the mills of Ilbert & Co., Jardine, Matheson & Co., and Arnhold, Karberg & Co., referred to above; while on the opposite or Pootung shore stands the large and busy mill of the International Cotton Manufacturing Co. The yarn from these local mills fetches nine per cent, more than the Indian product. There are also a number of ginning factories, foreign and native owned. Much of this cleaned cotton is exported to Japan. Of Silk Filatures Shanghai has 27, with a total of 8,000 basins. The export in 1895 was 6,276 bales of one picul (133) Ibs. each) 5,293 piculs in 1896, and 11,429 piculs in 1897. One only of these Filatures is the property of a private firm; the others being owned by Foreign or Chinese Companies. These Filatures which give employment to 20,000 Natives are scattered over the Hongkew and Sinza districts, with the exception of a large one of 300 basins at Jessfield-the Hing Chong Filature. Of other industries we may note Feather Cleaning Factories, Hydraulic Packing Factories, a native owned Paper Mill, several Match Factories, a large Flour Mill (for grinding wheat, which it is said makes excellent flour), two Kerosene Tank Oil and Tinning establishments and works, and various other industries which are fast increasing in number. Shanghai bids fair to soon outrival Bombay as the largest manufacturing centre in Asia.
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near
The Astor House" in Hongkew, the "Central" in the British, and the "Hôtel des Colonies" in the French Concession, besides many second class houses, give hotel accommodation equal to that of any port in the East. There are four daily news- papers, the North China Daily News and Shanghai Daily Press, morning, the Shanghai Mercury and the China Gazette, evening; also four weeklies, the North China Herald, Celestial Empire, The Union, and L'Echo de Chine. There are three native daily papers, the Shun-pao, the Hu-pao, and the Sin-wan-pao. These are sold at the