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“...6
NEWCHWANG.
time was being displaced from this market by foreign sheetings and;
drills, is increasing at a more rapid rate than either of the latter, and
the competition of Chinese sheetings from the Shanghai mills is also
making itself seriously felt. During the year under review 165,646
pieces of these sheetings were imported as compared with 35,861 pieces
in 1908. The low exchange has, of course, given the native a great
advantage over the foreign article.
Japanese competition is felt most acutely by British goods in the
yarn trade. The sale is most energetically pushed by the ring control-
ling the Japanese product. In 1909 the import of Japanese yarn into
Newchwang was 36,822 cwts., but 132,938 cwts. were also imported
from Japan into Manchuria via Dairen as against only 50,032 cwts.
from other countries. The import of native yarn into Newchwang
was 7,892 cwts. and of British yarn 1,384 cwts.
Metals.The import of metals was only 94,860?., a slight decrease
on the figures of 1908....”
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“...very hardly too on the foreign oil companies
which, have sunk capital in tanks and buildings afc this port.
Flour.It will be noticed that foreign flour has disappeared from
the returns of 1909. The quantity entering the port has of recent
years been steadily diminishing, although in 1907 no less than
477,170 cwts. were imported. It has been replaced localfy by machine-
made flour from Shanghai, of which the import was 154,941. cwts.,
and in the interior by the product of the Eussian and Japanese mills
in Northern and Central Manchuria. The low price of silver in 1909
made it impossible for foreign flour, which has come in the past almost
entirely from the United States, to compete with the native article.
Cigarettes.The cigarette trade, which is largely in the hands
of the British-American Tobacco Company, is being pushed by them
with great energy. The company has to contend with the very power-
ful opposition of the Japanese monopoly bureau, which, as a Govern-
ment concern, is in many respects...”
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“... great, until the port closed at the end of November, to
prevent prices from rising to any undue extent, so that the year was
a most profitable one for every one connected with the trade.
Beans.The quantity of beans exported from Newchwang in 1909,
viz., 4,242,953 cwts., has only once been exceeded, namely, in 1899,
that is before the port of Dairen came into existence, when the export
was 5,215,960 cwts. About 86 per cent, of the beans exported went
to South China to be converted in the oil mills at Canton, Swatow
and Amoy into bean cake for use as manure in the sugarfields.
Bean cake.The export of bean cake on the other hand has beaten
all previous records. Notwithstanding the large quantities also sent
to Japan from Dairen, the demand from that country, where, owing
to the dearth of fish manure, bean cake has become indispensable
as a fertiliser for the ricefields, was greater than in any previous
year. Out of the 6,365,654 cwts. exported, 5,514,603 cwts., or 86 per
cent., went to Japan...”
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“...in which the cake was stowed were specially ven-
tilated so that it should have as much air as possible. The general
impression, however, is that the shipment was also a failure and that
it is impossible to get bean cake home via the tropics in good condition.
The majority of the bean cake exported from Newchwang is
manufactured locally. There are 20 bean mills in all at this port,
10 of them operated by steam and 10 worked by animal labour, and
there are three new steam mills in the course of erection. The daily
capacity of the 10 steam mills is 27,000 pieces of bean cake and 1,242
piculs (1,478 cwts.) of oil, and of the other mills 9,500 pieces of bean
cake and 437 piculs (520 cwts.) of oil. The bean cakes average 53 catties
(70 lbs.) in weight.
Bean oil.The total quantity of bean oil exported was 653,771 cwts.
The great market for this oil is South China, where it is mainly used
for cooking purposes as a substitute for lard, which is a more expensive
commodity. In spite of its unpleasant...”
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“...6£. 5s. per ton, the
highest point it has touched as yet.
At the price mentioned China and Japan are practically out of
the market as buyers, and about 80 per cent, of the purchases of beans
made since December, 1909, have been for the European market
where, fortunately for the firms concerned, the price has risen in
sympathy with the local market. The result for the chief industry
of Southern Manchuriathe manufacture of bean cakehas been
most unfortunate, for lack of beans has compelled the mills every-
where to suspend or curtail work, and Newchwang has suffered equally
with other manufacturing centres. Whereas during previous winters
thousands of carts have come to the port weekly, loaded with beans,
bean cake and other produce, this year has witnessed a complete
cessation of the cart traffic from all distant places and a great fafiing-
off in the traffic even from the immediate neighbourhood. The farmers
have been able for the first time in their experience to dispose of
their crops...”
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