April 23, 1896.]
as against 68 lbs. got by passage once through the iron mills, showing a gain in favour of the foreign mill of 18 per cent. per weight of cane. The native boilermen all admitted that the juice got either directly from the cane by the foreign mill or from the begass that they discharged from their own mill was as good, if not better, than that obtained by their own methods.
sugar
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
of sugar made in Formosa, it has not been discovered that other than mere chance, perhaps regulated to some slight extent by rough experience, determined either the grain of the product or the amount of crystallisable which happens to survive the crude treatment the liquor has been subjected to all through.
CLAYED OR "WHITE SUGAR.
This, as before explained, is got from "lao- tsai." Each jar holds from 1331 lbs. to 200 lbs. The clay or mud placed at the top of the jars is that scraped from the bottom of sewers, canals or ponds, and the natives about Taiwanfoo assert that that got from the bottom of the canal, just outside the city walls, which is in fact nothing but a gigantic sewer, produces sugar with the best taste! This may be due to the fact that the canal, being connected with the sea, always contains more or less salt water, which latter may impart the improved taste.
Calculating out what this means on even the limited crop from the Takow districts to which the usurers have of late years reduced it, (say) 300,000 picals, it being further remem- bered that this only comprehends that which is shipped in foreign bottoms, we find that 57,600,000 lbs. of juice are burnt up every year in the begass. This would give us 108,000 piculs of
if manufactured, which, at only $2.50 per picul, shows a total loss in money, consequent on the imperfections of their mills, of $270,000, a sum which would show an ample The following are the proportions of differ- margin of profit if every cane-grower purchasedent grades of white sugar got from one picul a foreign machine, got his canes crushed in the of lao-tsai." The top layer of all, equal in ordinary way by the Chinese mills, merely con- amount to 5 per cent. of the whole, is known as tenting himself with using his machine for
No. 1 "white; the second layer (15 per cent.) crushing the begrass as it came out from the is known as "No. 2" white; the third layer native establishment.
(25 per cent.) is known as "No. 3" white; the fourth layer (25 per cent.) is known as "No. 4" white; while 30 per cent. of molasses drains out. The latter is reboiled and about 60 per cent. of sugar procured from it. This is known cha-soa," and is in some demand in North
In other words, the cost of their fuel is very nearly equal to one-third of the total amount realised on the whole crop of 300,000 pienls. To try and improve this condition amongst the peo. ple, Dr. Myers, an authority on the industry, drew up a simple "Primer" on the cultivation of cane and manufacture of raw sugar, which was translated into Chinese by the Acting Com- missioner of Customs; but even those whose interests would seem most likely to prompt them to study the question, and whose com. parative educational advantages easily enabled them to read what had been written (i.e.. the dominating money-lenders and their lieutenants, the mill-owners), could not be got to take much interest in the subject, and, indeed, seemed only to fear lest any innovations, either from instruction or mechanical aids, might interfere with the arrangements, which they said were,
"as far as they were concerned, sufficiently remunerative to themselves."
The surroundings of these mills are dirty in the extreme, and the juice flows from the rollers by means of a leaky bamboo pipe, led under a filthy buffalo walk, until it arrives at the first pan, or what ought to be the clarifying receptacle. In the Takow districts the cane tops are ignited, and thus burnt off while the plants are still standing. More or less charred material thus adheres to the cane, discolouring the exposed juice until it is literally as black as ink.
There is here also a complete absence of any attempt at cleanliness; the filthiest hands are dipped and even washed in the juice; and while large pieces of trash, saturated with the fluid they have absorbed. are roughly taken out and thrown away, no efforts are made to get rid of the smaller fragments ("oush-oush”).
CLARIFICATION OF JUICE.
Under this heading, beyond stating that lime is added according to the discretion of the boiler- men, exercised in very rough and ready fashion, there is little to be further described. The unslaked lime used is kept in a corner of a very dirty room, constantly exposed to the atmosphere, and is full of dirt and other ex- traneous matter.
a
There is no attempt at filtration, as the juice is ladled from the receiving pan into the first "tache." The boiling battery consists, as rule, of from four to five "taches," and under each one is a furnace. As the boilerman, by some rule which it seems impossible to discover, thinks a sufficient amount of concentration has been arrived at in one "tache," he ladies the contents into another, and so on. It is quite possible at any given time that the fires beneath the lower pans are burning less briskly than those under the upper ones; although the liquor thrown into the first pans shows a low percentage of "invert," by the time it has reached the "striking tache" this In the northern has probably been trebled.
and
*
as
SL
China.
