September 24, 1904.]
Further correspondence relating to Chinese labour in the Transvaal is officially published. In one place Lord Milner says to the Colonial Secretary: "It is, of course, needless to add that no permanent economic results are to be expected from one, or even several, shipment- of this size." But consider that the experi ment has so far been sufficiently satisfactory to justify our making every effort to secure a steady stream of indentured labourers from the same source."
At the request of the International Postal Telegraph and Telephone Clerks' Christian Association, which has met half the cost, the Bible Society's agent at Shanghai has distri buted a thousand Chinese Bibles and Testaments among postal clerks in China: With every book, which was done up and addressed sepa rately, a letter was enclosed in English and Chinese, stating that" the post office clerks and postmen of Great Britain and Ireland feel towards you a warm and brotherly spirit. We would ask you to read this book, and we desire to point you through its pages to Jesus our Saviour." Already a number of most interest- ing letters have been received from some of the recipients of these books, including most appreciative acknowledgments from Confucian scholars and others. The majority of the clerks in the Imperial Post Office have gone through the Anglo-Chinese school, and are amongst the more intelligent men of China.
COMMERCIAL.
TEA.
HANKOW, 14th September.The following are the Tea statistics at Hankow to 14th September, compared with the corresponding circular of last season, viz., 16th September. 1903 :---
1903. -Chests. 535,222
|
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
SUGAR. HONGKONG, 23rd Sept.-The prices are going downward, market being dull. Shekloong, No. 1, White......$8.95 to $8.40 pe's.
2, White...... 7.45 to 7.50 1, Brown...... 6.00 to 6.03 2, Brown. 5.90 to No. 1, White...... 8 30 to
Do.
1)
Do.
1+
Do. Swatow,
Do.
J
*
3.93
11
8.35
*
Do. Do.
"
++
2, White.... 1, Brown...... 5.80 to 2. Brown
5.60 to Foochow Sugar Candy Shekloong
7.40 to
7.45
"
5.83 5.85
#
12.45 to 12 50
.10.50 to 10.55
RICE.
**
事官
HONGKONG, 23rd Sept.-No demand having come forward, the prices are declining. Saigon, Ordinary...
Round, good quality Long
Siam, Field mill cleaned, No. 2 No. 1
""
Garden, White,
"}
Fine Cargo
事
21
OPIUM.
$2.25 to $2.30 2.55 to 2.60 3.75 to 3.83 2.50 to 2.55 3.50 to 3.55 4.00 to 4.05 4.15 to 4.20
HONGKONO, 22nd September, 1904.—We beg to continue our advices of the 8th September, since when the movements in our various Opium markets have been as follows:-
Stocks as per circular-of Sept. 1th Imports per Bengal
8th September, 1904.
Sept. 13th Bept. 20th
Malwa, Patna, Benares, Persian,
G. Apear Lai Sang
Less Exports to Shanghai Less Exports to East and West Coast Ports including Local Consumption for the fortnight..
602 2,526 1,476 2,150 221 249 43 103
85 19
202
913 2,98 103
1.682 2.352
74
194 002 117 86
719 2,214 1,391 2,266
Estimated Stocks this day
Bengal.-A heavy decline has taken place during the past fortnight and closing quotations are $1,097 for Patna and $1,067) for Benares.
Malwa --Report from India to the effect that beneficial rains had fallen and increased ship- wents from Bombay have caused our market to hecome very weak." Quotations are :---
New
2
years old
3
11
"
4,5
雷啸
Oldest
$1,140/1,160
$1,180/1,200
$1,220/1,240
$1,280/1,200 $1,320 Persian. Prices for good qualtity are 830/880.
-
1904.
HANKOW TEA.
-Chests.
Settlements...
579,351
Shipments to Shanghai on
Native account
13,739
Stock
14,831
Arrivals
607,924
22,141 17,964
575,327
1904.
1903.
KIUKIANG TEA.
Chests.
-Chests.
Settlements...
