| 1 |
 |
“..............................................................................................................................................C>
Shipping ..................................................................................................................................................................7
Railways ..................................................................................................................................................................7
Local mills ......................................................................................................................8
Population ............................................................................................................................................................8
Tables—
1.—Gross and net value of trade................................................................................................4
2.—Import and export of treasure .....................................”
|
|
| 2 |
 |
“...China, and it imports cotton goods, kerosene,
sugar and cigarettes for distribution in the interior. The value of
this trade roughly is 2,000,000Z. of native produce exported every year,
and 1,000,0002. of foreign and 500,0002. of native goods imported.
The character of the trade has remained unaltered for many years.
The permeation of foreign ideas is a very slow process; new tastes
and new methods of industry are not readily acquired. Wuhu can
boast of a flour mill and several rice-hulling mills, equipped with
modern machinery from the United Kingdom and America; it can
even show the visitor a few macadamised roads lighted with electricity ;
but, speaking generally, its narrow ill-paved streets, its jerry-built
over-crowded houses, its indifference to the elementary principles
of sanitation, all rank it as coeval with the tree-crowned pagoda
which the art of the geomancer placed at the mouth of the creek
900 years ago.
The report on the trade of Wuhu for 1909 describes how, side
by side...”
|
|
| 3 |
 |
“...at once transferred from the junks
to the steamer for export. If the price is too high they go away and
wait for more rice to come in and the price to fall. In competing with
the junks the railway company would be obliged not only to have a
lower rate of freight, but also to erect a number of large grain elevators
and charge the rice merchants with the cost of storage.
Local mills.—The rice and flour mill which was burned down in
May, 1909, has been re-equipped with machinery supplied by a British
firm, and is now turning out flour at the rate of six sacks an hour.
Besides this mill there are four other rice mills in the port, equipped
with machinery from the United Kingdom and the United States.
Population.—Latest statistics put the Chinese population of the
port at 129,380. Foreign residents in this Consular district number
281, of whom 123 are British. Of the latter about 90 per cent, are
connected with missions. Five British firms are represented in Wuhu,
six Japanese, two German,...”
|
|
