882
SWATOW
The foreign trade of Swatow has never been large, but of late years it has shown a slight increase. Tea and Sugar were formerly the principal exports but the tea trade here, as in other China ports, has to a very large extent passed away, and the sugar trade seems to be rapidly following it, the chief reason being that the superior sugar exported from Hongkong is finding increasing favour with consumers in the north, who formerly drew their supplies from Swatow. The China Sugar Refining Company of Hongkong have a large sugar refinery here, but work has for some time heen suspended. The import into this sugar-producing district of sugar from the Hongkong refineries showed an increase in 1902 that was described as stupendous, the Hongkong product being cleaner and even cheaper than the native product. Brown Sugar increased from 215 to 5,397 piculs; white sugar from 909 to 14,532, piculs ; and refined sugar from 5,486 to 22,368. These figures were not fully maintained in 1903 and 1904, but the total import in 1903 was 31,063 piculs and in 1904 34,843 piculs. In the Customs statistics as published for 1905 the import of sugar is not shown at all though the Commissioner notes "the continued and steady decline of Swatow's chief exp rt (sugar),” and says the reasons for this are no doubt that by slow but steady inroads Hongkong Refined Sugar is taking its place. The export of sugar in 1905 was 492,992 piculs of brown and 311,460 piculs of white, which is only about half the quantity exported five years ago. In place of sugar increased attention is being given to the cultivation of vegetables, fruit, poppy and indigo. The net value of the trade of the port, coming under the cognisance of the Foreign Customs for 1905 was Tls. 47,948,050 as compared with $49,280,786 in 1904; and Tĺs. 43,792,227 in 1903. A noteworthy feature of the trade of the port in 1905 was that in spite of the boycott of American products which prevailed in the trade marts of China, the arrivals of American kerosine oil amounted to 1,150,075 gallons as compared with 480,000 gallons in the previous year.
DIRECTORY
BANK OF TAIWAN, LTD.; Tel. Ad. Taigan
M. Esaky, manager
H. Yamase
M. Hojio
記德
Tey-kee
BRADLEY & Co., Merchants
Thomas Wm. Richardson
Robt. H. Hill
A. Macgowan
A. Forbes (Hongkong)
G. A. Richardson (Shanghai)
F. C. Butcher
A. Thompson
J. M. da Cruz
Agencies
Hongkong & Shanghai BankingCorpn. National Bank of China, Limited Mercantile Bank of India, Limited British North Borneo Company Shan Steamship Company Peninsular and Oriental Š. N. Co. Shire Line of Steamers Ben Line of Steamers Nippon Yusen Kaisha Osaka Shosen Kaisha Kian Guan Line of Steamers Shell T. & T. Company Line Lloyd's
Royal Insurance Company
China Fire Insurance Co., Limited Standard Life Insurance Company New York Life Insurance Company Manufacturers' Life Insurance Co. Tokio Marine Insurance Co., Ld. Asiatic Petroleum Co., Ld.
古太
Tai.koo
Butterfield & SWIRE, Merchants
J. H. R. Hance, signs per pro. J. W. Taylor
Agencies
Chartered Bank of India, A., and China Russo-Chinese Bank
China Navigation Company, Limited Ocean Steamship Company, Limited China Mutual Steam Nav. Co., Ld. Norddeutscher Lloyd Orient Line Java-China-Japan Line
Taikoo Sugar Refining Company, Ld. Royal Exchange Assurance Corpn. London and Lancashire Fire Insce. Co. Orient Insurance Co.
Guardian Assurance Co., Ld.
British and Foreign Marine Insce. Co. Union Insurance Society of Canton, Ld. Sea Insurance Company, Limited Equitable Life Assur. Soc. of U. S. A. Digitized by ooge