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“...........................................2
Weights and measures ..............................................................................................................................3
Territory, extent and population of................................................................................................3
General remarks................................................................................................................................................5
South Manchuria Railway........................................................................................................................6
Other works—
Harbour works .......................................................................................................7
Steamship service ..............................................................................................................................8
Electric lighting .....................................................................”
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“...yen ...... •• - -2 0^ 2 Of
Silver yen ...... ..... 1 9i 1
Weights and measures.—Business with the Chinese is done in catties and
piculs, and with the Japanese according to Japanese measures, a list of which is
appended. The beans come down from the interior in bags, each of which weighs
from 185 to 200 lbs. avoir. Bean cake is reckoned by the piece, the weight of
which is nearly 60 lbs. Bean oil is sold by the picul and exported in old petroleum
tins, one tin holding about 37 lbs. The South Manchuria Bailway statistics are
made up in short tons (2,000 lbs.).
Territory, extent and poprilation of.—The Consular district of Dairen comprises
the Kwantung leased territory and has an area of 1,220 square miles. The
population at the end of 1909 was 424,213, of whom 32,093 were Japanese. The
following are the chief towns :—
Dairen—
Japanese...
Chinese ...
Others ...
Total ...
Shaokangtzu—
Japanese...
Chinese ...
22,085
19,162
86
41,333
488
8,002
8,490
Important seaport; large export trade...”
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“...Vice-Coxsul G. P. Paton.
General remarks.—That Dairen may now be considered the principal
outlet for the produce of South Manchuria was made still more apparent
last year, the export trade showing the large increase of 825,446Z. The
same cannot yet be said of imports, although under this heading the
results are by no means unpromising. It has to be remembered, of
course, that Newchwang has long-established connections with the
interior, the outcome of years of business dealings, and the older port
will probably retain its supremacy in this respect for many years to
come.
Along with the development of Manchuria the port of Dairen is
bound to expand in proportion, but its rate of growth will be seriously
retarded so long as it remains, as at present, little more than a landing
stage for goods and liable to have its position as the main outlet for a
large part of Manchuria contested by the discovery of a port with better
shipping facilities. Manufactures of bean cake and bean oil do exist,
but...”
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“...the control of the
railway company, and it is probable that, in the absence of private
enterprise, the company will take the lead in developing manufactures
in the peninsula. In 1909 the laboratory, besides continuing its work
of the previous year, carried its researches into new fields and demon-
strated that in North Manchuria there are good prospects for the beet
sugar industry and that the soil in certain parts of the leased territory
is well adapted for the manufacture of porcelain.
The South Manchurian Railway Company.—In View of the large
share which the South Manchurian Railway Company takes in the
development not only of the Kwantung Peninsula but of South
Manchuria as well, it is proposed to give here a resume of its work
during the past year.
The main line.— The work of doubling the track on the main line
between Dairen and Suchiatun, a distance of 238 miles, was completed
and the new line brought into use by the end of the year. The original
aim was to facilitate the conveyance...”
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“...beans is not up to the standard
of the previous year. Nevertheless, it is impossible to place any
reliability on the reports from the interior as no statistics of the crop are
compiled. It is not unlikely that the deficiency in the crop per acre
will be more than compensated by the additional area brought under
cultivation, as fields formerly used by the farmer for kaoliang and other
grain were last year planted with beans, but it is questionable whether
sufficient importance is attached in Manchuria to the rotation of crops,
and the deterioration in the harvest per acre may, to a certain extent,
be attributed to this cause.
The exportation of beans to Europe being quite a new business,...”
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“...viz., about
60,000 tons as compared with 11,000 tons in 1908.
It is difficult to make a forecast of the future of the Manchurian
bean, but there is little doubt that if, as seems probable, the French,
German and United States Governments remove the duty on beans,
then a great impetus will be given to the export. This may, of course,
be counterbalanced by cultivation in other countries, but for a few
years to come there will be a ready market for all that can be produced
in Manchuria, and although in South Manchuria the land is already
mostly under cultivation, there are still vast tracts in the north un-
touched by the farmer. The high prices prevailing this winter and the
undoubted prosperity of the farmer are sure to lead to the opening up
of fresh ground in the spring of 1910.
