CHINA
761
including hats, boots, shors, and gloves, which are valued at 6.6 million taels for the year; and the increase of 2 million taels in the value of leather imported may perhaps be explained in the same way. It is a little difficult, otherwise than on the ground of favourable exchange, to account for the largely increased importations of flour, since the year's harvests were good and no scarcity was handed down from the preceding year, except in the flooded districts and in the Manchurian wheat-fields; yet the arrivals amounted to 3.2 million piculs, giving an increase of 1 million piculs. At the same time the Shanghai mills distributed to ports 990,000 piculs, against 635,000 piculs in 1911. Of rice, however, only 2.7 million piculs-half the quantity received in 1911–- was required.
Boports.-The shipments of white and yellow raw silk abroad during the year surpassed all former records, the total of 121,877 piculs, exceeding that of 1911 by no less than 25,783 piculs and that of 1910, the previous record year, by 11,693 piculs. This result may be considered remarkable in view of the high exchange prevailing, and it is to be feared that producers and dealers did not find it remunerative. Supplies of silk were plentiful; but the home consumption was reduced by the movement, since shown to be of comparatively little importance, in favour of foreign dress, and more seriously perhaps by the migrations of well-to-do Chinese and the retrenchment rendered necessary by economic conditions. In the third quarter of the year an im- provement took place in the European and American markets, and large quantities of silk were exported from Shanghai. It is understood that the year closed with good promise for the trade, with an increasing consumption and fashions once more tending in favour of silk. Owing to the disturbed state of the country considerable difficulty was experienced in sending money to the producing districts to pay for silk as well as for tea, and silver for this purpose had in many cases to be sent inland under official
escort.
The tea crops were large, and the total shipments abroad of all kinds somewhat exceeded those of the preceding year. There is, however, a serious decline shown in the direct exports of black tea to Great Britain, the United States, and Hongkong
Black Tea.
Exported to Great Britain..
United States.
"
Hongkong
Total........
1911.
1912.
Decrease.
..Piculs 137,925
89,832
48,093
89,273
52,835
36,438
113,083
92,316
20,767
340,281
234,983 105,298
""
So far as Great Britain is concerned-and it is but reasonable to suppose that the figures for the United States and Hongkong have been in some degree subject to the same influence-the decrease appears to be due to the large supplies of tea received from India, Ceylon, and Java at prices with which the China proiluet could not com- pete. The Java exports of tea are increasing rapidly, and in 1912 exceeded 6,000,000 lbs., or over 70 per cent. of the export of black tea from China. Of green ten the shipments have slightly increased, and the export to the United States, amounting to 100,747 piculs as against 41,872 piculs in 1911, shows that the obstacles to the admission of China green tea into that country under the Pure Food Act have been overcome or relaxed.
The poor crop of Manchurian beans in 1911, and the high prices demanded at a time when oil seeds were cheap in Europe, led to a large decrease in the export abroad of the soya bean. The Manchurian ports and marts sent direct to foreign countries by sea and by the land frontier 7,498,802 piculs of beans, as compared with 9,410,970 piculs in 1911. But owing to the fact that a better 1912 crop was obtained in North than in South Manchuria, and to the inducements held out by the Chinese Eastern Railway, the direct export by land frontier to Vladivostock was reduced by little more than half a million piculs, while the direct shipments from seaports fell off by nearly 2 million piculs. The original exports of beans from Manchurian ports and marts to all destinations since 1909-the birth-year of this great trade-have been as follows:-
1909.
Piculs.........14,432,530
1910. 12,307,001
1911. 12,047,532
1912. 9,710,461
-
Shipping. The total entries and clearances of vessels of foreign type, whether as to number or tonnage, remain practically the same as in 1911. A large increase, of 3,024 entries and clearances and 3.4 million tons, is seen under the British flag, and Japanese shipping has also increased.
The falling off is chiefly under the French and
Russian flags