The-Hong-Kong-Weekly-Press-1904-06-27 — Page 11

June 27, 1904.]

by the promptness and energy of the police that the fire was prevented from spreading to a much greater extent in that thickly planted district.

Clearing-An unusual amount of the time of the forestry staff has been occupied in clear- ing the ground for public works.

Planting. The planting was unusually limit ed in extent owing to the partial failure of the pine seedling crop.

Protection. The fire-barriers were cleaned throughout and extended to protect new plan- tations near the Taipo Road in the New Territory.

CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.

THE TRADE OF HOIHOW.

THE TRADE OF HOIHOW.

trade of Kiungchow (Hoihow), for the year Mr. Consul Werner, in his Report on the 1903 says :--

years

As regards the total volume of trade in forein vessels during the last 10 years, the year 1903 rinks fourth. The last five show an increase on the first five, the conclusion of the decade, severally and collectively, also being that the trade of Hoihow in foreign vessels (which, Hoihow being the only open port, is equivalent to the foreign trade of AGR CULTURAL, EXPERIMENTS. In February the

Hainan) is steadily increasing, the fluctuations crop of sugar-cane obtained

from from cuttings procured by the Government in its onward progress.

year to

year being merely the undulations from the Straits Settlements and Honolulu was

The trade during 1902 ready for cutting distribution. 10.000 cuttings said to have held its place as an average year

was abnormally great, and that of 1903 were offered to farmers in the New Territory of the last half decade. in spite of many without charge. and nine applicants were sup-adverse conditions. Thus remark applies only to plied with various quantities through the trade in vessels of foreign type (there being Police.

which, however. probably rises or falls in har mony with the general prosperity or adversity approximate statistics only of the junk trade),

of the inhabitants of the island.

Mr. Li Pak's estate at Castle Peak, which takes the place of a Colonial experimental farm produced 25 mow of these canes in 1901 besides 45 mow of Chinese varieties, and the

percentages. of sugar given below show the former to be a valuable improvement upon the canes hitherto grown in the Territory:

Weight Weight Weight of Cane. of Juice, of Sugar.

owner.

100

55.0

510

48.3

may

476

£26,336 than in 1902), the total value of the trade being thus less hy £90,478. The very . large increase of the two previous years was

of the islands. The imports and exports from practically annihilated. the causes being iden- tical with those which affected the total trade

and to all other places were represented in 1903 by the balance of £17.060 and £10,441 respec-

tively.

chiefly Pakhoi and Swatow, as stated above was The value of imports from other treaty ports, greater than in 1902 by £6.053. This small and capricions portion of the trade would seem to consist of the exchange of native commodities peculiar to, or more cheaply produced in, their several localities, and is probably dependent to a large extent upon opportunities of freight by the comparatively few be

steamers which ply between Hoihow and the ports abovementioned. There has been no revival of the re-export trade from Hoihow to the French free port of Kwang-chou-wan. which existed during the to foreign trade. The extra expense involved the free port to Hoihow is a sufficient reason for first three years after the opening of that port

in first bringing the merchandise destined for

to be resuscitated. believing that this small local trade is not likely

during the year 1903 was €597.208. 12s. 6d.. the The total value of the trade of Kiungchow equivalent at 28. 74d. of 4.532,176 taels. In comparison with the total trade of 1902, the highest on record, this is less by £127.403. The decrease would have been slightly greater but for the difference in the rate of exchange, since the average value of the Haikuan tael, which was 28. 7 15d. in 1902, was 2s. 74d. in 1903.

the

The main cause of the decrease was abundant rice harvest, the natives being able to supply their own wants almost entirely from months of the year, when the abundant rainfalls the rice grown in the island during the last nine fully compensated for the drought of the first quarter.

lost by

In the matter of

4.4

Honolulu.

9.3 Province Wellesley 100

8.8 Chinese.

100

80 Some difficulties were encountered in bring- ing the sugar to a marketable condition: the prices obtained were not satisfactory and much below the best prices of Chinese sugar. however, the Castle Peak sugar from native As canes was poorer in quality than that from foreign canes the fault was clearly in the manu- facture and not in the nw canes. The price in the local Chinese market is said to depend total value of £335,464. being £104.601 less than Imports. Foreign goods were imported to the largely upon the reputation of the man who in 1902, and £4,137 less than in 1901. As the superintends the process of sugar-ma ing, and increase in 1902 was due to the import of large an experienced man would probably be well quantities of rice to meet the failure of local worth his salary of $1.50 to $2.00 per diem. The experiments in other vegetables and fruits the absence of this necessity, the amount crops, so the decrease in 1903 was due to have been energetically pursued by Mr. Li Pak! saved by heavenly favours bestowed upon during the year. and it is satisfactory to hear the island during the latter year being that the results, while of much value to the more than two-thirds of the sum Colony, have not been unremunerative to the their lack in the former one.

