234
TFA.
I
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
and the Chamber of Commerce in 1907, still I do not propose to make any detailed com pursue their suicidal policy of giving short ments on this list, but I would suggest that any weight.
reader of this report who is interested in any The business in cassia bark was poor, un-particular import should communicate with this doubtedly a result of the inferior qualities Consulate-General, stating as exactly as possible supplied in recent years, which had the natural the particulars required, and no effort will be effect of curtailing orders.
spared to supply the desired information.
Inquiries addressed to Consulates in China on trade matters are often of so general and vague a description that it is exceedingly difficult to make adequate replies. If firms in the United Kingdom would only take the Consul a little more into their confidence with regard to the scope of their business, the nature and cost of the articles they deal in, and the terms they are prepared to offer, he on his part would do his best to tell them what demand existed for the articles in question, and what chances there were of business being done.
The prophecy, oft repeated in Canton trade reports, that Canton's one time valuable tea trade with Europe was doomed to gradual extinction, unless the Chinese paid more attention to the preparation and packing of the tea leaf, would seem to have been fulfilled. In his 1907 report the Commissioner of Com- missioner of Customs wrote: Canton teas are not worth mentioning," and last year's export was smaller than that of 1907 by 4,501 lbs.
The competition of Indian and Ceylon teas has proved too much for the Chinese article, although the latter is admittedly purer and more wholesome than its rivals. The principal markets for Canton tea at present are Peru, Havana, South Africa, America and Australia, wherever, in short, Cantonese reside, the trade being for the most part in Chinese hands
I am told that the quality of Canton teas is quite as good as ever it was, but dealers, being able to dispose of their goods in China and the markets above mentioned, take little interest in the European market.
It is a pity that the Cantonese do not, in view of the present revival of China tea in the United Kingdom, make some attempt to recapture this important market.
OPIUM IMPORTS.
JAPANESE BOYCOTT.
It will be noticed that the Japanese boycott, now to all intents and purposes dead, is respon- sible for a serious falling-off in the import of Japanese products, such as marine delicacies, matches and piece-goods.
[September 13, 1909. passenger boats, referred to in the introduction to this report, and, if the comparative costliness of kerosene oil proves a bar to their introduction, a solution of the difficulty may be found in the recently invented "suction gas" plant, which has a consumption of coal of under 1 lb. per horse-power per hour, and which will, I under- stand, enable gas-propelled motors to be run at about one-sixth of the cost of an oil motor.
Two large motor passenger boats, of English make, are now running on the West River above Wuchow, two American machines have recently been purchased by the Canton-Hankow Railway, and the Chinese Admiral's new yacht, built in Hongkong, is a twin-screw motor launch, developing 100 horse-power with two motors. Smaller launches of various patterns are coming into use for harbour work and towing purposes in the Delta.
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TRADE-MARKS AND. PÄTENTS. The increased sale for articles of foreign manufacture has encouraged the imitation of foreign trade-marks and patents. It is satis- factory to be able to record that the Chinese authorities in Canton are showing a disposition to protect British trade-marks, the most recent case being the fining of a native shop-keeper for importing a spurious imitation of a well-known brand of condensed milk.
In comparing the values of other imports it should be borne in mind that in many cases the Canton returns of the Imperial Maritime Cus- toms do not necessarily represent the total import of any particular commodity. There is The authorities do not, however, extend this still an important junk trade between Hong-protection to patent articles, holding apparently kong and Canton, and even foreign importers that there is a distinction between the imitation often find it pays them to import such goods as of a trade-mark, with obvious intent to defraud, yarn, flour, sugar, &c., by junk, paying duty and the imitation of an article where the copy at the native customs.
may be to all intents and purposes as good as the original.
RICE.
The big drop in the import of foreign rice is due to the good harvests in the Yangtze Val ley, which enabled Canton to draw the bulk of its supplies from Wuhu and Yangtze ports instead of Saigon and Bangkok.
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F
The import from Yangtze ports, 6,175,538 piouls, was,, as a matter of fact, considerably above normal, owing to heavy shipments for the relief of sufferers by the floods.
YARN.
It will be noticed on Table 2 at the end of this report that whereas the import of foreign opium into Canton decreased by only 409 cwts., say, 286 chests, the value rose, in spite of the drop in exchange, by 123,9821., that is to say, by 2,059,996 Haikwan taels. This extraordinary rise in values is due to the enhanced sale prices of the drug in India, the maximum and minimum prices obtained for Bergal, Benares and Malwa opium in 1908 being much higher than those obtained in 1907. In round figures the import of Indian yarn For Hongkong dealers the year's workings in from Hongkong into the province amounted opium are described as unsatisfactory, the last year to:- attempt of the Chinese authorities to regulate and restrict the sale of raw opium in this province having seriously disturbed the normal course of the trade. In Canton the business is in the hands of native dealers, who report a fairly good year.
Public opium smoking, in divans and restau- rants, has practically ceased owing to the strict enforcement of the regulations by the police, but there would appear to be little diminution in the amount of opium smoked privately, and the authorities have so far failed to induce smokers to take out licences.
