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“...
however, the actual expansion was very limited and was confined
moreover to one item only, namely, cotton yam. The explanation
Business given to me is that commercial operations were greatly restricted
affected by throughout the whole period under review by the tightness of money
at Hong-Kong and Canton, which naturally affected the local market,
the American Great difficulty was experienced by traders of every description in
boycott. getting money with which to carry on their business. At Nanning,
the most important trade centre in the interior of Kwangsi, the rate
of interest charged by the local banks never fell below 36 per cent,
per annum and rose as high as 15 per cent, per month. The situation
. was aggravated too, during the latter part of the year, by the
American boycott which was so effectively enforced by merchants
at this port that the sale of American goods was completely stopped
throughout the whole of the interior. There can be no doubt, however,
that the heavy taxation...”
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“...are some indications, however, that the mineral wealth of
Kwangsi will be better exploited in the near future than it has
been in the past. Every encouragement is being given to Chinese
merchants to work the mines with native capital. I have been
informed of two, one a silver and the other a tin mine, which are to
be opened at once in the Wuchow Prefecture. The increased
demand for native coal has also encouraged the authorities to re-open
and work as an official speculation a coal mine near Nanning.
These mines are all to be worked by native methods, so they are
not likely to affect the mineral market. The silver mine
in Kweihsien, about 150 miles up the West River from Wuchow,
which has often been referred to in previous reports, is again in...”
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“...416 121 1,656 24 282
Chinese 1,544 19,333 1,930 26,414 2,013 25,458
The year 1905 will always be notable in the history of launch Extension of
navigation in this province as the first year in which steam vessels inland
have plied regularly on the upper reaches of the West River as far naT'Kall0n'
as Lungchow in the extreme west, Pose on the Yunnan frontier and
Liuchow in the north. The privilege, however, of plying to these
distant places was reserved for the Chinese flag. Navigation, too,
to Nanning, which three years ago was only believed to be possible
for launches during one or two months in the year, was maintained
by vessels drawing 4 feet from April to the beginning of December
and, after that, until the middle of February, 1906, by a motor
launch of 18,inches draught which, but for an accident on her last
trip up, would still be running. This vessel was the first of her type
to make an appearance on the West River and, firmly as I believe
in a future for motor engines in these waters...”
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“...carrying
trade.
Piracy.
Establish-
ment of
governement
schools.
Uniform
adopted for
students.
Concluding
remarks.
of it better and for the last two months of her career she ran
without a single breakdown. In justice to her builders and designers
it should be explained that the vessel was constructed to run between
Nanning and Pose, a section of the river on which speed is of little
account. She was unable to do so as the necessary permission was
withheld by the Chinese authorities.
Another feature of the inland navigation trade last year was the
increased extent to which cargo was carried by launches plying on
the upper river, especially by those running to Nanning. Yarn,
piece-goods and opium are the goods usually conveyed.
Piracy was less prevalent on the West Eiver in 1905 than in the
previous year, but there was a recrudescence of the evil at the
beginning of the present year. Four British launches in all were
held up and plundered during 1905.
Among the many reforms instituted...”
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