The most suitable vegetables for market rice, taken by itself, the foreigner's gain is the purposes have proved during the year to be native's loss, and vice versa. There would. tomatoes. English cabbage. turnips, globe lowerer. seem to be a relation between the artichokes, and French beans,

English potatoes should be profitable in

saving of money on rice and the purchase of a greater quantity of cotton goods, these two land plentifully supplied with water. These articles carving together in a remarkable vegetables find a ready market because the introduction of better varieties and different failure of the rice crops obliges the native to Put simply, it may be said that if cultivation has supplied a want that the old-buy his rice abroad instead of growing it at fashioned methods could not meet. In the home, he will not indulge in a case of produce already grown

new cotton quantities in the Chinese nursery gardens and to less hard times. Native imports, chiefly in large garment, but will postpone the purchase of it sold at very low prices, such as Chinese cabbage. from other southern ports, rose from £431 in cauliflower, Chinese varieties of turnip, lettuce. 1902 to £6,484 in 1903, which is £5.386 more prickly spinach. leeks and sweet potatoes, there than in 1901. This insi:nificant portion of the is no room for competition. As regards fruit. total trade represents small quantities of rice. a quantity of melons have been produced and tinfoil. native cloth. hemp, vegetable seed, and have found a ready and profitable market in beans and peas. in the order named, rice Hongkong. Guavas, wampis and papaws are accounting for more than half of the total value. too cheap to repay cultivation, but it is worth the consideration of capitalists whether the very exports continued in 1903. The figures for the The decline in 1902 in the total value of cheapness of these and other fruits and also two years are £284.116 and £261,625 respec- of some vegetables such as green peas does not tively. This is lower than the total value of offer opportunities for a profitable tinning or any of the last five years except 1900. The preserving establishment in the Colony. A continued fall in the export of sugar. both large amount of jams and tinned vegetables brown and white, would alone more than account must be consumed annually in Hongkon and for the decrease, which would have been Manila, and locally grown produce should easily compete with imported preserves.

It is a matter for surprise that no pineapple canning factory has been set up hitherto in Hongkong, considering the large and increas. ing amount of this fruit produced here. and with the example of the success that has at tended this industry in Singapore.

York Times :-

mauner.

considerably greater had not the export of pigs,

cattle, &c.. or rather their value.

dingly increased.

correspon-

Of foreign goods a small quantity, valued at No native imported goods were re-exported. £74. was re-exported to foreign countries and Hongkong, and a still smaller quantity, valued at £15, to the southern treaty ports, making a to al of £119 (compared with £179 in 1902) for This is from the New

foreign goods re-exported during the year. American friendship for China is an example extent the feeder of the markets of Hongkong The Island of Hainan being to a large of the striking effect of background. With all respect to our English and Continental friends, and Canton, most of the trade is transacted it is their behaviour to the Chinese that makes with those two places, that for Canton passing us appear, by contrast to them, like a fairly through Hongkong. The imports from that honest and courteous gentleman among a band less by £64.142 than in 1902), and the exports colony in 1903 were valued at‍ £318,404 (being of plunderers.

to it from Hoihow at 251.18 (being less by

smug-

The steady decline in the import of for sign opium, the ralue of which last year was only one-fourth of that in 1899, may safely be ascribed to successful gling. Brought duty-free to Kwang-chou- wan. it is thence shipped in native junks to Pu Ch'ien, a good harbour on the northern coast of the island, whence it spreads inland. Probably an additional reason for the decline in the purchase of the foreign drug was the greater Yunnan, which had been retarded in 1902 by import of that manufactured in Kueichou and

the unrest

in the province of Kuang Hei. The figures for foreign opium (nearly all of which is Patna) for 1901. 1902, and 1903 were £35.873, £35,669 and £18.075 respectively The import in 1903 of native opium, as given in the returns of the native custom-house (now under the superintendence. but not under the control, of the maritime customs) was 16,533 lbs. (avoir.), valued at about £15,840. This is less in quantity but more in value than in 1902,

valued at about £9,040.

when the figures were 19.220 lbs. (avoir.)

The recovery of cotton goods was the principal feature of the import trade of the year. The total value (£94.378). as compared with 1901. is a decrease of £21,389, but as compared with 1902 an increase of £30,745.

Indian cotton yarn is most in demand, and represents no less than £60,766 of the totál value of cotton goods.

Woollen goods showed a slight improvement, the value imported being £4,491 as against 4.244. an increase of £247, but the total still

£6.818) and 1901 (£5.975); falls far short of the high figures of 1900

Of the three kinds of oil imported-American, Russian and Sumatran --American is still most

in favour, whereas no Russian oil was imported during the year. The explanation of kerosene brought from so great a distance being preferred to the Sumatran oil is that the former can be burnt in native lamps having little draught, the latter being less suitable for this purpose. The enormous quantity of American kerosene im-

ported in 1991 was, however, not equalled in 1903, but there was a considerable increase over the figures of 1902. The quantities and values for the three years, as will be seen from the annexed tables were as follows:-1901, 1,260,070 gallons. valued at £32,317: 1902, 631.090 gallons, at £25.881. The value of the Sumatran oil im- valued at £13.986 : 1903, 892,190 gallons, valued

ported was £1.709 less than in 1902. the figures (4.615): 1902. 415.480 gallons (£8,334); 1903, for 1901-03 being:-1901, -200.810 gallons 27.191 gallons (£6.625).

The only other import requiring comment is of rice. As stated the all-important one

the above. the abundant harvests enabled natives to supply their own wants with com- the value of rice imported during 1903 was less paratively little external aid, and in consequence than in the previous year by £150.784. The quantities and values were respectively---1902. 606,375 cwts.. valued at £200.635; 1903, 129,588

cwts., valued at £49.901.

of goods. The list of goods not imported given No tendency is shown to import new classes

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