195,402
190,682
Shipments to Shanghai on
Malwa Old
Native account
15,059
13,017
Malwa Older
Stock
3,114
793
Malwa V. Old
Persian fine quality....$900
Arrivals
213,575 204,492
Persian extra fine
Patna New
HONGKONG, 22nd Sept.- Quotations are:- Allowance net to 1 catty.
Malwa New
to-$1160 per picul. to $1220 do.
ing enquiry for special chops to meet urgent country orders, prices showing here and there an advance of 50 cents to $2 per bale. Dealers have still a large quantity of yarn on hand, with which, together with the goods now arriving, they are meeting their late forward sales, and satisfying any casual demand that springs up at two to three dollars under mårket values. At the close business has come to a complete standstill owing to the difference in ideas of value between buyers. and sellers, but the latter are weak and would con- cede a little to push business in a rising ex- change.
Local Manufacture :-Local mill quotations are maintained as last advised, but they experience no demand.
Japanese Yarn -The markets in Japan are excited owing chiefly to a speculative movement brought about by the scarcity of raw cotton, and previous sellers “to arrive” find themselves atŝá disadvantage, as the spinners are now asking a considerable advance. Sales reported are 100 bales No. 163 at $132, and 300 bales No. 20 at $134 to $137-close strong.
Raw Cotton Notwithstanding an insignificant stock of 250 bales there is no enquiry whatever for Indian staple. The first importation of New China Cotton (about 60 bales) found ready buyers at $344. The yield is larger and quality cleaner than last year. Quotations are 828 to $321 for India and $32 to $34) for China Cotton.s Exchange on India has taken an upward turn and closes strong to-day at Rs. 187 for T/T. and Rs. 1371 for Post. On Shanghai 72 and on Yokohama 90.
The undernoted business in imported and local spinnings is reported from Shanghai for the fortnight ended the 9th instant, viz :———
Indian-A continued brisk enquiry has been experienced and sales to the extent of 7,940 bales are reported, prices showing an advance of three Taels in No. 10s and two in No. 20s, the other counts remaining steady but firm and market closing strong. Unsold stock was estimated at 30,000 bales.
Japanese :-These threads
are strong and advancing, and sales of 2,500 bales were effected at an increase of two Taels in value, market closing very strong in sympathy with home
markets.
Local:--A fairly good business has been done in these spinnings, but at the close the market has come to a standstill consequent on the high prices of Cotton. Sales reported are 6,500 bales on the basis of Tla. 87 to 87 for No. 10s, Tis, 88 to 881 for No. 128, Tls. 82 to 91 for No. 148. and Tls. 91 to 911 for No. 168,
The export of Tea from Hankow to 10th instant, as per Customs Returns stands thus :---
Re-exports.
Senson 1904 × 1905...42,893,740 Ibs....13,098,854lbs.
1903 x 1904...36,443,176
1902 × 1903...36,262,217
.12,694,617 ..13,397,123
Via Shanghai. Total 1904/5. Total 1903/4.
To Great Britain..... 0,333,835 lbs.
15
United States
M
»
and Canada 3,808,552
Continent
4,237,039
Russia in Europe 107,190
do. via North
Shanghai 4,002,023
SILK.
f,174,516 lbs.
37
"
*4,116,106 1,884,381 13,210,167 19,507,480 4,117,337
J
2
Messrs. A, R. Burkill & Sons, in their Silk Cir- cular dated Shanghai 14th September, state- The home markets are firm. Gold Kiling is quoted in London at 11-6) and in Lyons at Fes. 33.50. Baw Silk. The market continues strong with a steady demand for Tsatlees and Coarse Silk Prices are unchanged. Yellow Silk. Very little business has been done since the date of our last circular. Stocks in Shanghai are small. Hand Filatures-Settlements this week include 300 B Crack Chops for America, whilst a fair business has also been done for that market in lower grade Filatures. We only hear of one transaction in new styles. Steam Filatures.—
Low Grade Filatures continue in fairly goods demand for the Continent. Waste.--The period under review has been dull and Pels 8/400 Curlies I have changed hands at 85/86. Long Shantung Waste, which is of very low quality this, season, has heen dealt in to the extent of 500 Pals at Tis. 30 Kompoo Frisonets (whole Bales) Pels 300 have been sold at Tis. 82.