:
As these licences take the form of a printed document on a board some 12 inches square, which must be produced by the holder when purchasing opium, this reluctance on the part of smokers is not to be wondered at.
The quantity of native opium shown in the customs returns forms only a part of the total import through other channels, authorised and illicit, which is estimated at some 5,000 piculs
per annum.
A local dealer informs me that a marked falling-off was noticeable last year in the quan- tity of native opium coming down from Yunnan, Kweichow, and Szechuan, and he attributes this partly to the fact that the partial stoppage of cultivation in North China has created an increased demand for the drug in that quarter, and partly to the fact that the price of native opium has risen owing to the Tung Chuan tax of 115 taels per picul now imposed.
The price of an ounce of boiled native opium, best quality, is now about 6 mace 4 candareens (18. 8d.), as compared with 8 mace 8 candareens (28. 4d.) for the Indian article.
Opium smoking in Canton is gradually be coming a luxury, indulged in by well-to-do people only, who prefer to pay a little more to get the foreign drug.
A perusal of the above list enables one to form an idea of the immense business done in foreign goods in Canton, and the varied require ments of the Canton market.
A list of the principal articles of foreign origin imported into Canton with their values for 1907 and 1908 is given. The Consul adds:
Bales,
Canton and Fatshan Swatow
20,000
50,000
West River
50,000
East River
15,000
Sainam (near Samshui)...
15,000
Total
150,000
FLOUR.
}
Flour is becoming more popular every year, and regularly appears in the form of bread and biscuits on the tables of the middle and upper classes.
The import is almost entirely the product of American mill Australian flour, which had assumed a prominent position in 1907, disap- peared from the returns last year, being unable to compete with its old-established American rival, and for the same reason the local flour mill in Hongkong, which was established for the purpose of supplying the China market two year ago, was obliged to close its doors.
It will be noticed that, whereas the quantity of flour imported last year shows a decrease of over 27,000 cwts., values rose some 329,000 taels. This is due to the Canton valuation having been raised from 2.90 taels per picul for 1907 returns to 4.03 taels for the 1908 returns.
I take this opportunity of pointing out that the values given in the customs returns are not port values, but uniform values supplied annually to each port for its use by the Statisti- cal Department in Shanghai. This explains the discrepancies that are often noticed in the customs returns between their values, say, for flour or oil, and the current market price of
those commodities.
COAL.
Japanese coal is now shipped direct to Canton by steamer instead of, as heretofore, to Hong- kong with transhipment into junk or lighter.
MOTOR BOATS.
In the absence of good roads there is at present no demand for motor cars, but the waterways which take the place of roads offer an almost unlimited market for motor boats."
Motors will undoubtedly in time take the place of the steam launches towing native
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NOTES ON LOCAL INDUSTRIES.
Among the more recently established fac- tories and undertakings making use of labour- saving machinery, the following way be com mended to the notice of British manufac turers :-
The Canton Government Cement Works.--- Built at a cost of 300,000 dol. Machinery, consisting of a main steam engine with three boilers (500 horse-power), elevators, grinding machines, drying plant, crushing machinery, &c., supplied at an additional cost of 320,000 dol.; estimated output per diem, 500 barrels of 400 lbs. net each.
These works are now in operation, under German supervision, the management being Chinese.
With special facilities for obtaining cheap limestone and cheap labour, and a growing demand for cement on railways and other works, they should, if capably managed, prove a paying
concern.
These waterworks,
Canton Waterworks. built at a cost of 1,500,000 dol., under the supervision of а British engineer, were opened in August, 1908. The machinery, all of British manufacture, is capable of supply- ing 6,000,000 gallons of water every 24 hours.
The water, taken from the river a few miles above Canton, appears to be of good quality, and already some 40 miles of piping have been laid down in the city and suburbs, from which water is supplied to over 10,000 subscribers.
The waterworks are under Chinese manage- ment, no foreigners being employed.
Canton Electric Light Works. These works, erected by the Chinese Light and Power Company of Hongkong, are situated at the Ng Sin Moon (South Gate). The plant is up to date in every detail, and with the exception of an engine is of British manufacture. It consists of three Diesel oil engines burning crude petroleum, the total brake horse-power being 600, five steam engines of a total brake horse-power of 730, four Babcock-Wilcox water- tube boilers, burning Japanese coal, and one Green's economiser. Induced draught is used, Contrafo and Worthington condensers. The staff consists of two engineers, one mains superintendant and 121 Chinese.
Electric energy is supplied to Canton city and the foreign settlement of Shameen by means of overhead high-pressure mains, carried on iron and wooden poles. The primary pressure is 2,000 volts. The secondary or house service pressure, is 100 volts. The current is alter- nating. The supply on Shameen is con- tinuous, that in the city being from sunset to sunrise. Consumers connected to Mains :— Shameen, 167; Canton city, 2,642; Total, 2,809. Total number of 8 candle power (equivalent) lamps connected (March 1, 1909), 26,510.