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of the previous 10 years. Cotton yarn, which, pays a mace a
picul as Ching-fei, fell from 19,140 to 402 piculs, and this decrease is the main reason for the loss under the Ching-fei heading. The tax on the rice permitted to be exported from Canton was guaranteed and paid to the Viceroy by a syndicate of interested merchants, but the permission to export has just been withdrawn owing to the enhanced price of the cereal at both Canton and Yangtze ports, and also on account of the present long spell of dry weather which threatens the spring
crop.
a
FOREIGN TRADE-(a) Imports.-The total value of foreign imports amounted to Hk. Tls.. 16,871,299, against Hk. Tls. 22,092,223 in 1902. The large proportion of the decrease is seen under the Canton trade, viz., from 17 million to 12 million taels. The chief reasons for this have already been mentioned. With the excep- tion of grey shirtings and chintzes, cotton goods show a falling off under almost every head ing, and the figures for woollens are not more encouraging. Cotton yarn was formerly carried in amounts of over 100,000 piculs a year, whereas now it has dwindled down to a few hundred. This is owing to there now being no advantage in shipping by junk. formerly, a rebate was given by the Native Customs at Canton. Taxation now being identical, it is more advantageous to send it by steamer-the more so 8.9 transit passes are thereby obtainable. Metals also show a de- crease, chiefly in copper wire, iron bars, nail-rod iron. pig iron, scrap iron, lead, steel bars, tin slabs, and tinplates. Amongst Sundries, the three kinds of kerosene-American, Russian, and Sumatra-aggregate a total of almost 5 million gallons, as compared with 4 million in the preceding year; but this is serious decrease when compared with 15 million in 1901 and 12 million in 1900. By going in chartered junks under foreign flag, and by tank steamer and lighter, the Too-li tax is evaded. Rice, as has already been mentioned, fell from nearly 5 million piculs to a little more than 1 million piculs, owing to good
show crops locally. Betel-nuts
a healthy increase of from 7.795 to 11.930 piculs, the greatest import for five years. Coal continues to increase as launches multiply up country; t is a cargo which will probably continue to find favour in junk traffic. Foreign leather, which anterior to 1900 showed only a few hundred piculs, has during the year more than trebled the import of 1902, with 7,877 piculs of a value of half a million taels. Native shoes are being soled with foreign leather to a greater and greater extent in and around Canton. Ground-nuts, matches, pepper, sapan. wood, and sharks' fins have all exceeded the preceding year's figures. On the other hand, Beche de Mer, raw cotton, cuttlefish, salt fish, flour, window glass, rattans, sandalwood, sugar. and timber all show decreases. The total value of native imports amounts to Hk. Tls. 5,016,253, as against Hk. Tls. 3,652,119, an increase more while the apparent than real, inasmuch quantities have not altered much, the prices of the commodities have greatly enhanced, as witness salt fish, which actually shows a falling off of 2,940 piculs but an increase in value of Hk.Tls. 1,130,85. This most striking anomaly in South China's main food staple is due to the fact of numerous fishing disasters; fewer boats engage in the industry, while the demand for salt fish remains unabated. The value of the native goods imported to Canton shows an increase of half a million taels.
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(b.) Exports. The value of the native pro- duce exported, ie, sent to Hongkong, amounts to Hk.Tls. 17,411,439, being only some Hk.Tls. 200,000 less than in 1902. As already pointed out, the valuable cargoes are abandoning junks in favour of steam, and in no other article is this more strikingly exemplified than in silk. In 1898, 2,399 piculs of raw silk and 4,611 piculs of silk piece-goods are recorded as exported, and in the year under notice, after lessening by degrees, we find one picul of raw silk and 650 piculs of silk piece goods, while wild silk is absent from the returns. Another item, cassia lignea, from 50,000 and 60,000 piculs; a year formerly, and 24,000 piculs in 1902, has dropped to but 22 piculs in 1903. Fresh eggs and fans, which are exported in millions, matting, silk and cotton shoes, and brown and white sugar have all decreased. Against
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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this we may record fairly large increases under the headings of gunny bags, straw mats, cattle, dried lichees, and limestone.
SHIPPING. The number of steam-launches reporting at the station during the year was 4. 49, being a decrease of 437. The number of junks was 40,088, being a falling off of 5,547. This is accounted for by there being no rice junks and fewer salt junks.
Passenger TRAFFIC.---The number of pas sengers passing the stations outwards and inwards was 312,475, being a small decrease.
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[October 8, 1904.
Bias Bay district during the last six months. The prospects of trade for the ensuing year open far from brightly.
one
BOXER AGITATION AGAIN.
Coastwise Arrivals (ie., produce exchanged between Chinese ports via the Kowloon Stations).The value of this trade amounted to Hk. Tls. 3,202,804, a very slight difference compared with the corresponding figures of Writing on the 17th September, the N.-C. 1902. Salt. again, has fallen off from 2,49 1,773 | Daily News correspondent in North Western to 1,722,865 piculs, but the value shows a de- Shantung sends some sensational news.
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In crease of some Hk. Tls. 70,000 only, owing to this region, it will be remembered perhaps, its greater value of a tael per picul at Canton there have already been several outbreaks within this year.
