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“...No. 4967 Annual Series.
DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR REPORTS.
TEADE OF CHEFOO.
Edited at the Foreign Office and the Board of Trade.
REFERENCE TO PREVIOUS REPORT, Annual Series No. 4724.
Presented to both Houses of Parliament by Command of His Majesty,
LONDON:
PUBLISHED BY IIIS MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE.
To be purchased, either directly or through any Bookseller, from
WYMAN and SONS, Ltd., Fettkh Lake, E.C., and 32, Adixodon Street, S.W.; or
OLIVER and BOYD, Tweeddale Court, Edinuurou ; or
E. PONSONJ3Y, Ltd., 116, Grafton Street, Dudltn.
pbinted by
HARRISON and SONS, Printers in Ordinary to Hig Majesty,
45-47, St. Martin's Lane, W.C.
REPORT FOR THE YEAR 1911
on the
AUGUST, 1912.
[Od. 6005—140.]
1912.
Price One Penny....”
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“...4
Population.
Area.
Popula-
tion.
Products.
Prefectures— Sq. miles.
Tengchow-fu 5,700 3,000.000 Mineral, cereals, silk and pongee
Ch'ingchou-fu ... 10,300 4.600,000 Silk, cutlery, basket work
Laichou-fu 5,200 2,100,000 Straw braid, raw silk, pongee, marble,
soaps tone
Towns—
Chefoo...... 80,000 to Cereals, fruits, pongee, raw silk, lace
90,000
Ping Tu...... ... Wheat, bean oil, bean cake, straw
braid
Wei-hsien 100,000 Wheat, beans, millet, coal, straw
braid
Ninghaichou Vermicelli, silk pongee
Huang-hsien ... ... Vermicelli...”
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“...4967. Annual Series.
Reference to previous Report, Annual Series No. 4724.
Report on the Trade of Chefoo for the Year 1911'
By Mu. Acting Consul Porter.
Net value of trade.—The trade of Chefoo in 1911 was unsatis-
factory, and there was a number of failures among the Chinese
merchants, including one of the oldest-established mercantile and
banking firms in the port. Apart from the opium dealers, whose
monopoly ensured them a good year, and a few retail shops selling
"miscellaneous goods, business generally proved unprofitable.
The net value of the trade was 30,570,544 Haikuan taels
(4,115,877/.) as compared with 30,195,783 Haikuan taels (4,065,422/.)
in 1910 (see note on page 6), showing an increase over 1910 of 374,761
Haikuan taels (50,455/.), which, considering the highly adverse con-
ditions which prevailed during the greater part of the year, tends to
show that the trade of Chefoo rests on a solid foundation and only
needs a little of the encouragement which has so far been withheld...”
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“...6
CHEFOO.
started at Wuchang in October soon spread over the greater part of
China, and on November 13 Chefoo followed the example of many
other places and established a Provisional Government of its own.
The effect of this was at first to produce an almost complete dis-
location of normal business. Imports had to be paid for in advance,
credit ceased, and importers had to sell on arrival in order to procure
money with which to buy fresh stocks. The import of cocoons from
Manchuria for the Chefoo silk filatures suffered considerable delay,
while the usual practice of laying down large stocks of cargo in the
autumn was abandoned. Native bank notes ceased to be negotiable,
while even some foreign bank notes circulated only at a considerable
discount.
This uncomfortable state of affairs lasted until the excellent order
maintained by the Provisional Government restored in some measure
public confidence, and trade had practically resumed normal con-
ditions by the end of the year.
The following...”
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“...CHEFOO.
7
It is noteworthy that out of the total import of Indian opium
only about 320 lbs. Benares opium was imported from abroad, the
remainder being re-exported from native ports.
The total value of Indian opium remaining in stock in the dealers'
hands is estimated at 5,000?. and of native opium, 13,000?.
Cotton goods.—Trade in cotton goods was inconsiderable, owing to
old stocks not having been cleared off and lack of money due to
failure of the crops.
Increase and decrease were fairly evenly distributed over all the
items under this head, the principal increases being in grey shirtings
(British), jeans, T-cloths, cotton lastings and figured shirtings, while
there was a considerable decline in American and Japanese grey
shirtings, British and Indian sheetings, dyed shirtings, dyed T-cloths
—which fell off almost to extinction—handkerchiefs, towels and
British and Hong-Kong cotton yarn.
