October 8, 1904.]
FOREIGN TRADE.-(a.) Imports. The total value of this branch of the trade, Hk. Tls. 5,032,627, shows a decline of Hk. Tls. 537,468. This is eminently satisfactory considering that the 1902 total, Hk. Tls. 5,570,095, was enhanced to the extent of Hk. Tls. 2,525,405 by the abnormal importation of Rice and Paddy, whereas for the year under review the estimated value of these cereals amounts only to Hk. Tls. 1,129,548, thanks to a good harvest, thus leaving, if grain be eliminated, a net increase of some Hk. Tls. 900,000. About one-half of this gain, apart from the loss under Opium receipts, referred to in the remarks under that heading, is to be accounted for by the increased quantity and higher value of Indian Yarn which passed our Stations, more especially for Tungkan and Chantsun, to the value of Hk. Ils. 1,162,698, against Hk. Tls. 692,810 in the previous year. There is a better demand now for this article, which the country districts require for cloth weaving, and the reduction of 40 per cent, on Foreign tariff rate, allowed at Lappa, naturally encourages its pass- ing our Stations.
White Shirtings fell off 30 per cent., while Grey Shirtings remained station- ary. Receipts of Shirtings-Dyed, Figured, etc.-have increased from 8,461 to 11,899 pieces, and Unclassed Cotton Goods, from 30,597 to 39,087 pieces, to which fabrics of Japanese oriz in contri- buted no less than 24,835 pieces. This class of goods is steadily advancing, owing to a growing demand in Sanning, Cheungsha, Sanui, Yeung- kong, and other markattowns in Shiuhing The inhabitants of these localities are said to prefer them, not alone because of their cheapness, but also for their suitablity in the making of clothes and articles of household use. The trade in Metals of all kinds shows an improvement, and as to Sundries there is a general mark of progress. The importation of Kerosene Oil eclipses all previous records, amounting to 2,336,820 gallons, or an estimated gain of Hk. Tls. 289,282 in value; this unprecedented importation is, in the first instance, largely due to the reduction of the Ching-fei tax, from 85 to 83 per 100 cases, whereby a quantity of Oil, which previously reached the interior v á Canton under Transit documents, was attracted through the Lappa Stations; and, in the second instance, to the prevalency of piracy, which causes merchants to send, in lieu of remitting money in exchange for Native produce, a commodity in general request and one which does not offer such temptation to pirates.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
267
that dealers availed of the return trip of well-guarded silk-boat trading regularly be- tween Lappa and Shuntak rather than incur the greater risks of robbery involved in forwarding consignments to the above city through Canton. It will be noticed that the falling off to Sanning and Cheungsha, etc., is more marked than ever. Unless, as indicated in my previous Report, measures are adopted to secure that the trade shall follow legitimately its natural route, the day cannot be far distant when the Lappa revenue derived from Opium will cease to be of much importance. "The Macao Opium farmer received during the year 3,130 chests; of this quantity, his reported boilings down for local consumption were 893 picu's, that is, 72 picals less than in 1902, and he reported 2,423 piculs as shipped to American and Australian ports, or 719 piculs less than n the previous year.
Commissioner J. R. Brazier's report for the year 1903 embraced the following items:
to Samshui, whence they are shipped by stea mers, e.g., 1,685,395 pieces were carried away by West River steamers, against 715,552 pieces in 190 and 1,238,796 pieces in 1902. Another staple article of export, Brown Sugar, shows a marked decrease, of 93,928 picals, valued at Hk. Tls. 320,024. To what is this notable fall- ing off attributable ? The 1902 harvest, the bulk of which would not be ready for export before the beginning of 1903, was reported to be a short one, and this point should be allowed due weight in forming an opinion as to the cause of the marked decline in question. A minor portion of the 1903 crop, which was a good one, came forward for shipment towards the end of the December quarter. It is a noteworthy fact, however, that not a single picul passed our Tangho Station, as against 20,000 piculs in the previous year. When it is considered that Luichow is the chief sugar-producing district, and that the west coast is served by an incre is- ing number of steam craft, as already noted in the case of Mats, the inference is plain that KOWLƆON TRADE REPORT. much of this cargo is ceasing to be junk borne, dealers having commenced to ship their merchan.. dise by steamers direct to Hongkong or Macao on payment of Export Duty only, thus escaping further levy at the Lappa or Kowloon Stations. Moreover, not only do these steamers carry cargo cheaper and more quickly than junks, but, what is of greater importance still, they are less likely to be attacked by the pirates who infest the entire coast, for during the year several of the large west-coast trading junks were pirated. Furthermore, better prices have been offering at Kongmoon than at Macao with the result that sugar from Luichow or Yeungkong has been sold at Kongmoon, whence it may have been exported in West River steamers. Also Leaf Tobacco shows a decrease of nearly 9,715 piculs, representing a value of Hk. Tls. 177,761, and this in spite of the fact that the crop was reported to be an excellent one-a decrease also probably due to shipments direct to Hongkong by steamer. Of articles of export, the only ones which show marked increase are Whole Silk Cocoons and Fired Black Tea; the former advanced from 467 to 1,001 piculs, and the latter, from 8.342 to 11,557 picals. Owing to handsome profits having been made in the preced ng year, owners of filatures, silkworm rearers, mulberry growers, etc.. were stimulated to greater exertion in the develop ment of this trade, although it is said that several filatures which were established in Shuntak city and its vicinity have not found a speculative success.
