222
THE TRADE OF PAKHOI
31
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
[October 2, 1905.
tra is expected to contribute before long. | and consequently the merchants were the As in almost all parts of China, rubber shoes chief sufferers." "There was an improved and boots meet a ready market, Pakhoi demand for cotton yarn, notwithstanding took 3,579 pairs last year. Great Britain's that the earlier prices were increased by share of the imports was about 40 per cent from ten to fifteen dollars a bale; and the of the whole, its contributions being opium, Japanese gained a good share of the market. £12,588; cotton goods, about £20,000; The export of sugar has been diminishing cotton yarn, £61,625; woollen goods, since long before the war; and it can- about £2,000; and sundries, approximately not be only the war that has caused £5,000. Burma oil accounted for £3,100 this. Up to 1300, the average qunutity worth of the sundries. Goods worth exported (averaging ten years) was 228,832 £26,887 were sent inland under transit pass; cwts. of all sorts. The years 1902 and and indigo, sugar, and tobacco worth 1903 were about the same, although £4,736 came out. All the shipping is seriously dropped from 1901-117,359 cwts. French, German, or Norwegian; not one were exported in 1903-and in the year British steamer appearing in 1904. In both under review the total export was only number and tonnage there was n decrease. 93,377 cwts. The Japanese, checked in one No doubt Pakhoi is suffering, like others, direction, operated in another way (buying by the increased number of trade outlets. ahead ot prohibitive prices) and the expected revival of camphor did not come about. Mr. Consul HAUSSER says: "The trade in this most promising article of export, which, if left uninterfered with, would soon assume important proportions, appears to be the only one left of interest to foreigners." It will be remembered that the Chinese officials granted a monopoly of the business to Japanese, but bad to cancel it, and compensate the British firms who had suffered in consequence.
Only 13 per cent. of the imports were for the intérior, and of this kerosene formed the bulk.
THE TRADE OF AMOY.
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THE TRADE OF FOOCHOW.
(Daily Press, 23rd September), "Pakhol is the port for the important city of Limehow, from whence considerable quantities of foreign picce goods, etc., were formerly distributed over the country lying botneen the West River and the seaboard; btn_nów
that the West River has been opened to steam navigation a part of the trede has been diverted to that route." Thus says the omniscient Chronicle and Directory. | Now, says Mr. Acting-Consul HUGHES, in his trade report for 1904, "the trade of Pakhoi is almost entirely with Hongkong." | It is not growing, either, the figures for the last six years showing a tendency to decrease considerably. Whereas in 1-99 the total trade amounted to £621,280, in 1903 it was noly £452,183, and this last year shows a further decrease of £20,396. Exports and imports together were worth Tls. 3,094,658, in 1904, against Tls. 3,431,594 in 1903. It (Daily Press 25th September.) is explained that the commercial area of The report on the trade of Amoy for 1904, the port, which has been under British by Mr. Consul HAUSSER, shows a very note- consular observation for twenty-eight years, worthy increase in the net value of imports is now practically restricted to the prefec-, and exports. For the previous three years tures of Kaochon and Lienchou, with the it kept steady enough, at £2,742.925 in Yu-lin department of Kwangsi. Kwang- 1901, £2,794,406 in 1902, and £2.756,442 chouwan, another free port, is continually in 1903. Last year it jumped to £3,071,647, diverting a share of the trade of the the biggest share of that being £1,424,091 first named prefecture. It is rather curious worth of foreign goods imported; and it that while the Kwangsi rebellion was was this improved demand for foreign raging, the figures should have given a products that mainly accounted for the better aspect to the trade than it wears now increase. The gross value of the Amoy when the troubles are supposed to be sup- trade, in foreign vessels, was £3,649,099, pressed; but so it is. Although transit is The item of £607,451 shown as re-exported
(Daily Press, 26th September.) reported safer from piracy and brigandage, represents mainly Formosan tea. Hongkong In reporting on the trade of Foochow for and although the local crops were good, and other British dependencies contributed 1904, Mr. Consul PLAYFAIR bas been faced ("as shown by the trifling iniport of rice" 66 per cent. of the foreign importatious, with a difficulty that is at present inevitable only 1,206 cwts., he average for five years while Formosa sent 29 per cent. Very little when China's foreign trade has to be treat- being nea ly 40,000 cwts., and the larger turned to Hongkong, only nine per cent; ed statistically. That is the confused expor of sugar 5'391 tons, agaiust 3,136 but Singapore and the Straits claimed currency system, with its fluctuations of tons in 1903) we read that the total tael torty pr cent. of the export. The Formosan exchan.e that make a I compa isons diffi. value" has been te lowest since 1886." tea and