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“...........................................................................4
Situation of Nanking...................................................................................................4
Political importance of the city ..........................................................................................................................................4
Condition of trade at date of op ni' g ....................................................................................4
Value of the trade..................................................................................................................................................................................5
Advantages and disadvantages of the port..........................................................................................................5
Imports.......................................................................................................................................................”
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“...NANKING.
u
origin. The import of such goods was already considerable,
dealers drawing their supplies from Chinkiang whence the articles
were shipped to Nanking under transit pass. With trade in such
a healthy state it is not surprising that the customs' returns have
been encouraging from the first.
In 1899, for the eight months from May 1 to December 31, Value of
the gross value of the trade amounted to 355,0682.; in 1900, the ^.."V8®9,
year of the troubles by which business was seriously affected, the 1901.
value rose to 574,6942. ; and in 1901 it again increased to 684,915/.
The following table shows the value of the imports and exports
since the opening of the port. The exchange is taken at 2s. ll\cl.
to the Haikuan tael:—
Year. Yalue.
Imports. Exports. Total.
3899 ........ 1903 ........ 1901 ........ £ 1.48,792 321,716 360,742 £ 206,276 252,978 321,173 £ 355,068 574,691 684,915
These figures do not represent the total trade of the port, which
is still carried on to a great...”
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“...by a deficiency in the
import of the native drag. Unfortunately the consumption of
opium amongst the natives is on the increase. In 1900 the import
was 949 cwts.
Cotton goods to the value of 80,641/. entered the port in 1901.
Plain grey shirtings (82,922 pieces), 26984/., English sheetings
(43,650 pieces), 16,787/., and American drills (21,335 pieces),
10,098/., show the highest values. Shirtings and drills have
almost doubled in quantity since 1900, and sheetings have increased
in the same period by over 10,000 pieces. A rectification of values
in 1901 makes the improvement during the year appear less than
it really has been.
British and Japanese yarn appear to make no headway, but
the import of Indian yarn has increased from 721 cwts. in 1899
to 2,198 cwts. in 1901.
Copper slabs from -Japan to the value of 4,378/. were imported
for the use of the Mint.
Woollen goods are not much in demand. The total import
last year was valued at 4,930/.
Kefhied sugar from Hong-Kong increased in quantity...”
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“...is not yet considered necessary. Most of the soap imported is
either of British manufacture or purports to be so.
Soda appears for the first time in the returns of 1901. The Sodi.
entire import (898/.) is from the United Kingdom.
Cigars and cigarettes to the value of 1,9421, were imported last Cigars and
year. They are almost entirely of Japanese manufacture. The -
quantity imported is greater than would appear from the value
given, as the Chinese are not fastidious as to the quality of their
tobacco. The better class of native pays about lc/. a dozen for his
cigarettes, but the ordinary coolie is content with a mixture which
costs him half the price.
The other foreign imports mentioned in the returns are in-
significant in value, and do not call for special comment.
It is evident from the small amount, for instance, of kerosene
oil figuring in the customs' returns that a considerable quantity of 1-
goods of foreign origin imported into Nanking are brought here in
native bottoms or are...”
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“...special commissioner is employed at Nanking to
superintend the making of Court robes.
The total value of products of the silk industry exported in
1901 amounted to 212,000/., including 972 cwts. of raw silk and
ribbon to the value of 12,800/.
Nankeen?. It might have been expected that the durable cotton clotli
known as nankeen, to which the city has given its name, would
have been another of the staple products of the port, but the only
trace I can find of the clotli in the customs' returns is in the
imports. The manufacture of nankeen is not, and never has been
to any great extent, a local industry, but it was once one of the
principal products of the Kiangnan provinces, of which Nanking
is the capital. Very little is manufactured at the present day, the
foreign fabric having taken its place.
Goat-skins. The export of goat-skins has made steady progress since the
opening of the port. The value of the trade in 1899 was only
1,800/., as compared with 21,100/. in 1900 and 32,840/. last year...”
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“...at least, the Chinese
learn by experience that it is a policy that in the end does not
pay. The absence of banking facilities with the interior has also
proved an obstacle to trade. The currency of Northern Anhui
is the Peiyang dollar minted at Tientsin, so that to purchase
native produce it is necessary for merchants to import Peiyang
dollars into Nanking and take them with them into the interior.