Kerosene oil.—Sumatra oil has again disappeared from the list.
The gross import of American...”
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“...8
CHEFOO.
from 085 to 1"10 taels as compared with 1910 figures of 1'50 to
1"90 taels landed in Chefoo. The year as a whole did not prove a
profitable one for shippers.
Exports— The total value of exports from Chefoo in 1911 was
1,873,656£. against 1,983,399^., showing a further falling-off from the
exceptionally high figures of 1909, the decline being fairly evenly
distributed among all the principal articles of export, such as silk,
pongees, groundnuts and vermicelli.
Pongees.—Like everything else, the pongee trade received a severe
setback in the early part of the year owing to the strict quarantine
enforced on the outbreak of plague. ' Dealers were unable to settle
much business until June, and stocks having accumulated, prices
ruled low. This, with the favourable rate of exchange, enabled
European buyers to indulge in profitable speculation.
Heavy rains in August seriously damaged many of the native
weaving establishments, which have the larger portion of their
'structure underground...”
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“...CHEFOO.
9
Shipping.—Shipping under the General Regulations suffered
severely from the quarantine measures instituted against Chefoo on
account of plague in the first part of 1911, being lower, in both
numbers and tonnage, than in any year in the past decade save 1904,
when the Eusso-Japanese war dislocated traffic. The total decrease
in tonnage in the first five months of 1911 amounted to 526,012 tons,
which was, however, reduced by the end of the year to 487,920 tons.
The number of British vessels visiting the port in 1911 was 60
less than in 1910, or total entered and cleared 119.
Shipping under Inland Waters Steam Navigation Rules did not
suffer in the same way, but shows, on the contrary, the highest
figures in the decade 1901-11, the total being 1,063 entered and
cleared as against 910 in 1910, and the next highest figure of 912
in 1906.
A noticeable feature is the increase in the number of vessels
"under the Chinese flag, which corresponds with a slight decrease in
the number...”
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“...10
CHEFOO.
necessary steps toward legalising the levy of the surtax. It was at
this juncture that the outbreak of the revolution rendered it out of
the question for any further progress to be made for the moment.
It is hoped, however, that with the establishment of a settled
government in China, the scheme may be taken up where it was
dropped last October, when there should be no further valid obstacle
to the realisation of a project so vitally necessary to the proper
development of the trade of the port.
Railway.—Nothing more has been heard during the past year of
the proposed railway from Chefoo to link up with the Tsingtau-
Tsinan line, but it is hoped that the new regime in China will be
more fully alive to the advantages of railway construction than the
old, and that this second vital necessity in the promotion of the
interests of Chefoo as a commercial port , will not be much longer
withheld.
In conclusion, I wish gratefully to acknowledge my indebtedness
to the Commissioner of...”
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“...CHEFOO.
11
(B).—Return of Principal Foreign Articles of Import into Chefoo
during the Years 1909-11.
Articles. 1909. 1910. 1911.
Opium—
Indian......... . Lbs. 100,933 17,689 26,266
Russian, Manchurian • • M 1,734 800 259
Cotton goods—
Shirtings, grey, plain—
British Pieces 31,916 27,291 32,795
American ... j» 37,266 7,335 6,413
Japanese ... t y 795 373 195
Sheetings—
British tt 47,581 18,937 8,028
Indian tt 1,599 1,170 120
American ... tt 277,669 205,361 132,299
Japanese ... tt . 58,233 71,451 81,121
Shirtings, white, plain tt . 98,077 .72,305 67,867
Drills- •
British ...... tt 3,273 2,045 1,650
American ... ft 37,939 25,590 22,617
Dutoh ...... tt 10 490 ,,,
Japanese ... tt 20,352 28,304 16,074
Jeans—
British tt 64,080 59,786 77,946
American ... y t 2,934 2,182 1,108
Dutch ...... y t 1,821 1,747 1,280
T-cloths-
British tt 50,457 37,710 49,796
Indian ...... tt 100 50 500
American ... J> 52 • •• ...
Japanese ... it 27,090 21,085 29,119
Lawns and muslins...”