other re-exports, or 84 per cult, if not u safe. For instance, all the Mr. HUGHES attributes this to further eu cet. of them, went to America A noy's figures for 1903 were based on an exchive croacliments of rival trade routes, and chief foreign supplies were fodstuffs, rate for tals and sterling of 2071⁄2d; "parily to the fact that, owing to low prices (£436,446 foreign and £155,696 Chinese) fol.owing the necessary custom of express- in Hongkong, markets were sought inland cotton goods (£330,532) "nd opium ing the fiets in sterling, his report for Lust for some of the more important staples, for (£295.238 foreign and £75,005 Chinese). year has to take into account that the example, indigo and tobacco." Taking off Cotton imports we e only ixteet per cent exchange rate W18 much bigber, vix. the import and export of treasure, the of the toul, opium eigh een, and foodstuffs, 2‹. 108d. As a further complication, it inclusion of which in the volume of trade is excluding bans and bean-cake, which it appears that the Imperial hinese Customs apt to be misleading, as it is subject to appears are used chiefly or manuring the have "adopted a new method of a riving extraordinary fluctuations, it appears that rice fields, comp sed 28 per cent. of the at the value of imports and exporis recorded the actual export of native products from imports. It is evident that Amoy is not iu their tables." It is not necessary here Pukhoi last year was in value only £69,065; situated in a fertile or productive neighbour
to explain this further than tha the officials the imports, likewise, would be reduced to hood, the value of exports of local origin déduct from the market value of the goods £268,425. Aniseed products now go via the being not more than £384,215. Mr. the sums paid for import duty, plus seven West River, and live pigs for Hongkong are HAUSSER remarks that Amoy's only per cent for commission, freight, and shipped at Kwangehouwan where possible. valuable asset is labour, coolie labour. "It insurance.. In the case of exports, they The raw silk export, that began with a is only," he says, "by the earrings abroad and the outward duty and an a Iditional modest four hundredweights ten or eleven and remittances home made by these coolies eight pr cent. We are unable to see the years ago, has now risen to 102 cwts. that the imports can possibly be paid advantage gained by this complicat on of worth £1,818. That from Kinchou is for." Without roads or water ways, this the figures, the only effect of which appears woven nt Canton into "durable_pongee." mountainous and semi-detached district to be to add to the export value what is A remarkable export for 1904 was
cannot be expected to develop. It is plonsant taken off the import. As the practice has 149,654 pairs of sea-vine bangles, worth to read, therefore, that the rice crops were
b. en adopted, however, the only thing left altogether £1,072. Pakhoi also sent 207 excellent, and the people in the interior in to do is to hear it in mind in considering head of cattle. The chief import was cotton a fairly prosperous condition. A consider the figures as given. The increase in the yarn, value
£61,625, other cottons being able augmentation of the quantity of foreign value of the gross trade of Foodhow, which valued at £36.898. Opium worth £12,583 rice imported does not seem quite consistent appears as 411,001 (£2,915,471 last year was imported. Foreign opium trade is now with these statements; but it is explained against £2,504,470 in 1908) is thus to be dis comparatively insignificant, but statistics that this rice was brought by emigrant counted; but, even then, considerable im- of the native opium received from Kwei- vessels returning from Rangoon and the provement uthe gross returns will be noticed. chow (principally) and Yunnan are not Straits (British India steamers) who had Of the year's imports, £1,219,086 worth were complete. The average price of the native some special agreement with the Holt line. foreign, and £220 218 native; while exports stuff is given as $514 per cwt. for the The flour import also was bigger, but not were valued at £1,476,167. As the exports Kweichow, and $557 for the Yunnan supply remarkably so. Native opium was making in 1903 were worth only £1,172,445, The cotton imports continue to grow, its competition effective, Szechuan and Yun- we find that this year's exports, on cotton Italians," with their silky finish, nan opium (at 8600 to $650 per picul, the former method of reckoning, would being the invourite. Kerosine and flour inclusive of duty and likin) going in in much have shown an actual increase of about were importaut imports, although quoted larger quantities; and decreasing the for- £106,000. amongst sundries. Of 1,326,240 gallons of eign import. The difference in retail price the former, 901,125 were described as Rus- works out at something like $4 to $4.50 sian. Borneo and Burman oil established per catty. "The Amoy rates were com- respectable foɔting, however; and Suma paratively lower than those in Hongkong foreign imports, and a decrease of £49,867
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The actual imports, in the same way, would appear to have bren about ten per cent better. The present return shows an increase of £157.146 in