OPIUM.-(1.) Foreign-The total quantity of Raw Opium paying Duty and Likin amounted to 1,42 piculs, thus showing a decrease of 487 piculs. In addition to 1,089 piculs appearing in our Returns, steamers plying on the Macao- Samshui line carried to Kongmoon and Kumchuk 328 piculs, and the Duty and Likin paid balance of 4 piculs had not entered China on the last day of the year. Reference to Table No. 12, Destination of Opium, shows that there has been a decline in respect of even the districts under the immediate control of this office, and this disagreeable feature of the table is emphasised by the fact that there was a simultaneous decline of 152 piculs imported by steamers into Kongmoon and Kumchak. The following figures exhibit, according to Hong- kong statistics, the quantities of Opium declared as shipped thence to Kwangchowwan, for a period of three years :-
Exports. The value of the Export trade is Hk. Tls. 5,527,690, that is, Hk. Tls. 400,488 less than in the previous year and a decrease of Hk. Tls. 718,927 as compared with the year 1901. The decline is even
more serious than the figures quoted would appear to indicate to appreciate their full significance the fact that the prices of many commodities-notably Silk- have risen considerably, must be taken into account, with the result that the total values are increased to an extent that is calculated to produce an erroneous impression and conceal the fact that the Export trade has declined. In illustration of this, the nine leading articles of export, excluding Rice, amount in value to Hk. Tls. 3,303,152, whereas if their value is computed in accordance with the value list of 1902, they would amount to only Hk. Tls. 2,521,154. In other words, there is a quanti tative decline in the principal articles of Native produce exported equivalent in value terms to Hk. Tls. 782,000. To state the mat- ter in another way, the comparative table of the principal articles of export shows that of 29 items, exclusive of Rice and Paddy, no less than 21 show a decrease more or less important, while the detailed table of Ex- ports reveals the fact that out of 123 items nearly while for the same period the figures for Lapps
80 have declined in quantity. The diversion of Mats from Native craft to steamers, referred to in my Report on the trade of 1902, was still more marked during the year under review, which shows a further decrease, of 5,262,564 pieces, representing a value of Hk. Tls 243,195. There were no less than six small steamers, one, of 237 tons, flying the Portuguese flag, running, more or less regularly, from March to Septembor between Kwangchowwan, Hongkong, and Macao, whose cargo consisted largely of Mats, which would otherwise have been carried in junks through our Stations. A subordinate reason for this decrease is that considerable consignments of Mata are finding their way from Shiuhing--a secondary seat of the industry
are :---
1901.
Piculs.
974
1901.
Piouls.
1,611
1902.
Piculs. 1,224
1902.
Piculs. .1908
1903.
Piculs. 1,807
1903.
Picula. 1,121
Apart from the increase vid Lappa in 1902, as explained in my Report for that year, due to a special and transient cause, the latter figures show unmistakable symptoms of decline, and of a decline that, under existing conditions, is certain to be permanent, while the Kwang chowwan trade is surely and rapidly acquiring & volume which promises to overshadow the figures attained to by Lappa in former years. The reason for the marked increase credited to Shuntakshing is explained by the fact
[
Of the total value of the trade taken cognizance of by this office, amounting to 42 million taels, no less than 90 per cent. passes the stations on the Canton River estuary. Our figures, therefore, are largely affected by any change of condition in that district, either climatic or fiscal. Of the 37 million taels worth of goods junk-borne in the delta, 16 million taels represent the value of foreign imports, 6 million taels the value of native imports, and 154 million taels the native exports to Hongkong, roughly speaking. These figures all show a falling-off from those of the previous year, and three circumstances, for the most part, account for the decrease the disaffection and partial famine in Kwangsi in the early part of the year; then the very plentiful rice crops in summer and autumn, causing a large decrease in rice import and, finally, the fluctuating exchange. The une rtainty as to the outcome of the Kwangsi troubles rendered property insecure, and no more goods were imported than could be actually sold and got rid of without the risk of indefinite storage. The import of rice and paddy fell from over 5,000,000 piculs in 1902 to under 2,000,000 piculs during the year under review. There were large stocks in hand, and the summer and autuma crops were so good that rice was even permitted to be exported for a while Exchange fluctuations rendered com- mercial transactions most difficult and per- plexing. The average demand value for the Mexican dollar here for the March quarter was about 1s. 7d., for the June quarter la. 8d., and for the last two quarters of the year between 18. 9d. and 18. 10d. The lowest rate was in the end of January and beginning of February, 18. 6 13-16d., and the highest in the beginning of September, 1a. 10 11-16d., a difference of practically 4d.! Copper cash, too, have fallen from 935 for a dollar in the first half of the year to 900 at its close. These same reasons account in a large measure for the falling off in native goods imported and exported by junk; but another important cause is that all the more valuable cargoes, such as silk, yarn, cassia, etc., are seeking steamer conveyance, especially since the control of the Native Customs at Canton came under the Foreign Inspectorate.
*
The total revenue for the year, Tls. 326,800, shows a decrease of Tls. 29,276 on the figures of the previous year, and is the smallest collec- tion on record. A fourth of this amount is duty and likin on opium; but, of course, it is to be remembered that while we collect the likin and Ching-fei on general imports for Canton at Taishan and Lintin, the duty is payable at Canton, and that all dues leviable on exports from Canton or elsewhere are payable at the port of origin, and nothing but the very little cargo from neighbouring places pays' at Tai-, shan. There is a shrinkage under each duty heading except imports. This increase in im- ports is accounted for by larger quantities of goods of the "Sundries" order, chiefly kerosene oil, taken by other places than Canton. With development of steam towage, as a safeguard against piracy, the import heading will be still further augmented. The duty and likin on opium, although less than that of 1902 by some Tis. 19,000, is the largest collection
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