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“...ivhole.In addition to the
causes of depression mentioned above, which were more or less generally
operative throughout China, there were circumstances which adversely
affected the demand for foreign goods in various localities. Thus in
large areas in the province of Shantung the crops were practically
destroyed by drought followed by floods, and famine was only averted
by timely imports of cereals from Manchuria and Chihli, beans and
sesamum from Kiangsu, rice from Wuhu, native flour from the mills...”
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“...the resumption of increased
imports to meet a fresh demand.
Cotton yarn.The total import of cotton yarn amounted to
243,031,067 lbs. in 1908 against 303,122,531 lbs. in 1907, a decrease
of 60,091,464 lbs., chiefly marked in Indian yarn. The increasing
competition of Japanese yarn has been noted by observers in several
places, but as the table shows the total import of Japanese yarn
shared in the general depression. The output of native cotton mills
is constantly on the increase, and this tends to diminish the import
of foreign yarn. The cotton mills in Shanghai were busy throughout
the year and made good profits ; a cotton mill established two or
three years ago at Ningpo has a steadily increasing output; and a
new cotton spinning and weaving factory was opened near Tsingtau
in the autumn of 1908. His Majesty's Consul at Swatow reports that
Japanese yarn is coming into favour there, being more suitable for the
native hand looms than either the Indian or the Manchester variety. u...”
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“...the American. There were four flour
mills at Hankow, but none of them did well in 1908, the low exchange
precluding the use of American wheat. The growing competition of
Manchurian flour is felt in many places. It is reported from New-
chwang that some of the large Manchurian mills in Japanese hands
are encouraging the use of the native product in the south, and the
Russian mills around Harbin are doing the same in the north of
Manchuria. The Chinese embargo on the export of cereals from
Manchuria was removed during the year, and some of the Manchurian
wheat is being even exported to Japan.
The decrease in the import of rice was as marked as that in the
import of flour and due to the same causes, the quantity falling from
about 760,000 tons in 1907 to 401,000 tons in 1908.
Machinery and fittings.The value of machinery imported in 1908,
though less than in 1907, was again much greater than in previous
years, and is likely to increase as Chinese mills and factories of all
kinds are constantly...”
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“...CHINA.
71
Other industries.I have already mentioned new developments
in the way of cotton mills and woollen factories, and I add here a few
notes on various other industrial undertakings on 1908, extracted
from recent reports of His Majesty's Consuls.
Cigarette factories.The import is noted of over 1,000?. worth of
cigarette papers during 1908 for the British Cigarette Company's
factory at Hankow. A Chinese cigarette factory established some
years ago at Yenchow in Shantung raised new capital in 1908 and
started a branch at Chilian, its object being to compete with the
British-American Tobacco Company. Its most effective competition
took the form of imitating the cigarettes of the rival company.
Glass factories.A new factory was opened at Chungking by a
Chinese student returned from Japan with Japanese machinery and
two Japanese employes. It has to compete with 15 native glass
factories in the same place. At Hankow a native glass factory was
unsuccessful from want of expert blowers and...”
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