36
As regards native imports the following figures, taken for the same period as above, may be of interest:-
Bean Cake
3900
1901.
1902.
Picúls
3,901
3,083
14,477
Beans (white and yellow)
12,042
22,411
31,605
*
Chinaware (coarse)
3,027
5,463
6,115
"
Paper (Joss)
30,940
72,269
34,417
"
Other Paper
12,472
25,609
8,459
Articles of minor importance are: gunny bags, hemp bags, bamboo, bamboo canes, barley, brooms, raw cotton, garlic, jute, mats of all kinds, matting, timber, planks.
The amount of import duties, collected within the first nine months of 1902 as compared with the corresponding period of previous years, shows the following improvement :—
1900.
1901
1902.
37
Trade in General.-There is not the slightest doubt that the railway which goes as far as Tschanglo-Hsien (about 60 li beyond Weihsien), and which is expected to reach Tsinanfu, the capital of Shantung, in about a year's time, will very soon bring the bulk of the trade, which has hitherto passed over Chefoo to Tsingtau. Another vital point, which tells greatly in favour of Tsingtau is that steps have been taken by the Government, not only to let Tsingtau remain a free port for ever, but to induce the Imperial Maritime Customs to remove all duty barriers at the frontier of German territory, in exchange for which the Customs would be paid a yearly lump sum.
If this scheme is carried into effect*--the Customs themselves favour the pro- position it stands to reason that this means would not only help trade materially, but would give the Colony an enormous advantage over the neighbouring treaty ports.
Taking all the aforesaid into consideration, Tsingtau stands the best of chances for a rapid commercial development, the more so as the works at the new harbour will soon be sufficiently advanced to have ships discharge their cargo at the piers.
Taxes. The only taxes levied at Tsingtau are for ground rent, which amount
to 6 per cent. of the value of the ground property, the value for each property is fixed by the Government; the last valuation took place in 1901, and the next will probably be held in 1906.
• The scheme has, I believe, been abandoned.-J. H. S. L.
Foreign Imports
Native Imports...
H. TIs.
10,546
10,245
28,690
20,717
85,460
15,299
which proves that, small as the import trade is as yet, it has nevertheless vastly increased within the last year, the bulk of the increase being taken up by English and American piecegoods and Japanese cotton yarn. If we take into account the continual drop of the silver market during the latter part of the preceding year, which has hampered business a good deal, there is every hope for a still more rapid increase of trade in the near future.
Export.-By far the most important export article is strawbraid, most of the other articles which are named below being handled by natives only.
Hereunder I give you the following figures of the export trade during the first nine months in 1900, 1901 and 1902:—
Strawbraids
+++
Ground nuts
Bean Oil...
Ground Nut Oil
Melon Seeds
Walnute...
Wheat
Various Skins
1900.
1901,
1902,
Picula.
547
2,696
8,762
8,728
21,294
16,293
"
11,167
28,233
18,569
51,721
94,471
51,907
9,320
22,417
11,026
*
10,285
11,202
7,240
"
1,122
551
10,457
Pieces
6,659
10,182
20,470
Articles of minor importance are: cabbages, ground nut cakes, cow hides, and dried fruits, salted pigs, vermicelli, animal tallow.
Banks. There is at present only one foreign bank established at Tsingtau, viz., the Deutsch-Asiatische Bank. There are as yet no Chinese banks to speak of.
Within the last year an important trade has been done direct with Japan, the financing of which would probably fall to any bank established with an agency of its own in that country, which the Deutsch-Asiatische Bank has not got.
15378
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O. 882
6PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
J
J