Directory_and_Chronicle_1913 — Page 898

SHANGHAI

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Hongkew is 400 feet long and 18 feet deep at springs; the New Dock at Pootung, at the lower end of the harbour, measures 450 feet on the blocks, 50 feet wide at bottom, and 134 at top, is 80 feet wide at entrance between pierheads, with a depth at high-water springs of 22 feet; the works connected with this dock cover an area of 16 acres; the Cosmopolitan Dock, on the Pootung side about a mile below harbour limits, is 56 feet long on blocks, and 82 feet wide at entrance. The International Dock is a new and larger dork. All steamers and most sailing vessels now discharge and load at the various public and private wharves. The premises of the Associated Wharf Companies have a frontage of about three-quarters of a mile. The Chinese Government has an Arsenal, Dock, and Shipbuilding establishment at Kao Chang Miao, a short distance above the native city. It commenced as a small rifle factory in 1867. The Great Northern Telegraph Company's cable was laid to Shanghai in 1871, and that of the Eastern Exten- sion Company in 1884, and in 1906 was opened a German cable line connecting 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, 18×1, 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 Bhamo, 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 Kiaochow, 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 via Soochow and Chinkiang on the north and Hangchow viâ Sunkiang 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 Goverment 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 companies were floated, the Ewo under the auspices of Messrs. Jardine. Matheson & Company, the International under those of the American Trading Company, the Laou Kung Mow under the management of Messrs. Ilbert & Company, the Soey Chee by Messrs. Arnhold, Karberg and Company, 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 146,000 spindles. It is probable, however, that not more than an average of 69 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. In 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 foreign 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 Kang Mow, Ewo, and Soey Chee mills referred to above; while on the opposite shore of Pootung 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 8,00 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 scattered over the Hongkew and the Sinza districts, with the exception of a large one

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