Bean calce.—The large crop of beans in 1908 had its effect on the
price of bean cake, which was quoted at a much reduced figure in 1909
as compared with the previous year. The farmer in Japan has learned
the...”
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“...around Kaiping, Kwantien, Fengwhang-
cheng and Antung, is one of the important industries of the agricultural
class in these districts. The total production of South Manchuria
is difficult to estimate, but last year the export to Chefoo, where the
silk is spun, woven and re-exported, was 140,000 baskets, each basket
containing 30,000 cocoons. For many years the cocoons and wild silk
of South Manchuria have been imported into Chefoo, via Newchwarg
and Antung, but during the past two years large quantities have
passed through Dairen also, and it has been felt that the port offers
splendid facilities for the manufacture of silk yarn, &c. Of course,
the factories at Chefoo are long established and possess recognised
channels for the sale of their manufactures, and it might be difficult to
find a market at the outset.
The South Manchuria Railway Company have recognised the...”
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“...—The official returns for 1908 show that the shipment of coal
was not considered large enough to rank independently in the list of
exports for that year. Last year, however, there was an export of
79,388 tons. The equipment at the Fushun mines is rapidly ap-
proaching completion, the output being about 2,000 tons per day at
present and by the end of the year it is expected that this will be
raised to 4,000 tons. Up to 1909 the supply from the mines had done
little more than meet the demand in Manchuria itself, but as the result
of the increasing amount of coal that came down from Fushun, a
market had to be found for the surplus. Japanese coal has, of course,
established itself firmly in the ports north of Shanghai, and it will be
difficult for Fushun coal to find a sale there ; while south of that port,
owing to the competition of Indian, Sumatran and Australian coal,
there is little chance of finding a market. In spite of all opposition,
however, it has already made its way as far south as...”
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“...and 3,200,889Z. in 1908. This retrogression
is hardly compatible with the general expansion of the port, but a
satisfactory explanation is not far to seek,- as the decrease is more than
accounted for by the great reduction in the amount of building material
required for the enterprises of the South Manchuria Railway Company.
The year 1908 had seen the import of large quantities of timber, &c.,
for the railway, but most of the work having been completed, the import
fell away in 1909 to the extent of 912,7161. With the elimination of this
item the import trade on the whole cannot be considered unsatis-
factory. In view of the increasing prosperity and purchasing power
of the inhabitants of Manchuria consequent on the very extensive
export of staple products, it will repay the British merchant to turn
his attention to the Manchurian market which, though at present not
of much account monetarily, is bound to become of considerable value.
Japanese goods are being actively imported both at Dairen...”
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“...hereafter the fuel
market will depend mainly on local supplies.
Tobacco.—-Raw tobacco grown in Manchuria forms quite a large
export to South China, where it is manufactured, and a small amount
finds its way back to Manchuria for consumption. The form of
tobacco which is most popular with the natives is cigarettes, which
they consume in large numbers. The cigarettes are made from American
and Japanese tobacco, the competitors in the South Manchurian
market being the British-American Company in Mukden and the
Japanese Monopoly Bureau. 'The former with its factory in the very
centre of Manchuria holds a commanding position and so far has been
able to more than hold its own. The situation is viewed with con-
siderable alarm by the Japanese, and various expedients, including a
general reduction in prices, have been tried, but despite this the British-
American tobacco is found all over Manchuria and even in the leased
territory, which the Japanese Monopoly Bureau might be entitled to
consider...”
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“...16
DAIREN.
merchant. During the war, American goods were to be found every-
where, as large quantities were imported for the Russian troops in
Manchuria, and, in addition, the considerable sum of money that found
its way at that time into the hands of the natives further increased the
demand. Since then, however, the cotton-weaving industry has
greatly expanded in Japan, and besides supplying local requirements
a market has been found for the surplus in China and in Manchuria
as far north as Harbin. The Mitsui Bussan Kwaisha appears to have
been appointed the sole agent for the manufacturers, and, as they
have branches in every district, the Chinese merchants are enabled to
buy at first hand, whereas in purchasing foreign goods they are obliged
to secure them as a rule through Newchwang, Dairen being a strong-
hold of the Japanese manufacturer. Drills and sheetings are largely
imported from America via Shanghai. Most of the shirtings are of
British and American make, those of good quality...”
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