By the time the money reaches its destination it has cost the
merchant 20 per cent, of its face value in expenses. There is a
local dollar minted at Nanking which is accepted in the city ancl
its neighbourhood, but the northerners will have none, of it.
Nanking has, of course, benefited equally with other river shipping,
ports by the increasing steamer traffic on the Yangtze. As many nirei.
as three and even four steamers a clay touch at the port. In the steamer*,
customs' returns the tonnage appears to ba practically restricted
to the British and Chinese flags, but this is only because the
German...”
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“...which, under more favour-
able conditions, might be centred at Nanking, can only find an
outlet at Wuhu where no restriction exists. The Viceroy is as
much deceived as anyone in the mitLer.
The refusal again of the authorities to allow certain classes of
produce destined for export abroad to be brought to Nanking
under transit pass has been a serious hindrance to trade. As soon as
the port was opened application was made by merchants for transit
passes to bring down goat-skins from Honan to the value of over
80,000/. The passes were, granted as no excuse could be found at
once to refuse them, but the officials, who saw their likin revenue
in danger, were equal to the emergency, and, before use could be
made of them, the merchants were informed that the Chinkiang
regulations had been extended to Nanking, and that as goat-
skins were not included in the .'>1 articles for which, under the.
rules, transit passes could betaken out, the passes issued could not
be used and would be cancelled. The...”
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“...NANKING. 14
Tabic I.—Gross Value of the Trade of Nanking during the Yearn
1899-1901,
Ynluo.
Year. Foreign Imports. Native Imports. Exports. 'Total Trade.
£ £ £ £
1899......! 92,008 56,78-1 206,276 355,0f>H
1900 ......| 213,528. 108,188 252,978 574,691
1901......| 266,875 03,667 324,173 634,915;
Note.—1 Haikuan tael = 2s. lljrf.
Table II.—Return of Principal Articles of Import into Nanking
during the Years 1899-1901.
Foreign Goods.
1890. 1900. 1901.
Articles. -j-----i ....... j ■ - -- ----
Quaniify. | Value. ' Quantity. ! Value. ; Quantity. Value.
i. £ £
Opium —
Mulwa Cwls. ... lliti 14,073 7-'2 71,417 623 77,223
l'atna 17 1,239 M s,o;o 94 8,919
liennres 22 1,837 131 8,2f4 131 I?,780
Cotton goo'ls—
Shirtings—
Grev Pieces ... 4I,G.V> 10,019 47,090 21,162 82,922 26,981
Wliile ... 4.032 1,532 6,447 3,133 9,752 3,402
Drills—
English ... 840 447 730 302 615 328
Indian ... ,t 90 27 4 0 202 95 47
Dutch ... GliO 312 300 151 600 284
American i, 9...”
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“...15
Table III.—.Retukn of Principal Articles of Import into Nanking
during the Years 1899-1901.
Native Goods.
1800. 1900. 1001.
Avtlclen. -----
Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value.
£ £ £
Coal Tons ... 3,344 4,894 4,056 4,308 5,766 6,823
Nut galls Cwts. .. 1,027 1,288 415 032 1,007 2,440
l'aper fans Pieces 07,013 75 650,GIG 4,870 027,641 2,650
p Wood oil Cuts 2,674 2,035 8,10'J 8,; 03 0,130 8,258
Opium— TJ
Szeehucn ...... it 329 20 ero 8.J 313
Yiinnan ' ...... W 13d 100 4,417 6G 3,344
Vegetable tallow 4,01)0" 5.106 4,8:H 5,150 4,855 4,924
Tobacco......... 7,177 11,790 10,246 2-1,410 9,475 21,009
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Table IV.—Return. of Principal Articles of Export from Nanking
during the Years 1899-1901.
! 1800. I 1000. ' 1001.
Articles. I ------— - -
Quantity. ! Value. 1 Quantity. Value.
£ £ £
Cotton, raw ..... 91 j ;o 1 M0 3,101 1,028 1,695
Feathers, duck,
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