From the foregoing necessarily brief descrip- tion of the methods used in Formosa for procuring sugar and the quality of the product obtained, it is hoped some idea may be conveyed as to the extremely backward condition of the industry, and it must distinctly be understood that all here stated only refers, and only can refer, to Formosa as it has been. Now that the Japanese have come as rulers, no doubt they will, by introducing machinery and improving methods both of cultivation and manufacture, very soon set up a different condition of affairs. One great change that is sure to be made is with regard to the usurers and their oppression. As most of their power for evil and tyrrany was due to the aid they could always purchase from the corrupt officials around them, this support having of course gone, it is not unlikely that the extortioners will find it best to dis- appear also.
A spirit ("samshu") is very roughly dis- tilled from molasses that cannot be further utilized at the boiling houses, but the distillation is carried on indiscriminately over the country by any person who cares to buy the molasses.
The skimmings at the mills and other sac- charine refuse are generally given to pigs, and the idea of using them for the ground seems to be unthought of. The general waste from this neglect alone is as great as it is deplorable.
•
A HOME FOR THE AGED AND INFIRM.
The following has been forwarded to us for publication :-
The undersigned has in view the erection at Wanchai of a Home for the aged and infirm. That the necessary funds may be obtained the assistance of the community in general is respectfully solicited and any contribution to- wards. this subscription will be gratefully acknowledged.
L. PIAZZOLI, . Bishop Vi. Apl. of H.K.
LIST OF DONORS. Mr. A. S. Gomes Mr. A. G. Romano Mr. J. C. Noronha Mr. T. Jackson ...
|
341
THE NORTH CHINA INSURANCE
CO.,
LIMITED.
The following is the report for presentation to the fourth ordinary general meeting of shareholders to be held at Shanghai, on the 28th April
The directors have now to submit to the shareholders the annexed duly audited state- ment of accounts to 31st December, 1895.
INVESTMENTS.
In connection with the triennial term
which expired upon the above date, the directors are glad to be in a position to state that in addition to the profit of Tls. 12,384.17 realized, the Company's investments show considerable appreciation, and the sum of Tls. 10,756.15 at credit of investment fluctuation account has therefore been transferred to the working
account.
1894. After payment of all claims presented during 1895, and the distribution of profits sanctioned at the last general meeting, there remained a balance of Tis. 36,635.34 in favour of this year's working on 31st December last, and in accordance with the power conferred upon the directors the account has now been closed by transferring that amount to liability account to meet further claims upon 1894 and previous years.
1895. The income of the Company shows an increase both as regards premium and interest, but the directors regret that the result of the year's underwriting is not more favourable, the losses, though not individually heavy, having been unusually numerous.
The balance of the working account on 31st December amounted to Tls. 460,203, against which claims to the extent of Tls. 118,250 have since been paid, and it is probable that Tls. the 208,953 will be required to finally wind up account, leaving an estimated surplus of Tls. 133,000, which the directors recommend for appropriation as follows:-
Dividend at the rate of 10 per cent. per annum on the paid up capital.
A bonus of 10 per cent. on contributory premia.
REVISION OF THE SHARE LIST.
As prescribed by the articles of association, the share list was revised during the past year and the directors have pleasure in stating that it has not been considered necessary to with- draw any shares.
DIRECTORS.
The directors all retire according to the re- gulations of the Company, but they are eligible for re-election, and aguia tender their services to the shareholders.
-AUDITORS.
The accounts for the first half year have been audited by Mr. White and Mr. Bell and for the second half year by Mr. White and Mr. Kin- near, the latter acting for Mr. Bell owing to his regrettable indisposition. The appointment for the ensuing year rests with the shareholders, and the retiring auditors offer themselves for re-election.
By order of the Court of Directors,
ALEXR. Ross,
Secretary..
Shanghai, 14th April, 1896.
BALANCE SHEET, 31ST DECEMBER, 1895. Dr. To capital account:---
5,000 shares at £25-£125,000.0.0 @
28. 11 d. To reserve fund..
1894
TIs.
845,070.42 250,000.00
$1,000
100
To working account, 1894:--
Balance on 31st December,
200
Tls. 507,768.80
250
A Friend
50
Procuracion Espanola Mr. A. Coxon
100
50
Mr. J. M. G. Machado
50
:
Mr. Leon G. Le Roux
50
2nd dividend, being
The
districts, where special efforts are made to The Japan Mail of the 10th April says:-'
communications between Formosa and Hong- "grain large," this result in accompanied by a very: great loss from inversion. The object of kong, Shanghai, and Amoy are very close, and this latter attempt is to get "lao-tsai," the fears are entertained of an importation of white" is the plague. The authorities are contemplating raw material from which so-called
establishing medical inspection offices at Kelung, procured by means of claying.
With reference to the other brown varieties | Makung, Anping, Tamsui, and Takow.
64
Deduct-
1st dividend, being
10 per cent. per
annum on paid-up
capital, declared
Tis.
24th April, 1895. - 82,474.23
15 per cent. on shareholders' con- tributions, de- clared 24th April, 1895
Carried to
fund
reserve
76,899.66
50,000.00
209,373.89
Tls. 298,394.91
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