Directory_and_Chronicle_1911 — Page 900

872

SHANGHAI

with the American Trans-Pacific line at Manila: there being now three distinct lines of communication with Europe. An overland line to Tientsin was opened in December, 1881, subsequently extended to Peking, and in 1894 connected with the Russian land lines through Siberia to Europe.There is also a line west to Kashgar and south as far as Laokay on the Yunnan border, there connecting with the French Tonkin lines and to Bhano, connecting with the Burmah line. During the operations in 1900, the Allied Powers found it necessary to be independent of the Chinese landlines, and submarine cables were laid connecting Shanghai with Kiao- chow, Weihaiwei, Chefoo, and Port Arthur. A railway constructed by a foreign company was opened to Woosung in June, 1876, but after running for sixteen months it was purchased and taken up by the Chinese Authorities. During the short time it was running the passenger traffic alone covered the working expenses leaving sufficient profit to pay a small dividend. Twenty years afterwards it was reconstructed. There is railway communication now with Nanking viâ Soochow and Chinkiang on the north and Hangchow viâ Sunking and Kaching on the south. There are several 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 opposition to any manu- factories under the control of foreigners and tried to strangle the importation 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 was that five cotton spinning and weaving com- panies were floated, the Ewo under the auspices of Messrs. Jardine, Matheson & Co., the International under those of the American Trading Company, the Laou Kung Mow under the management of Messrs. Ilbert & Co., the Soey Chee by Messrs. Arnhold, Karberg & Co., and Yah Loong by Messrs. Fearon, Daniel & Co., 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 present time there are nine Cotton Mills in operation, with about 167,000 spindles, and four Chinese-owned, with about 116,000 spindles. It is probable, how- ever, that not more than an average of 60 to 70 per cent. of the foreign-owned spindles are at work at one time, taking slack and busy periods together. The mills, however, have not proved so profitable as was expected owing to difficulties connected with the supply of the native raw material and the increased cost of labour. consequence of this Messrs. Fearon, Daniel & Co.'s Yah Loong Mill was closed and the machinery sold by public auction in December, 1901. Recently the mills have been showing more favourable results and satisactory profits are now realized by all the for- eign owned ones. Approaching Shanghai from Woosung the extensive mills of the Shanghai Cotton Cloth Administration (a native-owned business) meet the eye; the old premises were destroyed by fire in 1893, and the present buildings were completed in 1895. These mills were the first erected in Shanghai, and the late ex-viceroy, Li Hung-chang, had a considerable interest in them. Above these on the river side are the Laou Kung Mow. Ewo, and Soey Chee mills referred to above; while on the opposite or Pootung shore stands the large and busy mill of the International 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 are foreign-managed. 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 scatter- ed over the Hongkew and the Sinza districts, with the exception of a large one of 300 basins at Jessfield -the Hing Chong Filature. Of other industries we may note Hydraulic Packing Factories, foreign and native-owned Paper Mills, two Chinese-owned Match Factories, turning out between them some 80 cases, containing each 100 gross of boxes, per day. There are also large foreign Flour Mills (for grinding native 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.

In

No notice of the important place taken by Shanghai in the industrial progress of the East would be complete without a reference to the large engineering and shipbuilding establishments which now form a conspicuous feature in the business of the place. Already in the early fifties, Mr. William Muirhead, an engineer officer in the service of the P. & O., had conceived the idea of starting a

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