Regulations were issued by the a few months on account of reluctance to pay authorities at Canton ordering all salt junks the reduplicated taxes imposed by the Father- to carry certain papers issued by the Salt and-Mother officials, largely for their own Commissioner, and which are to be produced at behoof, but all of which are laid to the "forei.n our stations, absence of papers is to render contribution." A few days since, he says, the junk and cargo liable to confiscation. This numerous agents of what is openly announced has resulted in the trade bein: confined to
as a Band of Public Harmony" (I Ho Tuan) fewer boats, and possibly more strenuous in precisely the same terms as were used in efforts are being made by unauthorised boats 1899 and 1900, busied themselves in dissemina- without papers to pass the station and Saltfing "written prospectuses" of their society, Commissioner's guard-boats.
just as was done five and four years ago. He secured two copies of this document, which begins in the name of “Hung Chun" by which term is designated either nature as a whole, or according to the mythologies the first of divi. nities, who announces that on the seventh of the seventh moon of the current year the Fairy Spirit Niu Lang (the “Milkman” or Cowherd of Chinese superstition, fabled to mest his celestial bride for a single night only at this OPIUM. The importation of foreign opium date) will begin to operate, and all men are to into China by junks passing the stations in this wait upon his movements, keeping lamps burn- district during 1903 was 727 piculs of the rawing all night. Every member of every family. drug and 3 piculs boiled, as against 909 piculs old and young, male and female, must wear a raw in 1902-a decrease of 20 per cent. With red strip of cloth about the head (just as in the exception of 1902, when, owing to the short- 1901) and burn inveuse three times with faces ness of the native opium crops, there was an to the south-east. During the entire night ne exceptional import, these are the highest figures is allowed to sleep, and if any should since 1893. The stocks of the various kinds of be disobedient, Niu Lang would be unadle opium in Hongkong at the beginning of the to descend to his "altar " to save mankind from year aggregated 6,906 chests. During the their woes. The same ceremonies are to be year the arrivals amounted to 45,933§ chests. observed on the 15th of the 7th moon. From making a total of 52.840 chests to be accounted the 1st of the 8th moon to the 15th, a full for. There were exported to Shanghai, East half-moon, no one is allowed to eat meat or to Coast ports, Canton, Macao, Kwangchowwan, drink wine. If this rule is violated all the family, West Coast, and used for local consumption, old and youug, are certain to be injured by 47.356 chests, leaving 5,484 chests in stock at the foreigners (yang jen ").
For three days no close of the year. There also passed through one is to light any fire, for should this be done Hongkong 94 chests of native opium. The prices it will be impossible to fend off the guns and per chest for Bengal drug in Hongkong were: cannons of the foreigner. Ou the ninth fo Benares and Patua, opening at $99 and $995 the ninth moon, foreigners are to be exter- respectively, gradually advanced to $1,0924 and miasted root and brauch (chion tsao ch'ti ken), $1.115 in the middle of March, but again de- All the gods and spirits will then protect all- clined to $1.005 for Benares and $1,010 for Patna under-bearen which will be pe.ceful, the in May. At the end of May, owing to a report five grains will be produced in abundance. that has not been confirmed that the Szechwan All persons are to assist in propagating this notification. A single sheet will ward off the calamities of one individual, three copios circulated will ward off ills from a - whole family, ten sheets will do the same for an entire village, so that they can all learn the principles of the I Ho T'uan, or Harmony Band. Thirty copies of this shest will induce super- natural manifestations. The notice closes with a reminder that the 7th of the 7th moon, the 8th of the Sth moon, and the 9th of the 9th moon are the dates when fire is contra indicated. In a closing line one is informed that the boards on which this document is cut are kept in the Jui Hsing block-cutting shop, on the west side of the You Shou Monastery street" in Peking. To each copy the name of the individual who circulates it is appended. In every way these openly issued and widely scattered circulars are noteworthy. The attention of the pro- per authorities has been called to the fact. ·
opium crop had suffered injury, a demand sprung up and prices increased till they reached $1,080 for Benares and $1.85 for Patna in July. In the latter part of July, owing to heavy fluctuations in Calcutta, prices declined to $1.040 for new Patna and Benares. In August the prices of Bengal drug rose to 81.070 and steadily increased, owing to the firmer market in Calcutta, until at the end of the year the price for Benares and Patna stood at $1.250, the highest quotation on record. Malwa rates opened at $960 por chest for new and $1,000 to $1,060 for old, and continued with slight fluctua- tions about those prices throughout the year. I am told that on the whole business has been profitable, and that neither importers nor Chin. ese dealers have any cause for complaint. On the 1st August the privileges of the Opium Farmer in Hongkong were sold by tender by the Gotern-
ment.
The purchasers were the present farmers who. for the three years March 1904 to March 1907. bid the sum of $2,200,000 per annum, or nearly three times the sum paid for the present tenure, $750,000 a year. During the year 4,312 chests of opium were shipped to Macao and 1,664 to Kwangchowwan. While the amount sent to Macao shows a falling off of some 673 chests. the figures to Kwangchowwan hare doubled those of 1901, and are 617 chests ahead of 1902!
MISCELLANEOUS. As money was tight and interest high, native bankers had a profitable year. Unfortunately, property on sea and on land is not as secure from molestation as it might be. The pirate and robber, while neither so frequent nor so bold in their depredations now as in former years, still carry on their nefarious trade. Six piracy cases were reported from the vicinity of Taishan, in the Canton River estuary, and 18 cases from the East Coast
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VOLUNTEERING IN HONGKONG. In view of the attention aroused by His Excellency the Governor's energy regarding volunteering in Hongkong, we think the follow- ing interesting particulars might be of service to those young men in the Colony who for some unaccountable reason still decline to enroll themselves in the corps. At the same time, while regretting that the response to the appeal for new members has not been more general, we are glad to learn that recruiting is steadily going on, and that quite a number have joined recently. To those who are in the considering stage, we would point out that the present is the time to join, as it is now the opening of the season, and the camp of instruction will be held from the 21st to the 31st proximo.
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