744
CHINA
The total carrying trade, foreign and coastwise, in 1913 was divided amongst the different flags as under:
Entries and
Clearances
Tonnage
Values
Percentages Tonnage Trade.
British...
Chinese
Japanese.
German
32,186
38,120,300 Tls. 886,499,106
40'8+
41.75
121,768
19,903,944
}}
456,877,036 21.32
21.52
22,716
23,422,487
"}
412,682,867
25.10
19'44
5,382
6,320,466
173,917,270
6'77
8.19
Russian
3,265
1,687,796
>>
72,177,689
1.81
3:40
French..
1,020
1,232,763
€1,864,085
1*32
2.91
Norwegian
637
739,328
21,125,583
*79
*99
American
2,458
898,750
13,862,815
*96
*65
""
Dutch
293
401,077
"
10,951,158
*43
*52
Austrian
84
285,802
10,060,680
*31
*47
Other Countries
929
322,117
""
3,356,792
*35
*16
190,738
93,334,830
19
2,123,375,081
100
100
The vessels entered and cleared in 1913 were made up of 100,860 steamers of 87,613,969 tons, and 89,878 sailing vessels of 5,720,861 tons; the latter including 5,159,619 Chinese junk tonnage.
The gross coast trade in vessels of foreign build amounted to Tls. 544,997,597 outward, and Tls. 572,653,632 inward, the net native imports (that is, goods not re-ex- ported) at the Treaty Ports being Tls. 203,897,287, and the exports to Treaty Ports Tls. 176,143,305.
The Maritime Customs revenue for the same year amounted to Haikwan Taels 43,969,853, and was derived from :
... ""
Import Export Coast T'de. Opium Opium
T'nage. Transit Duty. Duty.
Duty. Duty. Lekin. Dues. Dues. Foreign ...Tls. 16,934,525 10,605,844 1,518,017 1,454,833 3,637,455 1,445,639 1,668,395 Native
1,476,864 3,340,779 919,296 76,183 181,678 89,239 621,106
Totals......,, 18,411,389 13,946,623 2,437,313 1,531,016 3,819,133 1,534,878 2,289,501 The Native Customs Revenue at nineteen coast and river ports for 1913 amounted to Hk. Taels 2,929,412.
Mr. J. L. Chalmers, Statistical Secretary to the Maritime Customs, in his report on the Foreign Trade of China for 1913 says:-
CC
Hitherto, China's intercourse with the outer world has been effected chiefly by the sea, but now the influence of the Trans-Siberian Railway is already felt, not only in pas- senger traffic, but also in diverting the carriage of beans and other agricultural products towards Vladivostock for export; while between Japan, Korea, and South Manchuria, and between Hongkong and the Kwangtung province, goods are passing in notably increasing quantities by rail through Antung and Kowloon. An express service of trains and steamers between Tokio and Peking performs the journey in 3 days, 23 hours. The Amur Railway is steadily progressing, from east and from west. It is expected that the eastern section will be completed in 1915, after which an extension from Habarovsk to Imperial Harbour is contemplated.
"During the year transport was hampered generally by under-equipment and shortage of rolling-stock, due largely to the increase of traffic. Earnings have been generally satisfactory and augur well for future prosperity. A skilled estimate puts the capital value of existing Chinese railways at $400,000,000.
"On the 21st December the President constituted a central bureau, under the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce, to deal with irrigation and the conservation of water- ways a great department which has long needed skilful attention. One must travel extensively in order to appreciate to some degree the magnitude and economic im portance of China's splendid national heritage of canals and waterways; and the proper co-ordination of the functions of canals and railways for the carriage of goods and passengers will be a work of incalculable benefit to the nation, quite apart from the reclamation of land and the prevention of flood and famine.
"The Manchurian wheat crop was good. Beans suffered from the summer drought, but the European and Japanese demand for beans and oil was active and prices were high. The Yalu district suffered generally from poor harvests. Less timber was brought
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