Directory_and_Chronicle_1917 — Page 769

CHINA

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actual diminution in trade amounted to and of the embarrassments with which impor- ters had to contend, since higher prices hide the comparatively greater falling off in quantities. White being the symbol of mourning in China, all white clothes for external wear must be dyed, and dyes were either entirely wanting or only to be had at almost prohibitive prices. Rising freights and the impossibility of fixing forward prices or time of delivery added to the difficulty of doing business, and the result is shown very plainly in the statistics of imports. Plain grey shirtings fell from 3,675,241 to 3,282,510 pieces; plain grey sheetings, from 5,766,232 to 3,046,372 pieces; white shirtings, from 4,498,304 to 3,232,273 pieces; drills, from 2,384,015 to 1,717,794 pieces; jeans, from 1,988,267 to 1,813,058 pieces. High freights from America and Europe assisted the Japanese trade, and we find a marked increase in Japanese shirtings, jeans, T-cloths, cotton flannel, cotton cloth, and handkerchiefs, the increase in jeans amounting to 500,000 pieces. While white goods were hampered by the lack of dyes in China, coloured goods were handicapped by the diffien ty of procuring shades wanted by the market, and the same decrcase in arrivals is found throughout the list, with the exception of the Japanese goods mentioned. It may be interesting to show the way in which the dearth of dyes has reacted upon the piece goods trade. Before the invention of synthetic indigo the Chinese used vegetable indigo for dyeing white cloth; but the results obtained were not so satisfactory as those derived from the use of the chemical product, as colour and quality were variable and cloth required to be dipped at least twice before anything approaching a uniform tint was secured. The synthetic indigo, proving not only more efficient but cheaper in use, gradually drove indigo out of cultivation, and although a certain quantity was grown last summer to meet the insistent demand, the supply was far from sufficient and the price was high. There were some stocks of aniline dyes in the country when war broke out, and the lucky holders have made handsome fortunes.

It is said that the cost of dyeing cotton cloth woven in the country from imported cotton yarn is equal to the cost of the yarn and of the labour employed in weaving. Woollen and cotton mixtures and woollen goods, as also miscellaneous piece goods, show still more serious decreases, and metals were almost worse. Among sundries we notice the disappearance of aniline dyes and artificial indigo, and a falling away in needles from 2,566,599 to 399,457 mille. The Chinese shops are now charging 10 cents for two needles. Sugar was very dear and the consumption was checked, the total importation of all kinds falling from 6,266,002 to 4,776,581 piculs. American kerosene oil, owing to dearness caused by high freights and lack of tonnage, fell from 162 to 129 millions of gallons, and Russian from 7,200,700 to 857,155 gallons. Sumatra oil lost 7 millions of gallons, but Borneo oil improved by a million. Japanese kerosene oil rose from 514,470 gallons in 1914 to 1,226,263 gallons. This oil is said to be of inferior quality, but it is cheap, and, as the sale will be vigorously pushed, the importation is likely to increase rapidly. The growing industry of match-making is responsible for a smaller importa- tion of matches by 3 million gross. The import of timber, owing to high freights from America, fell off considerably, softwood falling from 204,075,845 to 88,372,228 square feet. Speaking generally, the import trade in all classes of goods suffered heavy dimi- nution, not because the demand was wanting, but because the war sent up prices and reduced the amount of tonnage available for cargo.

Exports. As said above, the value of the exports was the highest ever recorded, and it would have been higher but for the shortness of cargo space and greatly increased rates of freight. Chinese cotton goods showed a remarkable advance and metals were in great demand. Antimony rose from 324,727 to 386,200 piculs; copper ingots and slabs, from 1,29 to 45,084 piculs; pig iron, from 991,266 to 1,596,180 piculs; tiu from 119,225 to 132,379 piculs; zinc, from 5,123 to 38,490 piculs; and unclassed metals, from 32,634 to 148,090 piculs. Beans of all kinds were taken freely, as were other foodstuffs. Fibres did well. Liquid indigo rose from 13.830 to 53,660 piculs. Bean oil advanced from 607,477 to 1,017,922 piculs, and peas fr. m 277,350 to 403,469 piculs. Cotton seed, rape seed, and sesainum seed were shipped in greatly increased quantities. There was a brisk demand for tanned and untanned goat skins, and for other skins and furs.

As regards silk, wild silk found a ready sale and all stocks remaining over from the previous

is year were rapidly cleared off owing to demands from Japan and elsewhere. The crop in Manchuria was rather seriously affected by the heavy rains, which made the cocoons lighter and dearer, and the production was less, but the year was profitable, as the market was strong and good prices were realised. The total export amounted to 31,004 piculs, as against 21,072 piculs in 1914. There was a distinct revival in the demand for white and yellow raw silk, the exports being 109,093 piculs, as against 87,517 in the previous year. This result is the more satisfactory, as from all the produc-