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centre of the provincial administration and the scene of the trienn al examinations tban to the extent of its tra le. Nevertheless, in spite of the fact that it was almost left a desert after the Taiping rebellion (its walls, of twenty-five miles' circumference, still enclose au area only partly inhabited, with ruined buildings scattered among the cul- tivated fields), Nanking had already re- gained a certain measure of its former great prosperity at the date of the opening of the port. The nearness of Shanghai and the easy communication therewith made the Nauking people familar with foreign goods, of which the impor was already considerable in 1899. "With trade in such a healthy state," says the Consular report, "it is not surprising that the Customs' returns have been encouraging from the first.'
1
[December 1, 1902.
cent,), which was an improvement 1900.
on
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
the present main road through Western Honan and Auhwei to Pukou, the total
Cotton piece goods showed satis- distance being about 500 miles. This line factory increases in almost every heading. is primarily intended to provide an outlet Metals improved slightly. American flour for the vineral wealth of the great Shansi reached its record figures, being imported concession of the Syndicate. A serious to the extent of 201,913 piculs, more than rival, says Mr. WILKINSON, will be the 50,000 piculs above the previous best. German live in Shantung, which is certain Kerosene oil fell off, the American product t make a bid for the Houan and Anhwei very notably so; the tank installations at traffic and will have the advantage of being Auioy enable the Russian and Sumatran oils the first in te field. It would be satisfac-, to be sold cheaper. The import of rice tory to know that the Peking Syndicate is ́ decreased largely, the local harvest being stirring in the matter, but unfortunately exceptionally good. The export trade to we have no indication of this. It appears foreign countries showed no signs of expan- from the report before us that British sion. Under the heading of “Coast trade," enterprise has the opportunity of opening we find that original shippings coastwise, up a great trade, whereby Nanking may be though better than in 1901, were not so made the sole outlet of the pro luce of over good as in 1899. The uncertain state of 100,000 square miles of the richest soil in affairs and consequently uncertain markets China. The question is, Will British in the North are blamed for this. Coast- enterprise seize the opportunity? The wise arrivals increased in value by Hk. Tls. answer appears to rest with the Peking 250,000. The Inland transit trade inwards Syndicate.
touched its record, and outwards an in- crease of nearly 23 per cent. was made.
!
THE TRADE OF SWATOW, AMOY, AND FOOCHOW IN 1901.
-
To conie to actual figures, in 1899, for the eight months from May 1 to December 31, the gross value of the tra le amoured to £355,068; in 19 0, the year of the troubles by which business was "seriously affected, 'the value rose to £574 694; and in 1901 it again increased to. £684,915. These figures, however, do not represent the total trade of the port, which is still carried on (Daily Press, 24th November.) largely in native boats not under the The Imperial Maritime Customs trade cognisince of the Customs. The import of reports for the year 1901 at the three foreign good into Nanking from Chinese "Coast ports," usually here classed together ports was for 1899 (eigh1 months) £92,003,¦ under that name, namely Santuno (Swatow`, for 1900 £213,528, and for 1901 £266,875. Amoy, and Foochow, differ considerably in Opium, cottons, and sugar are notable the verdicts which they contain on last among the imports. In the latter line, year's trade. At Swatow an excess of IIk. Hongkong imported 43,525 cwts. in 1901. Tls. 599,822 over the 1900 figures is recorded, If opium be included, says Mr. WILKINSON, the net value of Swatov's trale in 1901 about three-fourths of the foreign imports being Hk. Tls. 1,247,039. At Amoy "dull into Nanking, of which returns are avail- monotony" is said to have characterise the able, are of British origin. In the absence whole year's trade, of which bu few sec ions of foreign merchants the trade in everything enjoyed any degree of prosperity. The net but sugar is entirely in Chinese hands. | value of the trade was Hk. Tls. 14,719,058, Consequently there is no direct business with foreign countries, the supplies required being purchased as a rule through foreign firms in Shangbai. With regard to exports to foreign countries, Mr. WILKINSON states that, without doubt, the opening of Nauking as a treaty port caused a healthy expan ion of that trule. Many articles which 'ormerly found thir way to other places are now attracted to Nanking by the greater con- venience of this port. The total value of the exports increased from £252,978 in 1900 to £324,179 in 1901, and the improvement promises to be well maintained. Silk is Still, as in the earliest times, the staple export of Nanking. Skins and hides are a progressing export.
