Directory_and_Chronicle_1917 — Page 894

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SHANGHAI

1881, subsequently extended to Peking, and in 1894 connected with the Russian land Jines 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. The first railway in China was constructed by a foreign company and opened from Shanghai 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 Sunkiang and Kaching on the south. Rapid progress has been made towards the reorganisation of the Kiangsu-Chekiang railway under the control of the directorate of the Shanghai- Nanking railway. This line received no small damage at the lands of the rebels during the disturbances in 1913. General plans for the linking up of this railway with the Kiangsu line have already been formulated and negotiations for the purchase of the necessary land are proceeding apace. 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 companies 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. In 1910 there were nine Cotton Mills in operation, with about 107,000 spindles, and four Chinese-owned, with about 146,000 spindles. The mills at first did not prove 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 satisfactory profits are now realized by all the foreign-owned ones. Indeed, Shanghai bids fair to become the principal centre of the cotton industry in the Far East. 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 viceroy, Li Hung-chang, had a considerable interest in them. Above these on the river side are the Laou Kung Mow, Kung Yik, Ewo, Yangtzepoo (transferred from Hongkong) and Oriental Mills referred to above; while on the opposite shore of Pootung stands the large and busy mill of the Internationał Cotton Manufacturing Co. The Hwa Sing Cotton Company has a large mill with adjacent godowns and storerooms, and three mills for this company are removing from Hongkong to Shanghai. The exceptional prosperity of the cotton trade has led the Shanghai Cotton Company to double its plant, and all foreign controlled mills have made additions to their looms and spindles. Even the Japanese seem to give preference to Shanghai as against Osaka for manufactures intended for the Shanghai market, which, being in the midst of a cotton cultivating district, has a larger scope for its wares. 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 of 300 basis at Jessfield-the Hing Chong Filature. Of other industries we may note Hydraulic Packing Factories, foreign and native-owned Paper Mills, two Chinese-owned

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