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“...12 CHEFOO.
Return of Principal Foreign Articles of Import into Chefoo during
the Years 1909-11—continued.
Articles. 1909. 1910. 1911.
Metals—
Iron and mild steel—
New—
Bars ...... ... Cwts. 5,355 5,229 10,345
Nail rod...... 18,797 12,707 13,153
Wire ...... ... ,, 2,433 2,326 2,726
Old......... ,, 125,633 82,117 85,875
Lead in pigs and bars ... ,, 2,202 2,374 1,181
Steel, bamboo ... ,, 10,340 5,742 4,970
Tinned plates ... ,, 765 535 448
Sundries—
Bags of all lands, ... Pieces 660,191 544,487 323,351
Buttons, brass and fancy ... Gross 11,456 2,683 3,126
Cigarettes ...... £ 5,418 7,438 9,869
Dyes, aniline...... £ 6,622 6,012 10,384
Flour......... ... Cwts. 1,810 4,039 119,922
Glass, window Boxes 3,568 3,642 4,293
Lead, white ... ... Cwts. 3,462 2,514 2,919
Matches, Japanese ... ... Gross 2,230,475 1,383,409 1,791,819
Mats, straw ... Pieces 182^370 221,547 181,090
Needles ......Thousands 142,888 285,122 28,162
Oil, kerosene—-
American ... Gallons 5,221,260 3,358,214...”
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“...CHEFOO.
13
(B).—Return of Principal Articles of Export from Chefoo during
the Years 1909-11.
Articles. 1909. 1910. 1911.
Almonds ... ... ... Cwts. 4,396 2,939 _ 8,122....
Bean cake ... ,, 1,117,643 558,123 633,319
Beans... • "' * J 16,775 27,569 ■ 17,433
Caps, felt Pieces 13,368 22,684 17,335
Cattle......... ... Head 3,510 2,467 4,064
Clothing, cotton ...Cwts. 6,032 5,900 7,669
Dates, red and blaok ... ,, 56,927 42,102 20,025
Eggs, fresh ... Pieces 14,978,075 9,124,685 7,605,050
Fish, salt ...... ...Cwts. 45,134 ■ 48,718 44,652
Fruits, fresh ... • • • ft 66,938 ■ 92,550 70,618
Groundnuts ... ••• M 309,577 247,924 235,277
Mats* rush Pieces 46,190 14,458 6,108
Medicines ...... Cwts. 7,653 8,014 7,566
Oil, bean ...... ... ,, 15,420 20,270 15,432
Shoes and boots ... Pairs 141,939 105,875 170,437
Straw braid...... ... Cwts. 388 25 5
Vermicelli ... "... >> 239,049 281,515 267,290
Walnuts ...... « * • 6,305 6,206 2,940
Silk-
Raw, yellow ... ff 38 201 172
Wild, reeled by hand and steam...”
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“...14
■chefoo.
Cleared.
Flag. r Steam. r jffal.
bailing. - T
Vessels. Tonnage. Vessels. Tonnage. Vessel?. Tonnage.
British......... 553 646,116 553 646,116
Chinese... . 533 379,776 ... 533 379,776
United States...... 3 2,111 ... ... 3 2,111
Danish......... 2 1,323 2 1,323
Dutch......... 1 1,200 ... ... 1 1,200
German 106 117,373 ... . 106 117,373
Japanese 713 406,987 9 356 722 407,343
Norwegian ...... 37 36,013 ... 37 36,013
Russian ...... 7 6,530 ... 7 6,530
Total ...... „ 1910 ... „ 1909 ... 1,955 2,263 2,368 1,597,429 1,844,143 1,956,779 9 8 22 356 247 903 1,964 2,271 2,390 1,597,785 1,844,390 1,957,682
(B).—Return of all Steam Vessels Entered and Cleared at the
Port of Chefoo during the Year 1911 under the Inland Waters
Steam Navigation Rules.
Flag. Entered. Cleared. Total.
Vessels. Tonnage. Vessels. Tonnage. Vessels. Tonnage.
British...... Chinese......... Japanese ...... Total ...... „ 1910 ... „ 1909 ... 7 173 353 6,838 47,926 138,144 7 171 352 6,838...”
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