ल
A
12
Shui-in is small sycee made, for convenience, from yuanpao-in. It is of two values, one 10 dollars, the other 1 dollar to 4 dollars. Another form of sycee is the "piaoyetsu" (?), having a weight of 6 kiu (8 lb.).
Foreign silver is represented by the Russian rouble, the Mexican dollar, and the Japanese silver yen.
Copper coins, which are in shape like those used in foreign countries, are coined at Peking and in the local Governments. Lastly, there are copper cash, 1,000 of which are equal to 1 tiao.
The coining of copper coinage by private individuals is strictly forbidden. Nevertheless, so scarce is the legitimate currency that the practice is universal, Privately minted coins pass side by side with the legitimate, and, though this is well known to the officials, the latter affect to be unaware of the existence of these counterfeits.
In the Government copper coinage, which is the basis of calculation, there are three imaginary sub-divisions-for purposes of making up accounts-into great, middle, and less. The point is, however, one of no great practical interest.
Chambers of Commerce and Public Assemblies.
Chambers of Commerce (Chinese) exist at Harbin, Changchun, Kilin, Tsitsilar, and Petuanlintzu, with branches in most other towns. The functions of these bodies
may
be included under eight headings:-
1. The facilitation of the interchange of views between officials and merchants.
2. The investigation of commercial conditions at home and abroad.
3. Arbitration in commercial disputes.
4. The registration of commercial contracts.
5. The protection and encouragement of native industries.
6. Attending to matters relating to printing rights, patent, and monopoly.
7. The control of trade questions and the fixing of the rate of exchange. 8. Social.
The functions of public Assemblies are not dissimilar from those of Chambers of Commerce, though the sphere of the Assembly is somewhat more limited than that of the Chamber. Both, though existing primarily for commercial purposes, are yet in a way the mouth-pieces of the people in dealings with the officials. Members are naturally business meu, from among the chief of whom the officers of these Societies are elected. Expenses are defrayed mainly by common contribution.
Industries.
Industries are absolutely in their infancy; in fact it is comparatively rare in Manchuria to find persons devoting their entire time to one particular (mechanical) industry. As a rule they are in addition shop-keepers or farmers.
Of existing industries the chief are the manufacture of bean-cake and bean oil; the distilling of spirits, milling grain, dyeing, the manufacture of paper, and tanning. These are all industries in which Chinese are engaged. Of Russian industries the chief are the manufacture of flour, brewing, or distilling, electric works, the manu- facture of sugar, soap making, tanning, meat canning, &c. In marked contrast to Chinese, Russian establishments boast the newest and most up-to-date machinery. This applies particularly in the case of flour.
The busiest centre of the bean oil and bean cake industries are Changchun, Shuanchengfu, Ashillo, Petune, Hulancheng, and Payanghousu. The machinery used is of the most primitive description; the motive power being either supplied by cattle or by human beings.
The distilling of spirits, though carried on all over North Manchuria, is perhaps most prosperous in the Hulan and Payangchan districts. The material used for the purpose is the tall millet ("kaoliang").
Chinese grain mills, which were once in a very flourishing condition, have been not a little affected by the establishment of Russian mills. Though numerous, they were all run on a very small scale, their output being sufficient for the needs of a family or small community only. Like the manufacture of bean oil and bean cake and the distilling of spirits, this industry is generally carried on in combination with
some other.
13
There are two Chinese steam-mills in existence, one at Harbin and the other
at Hailin.
In the neighbourhood of Kilin, as to a less extent in other localities, there are fairly important brickfields, where bricks and a coarse form of earthenware are manufactured. The Kilin bricks, so great is the demand for them on account of their strength, are found all along the Sangari River. The sale has increased with the advent of the Russians, though the latter prefer red-coloured bricks, while those used by the Chinese are ash-coloured.
Near Harbin and Ashibho also the prospects for this industry are very promising. In every fair-sized town one or more dyeing establishments are to be found. The chief material used for dyeing purposes is the native indigo. Colours are limited to light yellow, dark blue, and black.
Spinning establishments, with old-fashioned apparatus, are found south of Chang- chun, but very rarely north. At Petune there are six or seven factories where woollen carpets are made. The raw material comes from the Amur Province or from Mongolia.
Here there are sixteen Paper is an important article of manufacture at Kilin. factories with an annual output of the value of 1,080,000 tiao (36,000%). The material used is hemp.
There is one Chinese electric light factory at Harbin with a capital of 11,0007. Owing to bad management, it is run at a loss.
Russian Industries: Flour.
The manufacture of flour is the most important by far of the Russian industries in Manchuria. The chief centre is Harbin, and it is in 1903, with the completion of the Chinese Eastern Railway, that the trade may be said to have entered on its era of prosperity. With remarkable rapidity eight flour mills were established in Harbin itself, two between Harbin and Kwanchengtzu, two at Shuangchengpu, one at Hailin, and
one at Ashihho.
The period of greatest activity was during the war, when the demand was practically unlimited. It is true the price of wheat was also very high; but, as the market was entirely in the hands of the millers, this fact was of no great moment to them. During this brief period of prosperity tremendous profits were made. This encouraged speculation; fresh mills were built, the newest machinery put up; it was imagined that this golden age would last for ever. Unfortunately, with the coming of peace the house of cards fell to the ground; the demand for flour dropped completely, and in many cases the former huge profits were swallowed in subsequent losses. One thing ouly remained--the high price of the raw material.
In 1907 five of the Harbin flour mills were amalgamated in a Syndicate with a capital of 3,500,000 roubles. It was hoped thus to combat the period of depression. But, as a matter of fact, the new amalgamation is virtually in the hands of the Russo- Chinese Bank. Five other mills in Harbin are still running independently, and these, with the Syndicate and four others along the line, made a total of ten mills still working.
Other reasons, in addition to the high price of wheat already mentioned, which militate against the success of the Russian flour mills are the limited area of its sale and the difficulty of obtaining wheat at the desired time. The last is directly due to the high market price, and its immediate result is to compel mills to remain idle. As to the area of sale, that is limited to the railway line, Trans-Baikalia, and the Amur Province. Manchurian flour has not yet appeared in foreign markets as a competitor with American. It is only recently that, owing to a more favourable rate of freight, it has been able to drive American flour from Vladivostock itself.
In the matter of output the Russian mills can supply not only all the present needs of Manchuria, but also leave a huge surplus for export. What is required is energetic pushing on the part of the manufacturers. This is still lacking; never- theless, there can be no doubt whatever that Japan and China are the destined markets for Manchurian flour.
Application was made to the Russian Government in 1907 by the flour merchants for a subsidy of 3,000,000 roubles for the purchase of raw material; 400,000 roubles were granted.
The total capital of all the mills is 6,180,000 roubles, the total amount of wheat
[2116 b-3]
E
294