Directory_and_Chronicle_1901 — Page 640

SHANGHAI

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ratepayers, which, however, was given at the annual meeting in March, 1898, and in 1899 tenders were advertised for. There are five locally owned lines of steamers running on the coast and the river Yangtsze. Many manufactories under both native and foreign auspices have sprung up of late years, and would have done so in large numbers long ago had it not been that the native authorities offered strong opposi- tion to any manufactures under the control of foreigners and prevented the importa- tion of foreign machinery. Although the right under the Treaty to import machinery is quite clear, the British Government hesitated to enforce it; but the Japanese, in the treaty of 1895 which closed the war, obtained the insertion of a clause specially authorising its importation. The consequence is that five cotton spinning and weaving companies have been floated, one under the auspices of Messrs. Jardine, Matheson & Co., one under those of the American Trading Company, one under the management of Messrs. Ilbert & Co., one by Messrs. Arnhold, Karberg & Co., and one by Messrs. Fearon, Daniel & Co., which have built mills of from 40,000 to 60,000 spindles each. With the number of mills working and others in course of construction, the place is rapidly assuming the appearance of a thriving district in Lancashire. At the close of 1898 there were nine Cotton Mills in operation, with about 167,000 spindles, and four Chinese-owned, with about 146,000 spindles. It is probable, how- ever, that not more than an average of 60 to 70 per cent of the foreign-owned spindles were at work at one time, taking slack and busy periods together. Approaching Shanghai from Woosung the extensive mills of the Shanghai Cotton Cloth Ad- ministration (a native-owned business) meet the eye-the old premises were de- stroyed by fire in 1893, and the present buildings were completed in 1895. These mills were the first erected in Shanghai, and the ex-viceroy, Li Hung-chang, has a considerable interest in them. Above these on the river side are the mills of Ilbert & Co., Jardine, Matheson & Co., and Arnhold, Karberg & Co., referred to above; while on the opposite or Pootung shore stands the large and busy mill of the Interna- tional Cotton Manufacturing Co. There are also a number of ginning factories, foreign and native owned. Much of this cleaned cotton is exported to Japan. Of Silk Filatures Shanghai has 25, with a total of 8,000 basins, of which five were foreign managed. In 1898 few worked to the full extent of their capacity and many only very intermittently. The export in 1895 was 6,276 bales of one picul (133) lbs. each) 5,293 piculs in 1896, and 11,429 piculs in 1897. One only of these Filatures is the property of a private firm; the others being owned by Foreign or Chinese Companies. These Filatures which give employment to 20,000 Natives are scattered over the Hongkew and and Sinza districts, with the exception of a large one of 300 basins at Jessfield-the Hing Chong Filature. Of other industries we may note Feather Clean- ing Factories, Hydraulic Packing Factories, a native owned Paper Mill, two Chi- nese owned Match Factories, turning out between them some 80 cases, containing each 100 gross of boxes, per day. A large Flour Mill (for grinding wheat, which it is said makes excellent flour), two Kerosene Tank Oil and Tinning establishments and works, and various other industries which are fast increasing in number. Shanghai bids fair to soon outrival Bombay as the largest manufacturing centre in Asia.

The "Astor House" in Hongkew, the "Central" in the British, and the "Hôtel des Colonies" in the French Concession, besides many second-class houses, give hotel accommodation equal to that of any port in the East. There are five daily news- papers, the North China Daily News, Shanghai Daily Press, and L'Echo de Chine, morning, the Shanghai Mercury and the China Gazette, evening; also four weeklies, the Ostusiatische Lloyd, North China Herald, Celestial Empire, and The Union. There are four native daily papers, the Shun-pao, the Hu-pan, the Sin-wan-pao, and the Universal Gazette, the later representing the Reform movement. These are sold at the prices of ten and eight cash, equal to about a farthing. Some of them have a circula- tion of 10,000 per day. In one matter, that of postal accommodation, Shanghai is perhaps over-supplied, there being British, French, American, Japanese, German, Russian, and Imperial Chinese Post Offices. The latter was organized by and is at present being conducted under the auspices of the Maritime Customs. The Municipal Local Post was in 1898 incorporated with it. It undertakes the transmission of small sums of money and accepts the registration of letters. It will probably be ome years before the difficulties inevitable in a country like China are overcome, and foreigners are, justly or unjustly, doubtful as to the inviolability of their correspondence. It is understood that China will apply for admission to the Postal Union. Shanghai was made a port of Registry for British ships in 1874. All foreign hongs and even private houses have to give themselves fancy Chinese names, by which only they are known.

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