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“...about 15 per cent, when compared with 1909, and there
has been a steady decrease in most lines since 1905, which was a record
year. Deliveries of grey shirtings were 22 per cent, below those in
1909 and 52 per cent, below 1905 ; white shirtings, 24 per cent, below
1909 and 11 -9 per cent, below 1905 ; prints were 9 -6 per cent, below
1909 and 34 -5 per cent, below 1905. The most noticeable falling-off
has been in the imports of American greys, attributable mainly to
Japanese competition in Manchuria, where these goods have in the
past found their chief market. It is difficult to find a conclusive
explanation of the general decrease in the consumption of piece-goods
in the districts supplied by Shanghai, but it is probably due in a large
measure to the advance in prices. The poverty of the great bulk
of the population is such that any appreciable rise in prices even in
the case of articles in universal demand, such as cotton goods, compels
consumers to restrict their purchases to the level...”
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“...Competition in the trade on the Yangtze, more
especially in the Chinese passenger department, continues to be ex-
ceedingly keen and rates cannot be maintained at a profitable figure.
A pooling arrangement exists between the two leading British companies
and tlic China Merchants' Steam Navigation Company, but conflicting-
interests have up to the present precluded any general understanding
being arrived at amongst all the companies engaged in the traffic.
The trade in beans and bean cake from Manchuria to South China
shows prospects of steady development and should provide employment
for a considerable number of coasting vessels. There was not so much
demand for tonnage for the carriage of salt as in 1909 and business
in this branch was not particularly remunerative. Owing to famine
in the central provinces the export trade in rice from Hankow and
Wuhu ceased early in the year.
During the greater part of the year there was a good demand for
tonnage to Europe, but an increasing number of large...”
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