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“...Any one proposing to take up this line of business should always bear
in mind the almost incredible poverty of the Chinese peasantry.
Cheapness is as important as efficiency. It would be a waste of time,
labour, and money to try to place on this market any machine of the
nature above indicated which calls for the application of any motive
power other than that produced by a coolie or coolies heaving on a
crank. Man-power costs nothing, and there is an inexhaustible supply
thereof.
Two sugar mills equipped with modem machinery were started,
and there were reasonable grounds to hope that they would be a
remunerative investment. These hopes have not been realised.
Owing to local obstruction and other more or less obscure causes,
the proprietors of at least one of them would be glad to get his venture
off his hands.
Dealers in foreign wines had no reason to be dissatisfied with the
year's business, and are looking forward to a considerable extension
of the import of these commodities.
Very...”
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