The future of Nanking, according to the British representative, depends on the rail- ways, but he has no doubt that when the lines projected from Shansi and Shanghai are completed the port will be a great trading centre. At present its position precludes this. Chinkiang, 45 miles further down the river and at the mouth of the Grand Canal, has water communication in every direction, whereas Nauking has no cauals and no god roads connecting it with the in- terior. The officials, as elsewhere in China, do all in their power to binder the develop ment of commerce. Owing to the oppsi- tion of the provincial government the transit pass system was practically dend in 1901. Lekin, too, has a most disastrous effect. Until the railways enter upon the scene there is little hope for Nauking. Two lines, both to be built by British companies, are projected, one from Shanghai via Soochow and Chiukiang, and the other from the Shansi mineral-fields. The latter, the con- struction of which rests with t e Peking Syndicate, is the more important. The proposed route is from Tsechou, Southern Shausi, to Kaifengfu, where it will cross the Peking-Hankow line, and thence along |
|
I
:
i
As at
Foochow's revenue in 1901 was only Hk. Tls. 1,040,091, the smallest in ten years. The revenue from imports indeed increased 23 per cent, but that from exports felt 20 per cent. Foreign import trade reached Hk. Tls. 5,500,000 in value, cotton goods and yarn making a notable advance. vanishing out of the market; while Suma- Amoy, American kerosense oil appears to be tran oil at Foochow advanced 48 per cent. in 1901, A great local scarcity of rice caused a strong demand for foreigu rice. The dis- astrous figures in the export trade were dus to the bad state of the China tea trade, Indian and Ceylon teas having ousted the Chinese in certain markets, such as Canada and Australia. Mr. LAY writes :- "In the opinion of a tea merchant, the ten "trade in China, es¡ ecially Foochow, cannot- "be regained unless some drastic measures
44
4
E
"
;
an increase of Hk. Tls. 775,830 from 1900. At Foochow. Mr. LAY, Commissioner of Customs, declares the year could not be considered a prosperous one; the gross value was Hk. Tls. 15,551,090, comparing very unfavourably with the figures of 1900, Swatow's improvement is declared by Mr. MCALLUM to have been chiefly due to the fuller appreciation by the tea-men of the advantage of shipment of tea from Swatow as against overland carriage, but a general progress was recorded. The total collection of revenue at Swatow was Hk. Tls. 144,282, derived mainly from the export duly on tea. Coast trade and transit showed better results than in the previous year, Swatow having no direct foreign trade, the import and export branches of foreign goods are included under the beading of "Coastwise arrivals." From these it appears that the total value of foreign goods imported was Hk. Tls. 25,542, an increase of more than Hk. Tls. 24,000 over 1900. This is attributable to a few brokers in the port having attempted to work up a transit trade with Swatow as centre. Kerosene, pig-lead, agar-agar and seaweed were all imported in fairly large quantities. A fair development occurred in the inland transit trade inwards, and, Mr. MCALLUM says, it is absolutely certain that if an entrepot for foreigu goods were opened at Sautuao-gods being procured from Hongkong or abroad direct | a large aud profitable business would
follow."
At Amoy, in spite of the dull monotony alluded to, the year's collection of revenue, amounting to Hk. Tls. 690,548, was Hk. Tis. 24,718 better than in 1900. The gain was chiefly under import and coast trade duties and under the opium and lekin heading. Export duty and tonnage dues both showed slight losses. The net value of foreign goods imported was Hk. Tls. 7.555,255 (Hongkong supplying 63 per
are adopted by the Chinese-such as the "revision of the export duties and the "lekin dues, which are in themselves suffi- *
cient to cripple any trade, even without the competition of India and Ceylon, both of which countries have profited by the "decrease in the China teà trade. Unless
"
*
46
<4
the Chinese take moro care in picking and preparing the leaf, it will be useless to compete with India and Ceylon. Circu- “lars in Chinese, it is suggested, should be distributed in the tea districts, and lekin on lead and tea abolished, so as to allow the growers to make a small profit and encourage them to take an interest in their gardens, instead of forcing them to give up the cultivation of the tea-plant altogether.' One of the few satisfactory points in Foochow's 1901 trade figures was the increase of Hk. Tls. 1,454,000 in the "original shipments coast wise section of coast trade. Coastwise arrivals suffered from the depression in trade with the North, but better results were hoped for in the current year. Inland transit trade inwards showed the usual decline, natives preferring to pay local dues rather than take out transit passes; outwards the return was nil. Mr. Lay mentions that numerous complaints reached him that trade was in a depressed state throughout Fohkien pro- vince. The anti-opium crusaders will note with horror that the poppy is now exten- sively grown throughout the province an that, judging from the increase in the land under cultivation, it seems not unlikely that the drug may form an article of export at no distant date. The import of the foreign drug decreased at Foochow by sevens. per cent, whereas at Amoy, where the local crop was smaller than was auticipated, there was a slight increase in the import of Benares opiumi.
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