Patna Old Benares New Benares Old
......$140
$1203
$1280
to $1300
do.
.81310
to $1330
do.
to
do.
.$925 .81097) to
to
do.
to
per chest.
do. do.
to
do.
.$10871 to
$1080
COAL. Messrs. Hughes and Hough, in their coal report of to-day's date, state that five steamers are ex- pected at Hongkong with a total of 12,500 tons of Japan coal and 2,000 tons of Hongay. All has been sold. Since 9th September 31,570 tons of Japan Coal, and 1,500 tons of Hongay have arrived, all sold but 3,850 tons of Jupап. The market is dull with small sales of Japanese. Quotations:-
Cardiff.
Australian
+
.$18.00 ex-ship. $11.00 ex-ship. $12.00 ex-ship, nominal $10.01 ex-sbip, nominal Moji Lump.. .$8.50 to 10 00 ex-ship, steady
Yubari Lump... Miiki Lamp
COTTON.
HONGKONG, 23rd September: The higher prices demanded have restricted any business. Stock about 300 bales.
Bombay...
29.00 to 31.00 per pcl. Bengal (New), Bangoon) 31.00 to 33 50 Shanghai and Japanese, 3.20 › to 33.00 Tungchow and Ningpo, 3.200 to 88.00
and Dacca..
YARN.
PIECE GOODS.
Messrs. Noel, Murray & Co., in their Piece Goods Trade Report, dated Shanghai 15th Septem- ber, state-Continuing our review of the Trade Report for Tientsin last year, we find the net value of the trade was only Hk. Tls. 76,840,791 as com. pared with Hk. Tls. 93,983,795 for 1002. “The de- crease was chiefly due to tho disturbed money market and to the fact that 1909 opened with rather heavy accumulated stocks imported in the previous year, necessitating, naturally, a certain amount of time before these could be worked off. Often the results of trade depend on the result of the harvest last year the harvest was middling in Chihli and good in Honan and Shanghai.” It will be interesting to see if the bumper crops of "The net value this year bear this statement out.
of Foreign Imports amounted to Hk. Tln. 42,528,402 as against Hk. Tls. 55.938,591 in 1902. Cotton Goods gave a net total of Hk. Tls. 23,585,988, of which sum Hk. TIs. 7,202,537 represented the value imported direct. The business was not profitable either to the Foreign Importers or to the Native merchants, but possibly the banks have derived much interest from stocks on which they had made advances. The principal items of Emport during 1903 compared with those of the proceeding year
are as follows:-
1903'
1902. Pieces 748,825–470,418
**
1+
#
Article American Drills
Sheetings English Grey Shirtings Handkerchiefs Indian Cotton Yarn English Japanese
*
2,298,653,1,018,243
M
1,579,763 639,247
Dozen Piouls
**
#*
20,018 2,887
'
76,014 108,507
Mr. Edaljes in his report, dated Hongkong, 14th September, says-The mid-autumn Festival has somewhat interfered with business, but de- mand is, no doubt, greatly checked by excessive high prices now ruling. The neighbouring mar kets in the interior are dull and quiet, and the few sales noted below are comprised for the most part of purchases on Northern account on the basis of late sales. Locally there has been a trifi-
**
F9
62,696 28,039
267,380 218,271
The value of imported Railway Plant and Ma- terials totalled Hk. Tla. 3,312,413 and is likely to increase in the next few years and to form by
far the most valuable item in our list of Imports, there being no signs of China's intention to make use of her own rich resources. "The quantity Imported in 1899 amounted to Hk. Tis. 8,626,720..