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“...china.
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And, as the Statistical Secretary points out, this system of margins
extends not merely to silver and gold exchange, but to silver (sycee)
and copper cash, the retail currency of the interior.
These were the disturbing elements within, but there was another iniiuied price
important one without. In recent years cotton textiles have of rawuotton-
become China's most valuable import, and the inflated cost of raw
cotton in 1903, which continued well into 1904, affected the cotton
mills of the world, shortened the output and raised the cost of cotton
manufactures. This was especially marked in the case of yarn
and plain cotton goods, and the fall in raw cotton, which again
stimulated manufacture left insufficient lime to satisfy the distant
markets of China.
I have said that the silver value of the total foreign trade of Balunec of
China rose from 546,658,590 Haikuan taels in 1903 to 583,547,291 tmdc-
Haikuan taels in 1904, so that, had the average gold value of the
tael been the...”
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“...378,978 dozen in 1903 to 603,595 dozen in 1904. The value
of unclassed cotton goods increased by 6,657£.
Yarn, British, Hong-Kong, Indian and Japanese fell from
2,738,373 piculs in 1903 to 2,280,585 piculs in 1904, a decrease of
457,788 piculs or 61,038,402 lbs., the percentages of decrease being
respectively 50, 47, 13 and 22. Tonkingese yarn appeared in the
returns for 1903 to the amount of 10,000 lbs., which in 1904 was
increased to 39,066 lbs. Allowing the annual output of the steam
yarn mills in China to be 100,000,000 lbs., and adding to it the
average net import of foreign yarn for the three years 1902-04, the
Statistical Secretary of the Imperial Maritime Customs estimates
the total annual consumpton of machine-spun yarn in China to be
3,240,000 piculs or 432,000,000 lbs. Thread in balls fell from
45,600 to 41,200 lbs., while spool thread increased by 27,461 gross,
the total import being 256,243 gross or 36,898,982 spools.
Table C.—Eetukn showing the Import of Woollen Goods
into...”
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“...china.
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the increasing output of local steam mills at Shanghai and Wuhu,
which exported 652,909 cwts. in 1904.
In these days foreign household stores, beer and porter, spirits
and wines are by no means despised by the Chinese. Some of them
are, indeed, too common, and even when not of the best brands
have to be well, paid for. In the customs returns brandy, whisky,
gin, &c., axe simply classed as spirits without details of each variety
being given.
III.—Ex forts of Merchandise.
The total value (f.o.b.) of exports from China to foreign countries
in 1904 was 239,486,683 Haikuan taels (34,301,478/.) against
236,205,162 Haikuan taels (31,124,900?.) in 1903, and it will be
observed that, although there was a gold increase of over 3,000,000?.,
due chiefly to the higher rate of exchange, the actual silver
increase was only 3,281,521 Haikuan taels. The Customs Statistical
Secretary draws an interesting comparison with 40 years ago :—
" In 1864, to a total of 51,000,000 taels silk contributed...”
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“...of 1903.
In China's direct trade with non-Asiatic countries, excluding the
United Kingdom, there was an increase of 7,454,4792., the total
. being 27,403,8772. against 19,949,3982. in 1904. The countries mainly
contributing to this increase were the Continent of Europe, whose
share was 1,384,778Z. in imports, while dropping nearly 1,000,0002.
in exports, and the United States of America, which added 7,390,0122. •
to its 1904 import of 4,179,5622., an increase of nearly 178 per cent.,
American mills had been unable to take full advantage of the drop
in cotton in 1904, but the value of American sheetings landed in
China in 1905 was greater than the value of the whole of China's
tea trade for the year. Imports from Russia naturally fell off, and,
although exports from China showed an increase, trade with that
country was generally disorganised, much of the tea intended for
Russian consumption being still credited in the customs returns to
the United Kingdom, for which it had been nominally...”
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“...inflated home price of the raw material and conse-
quent restricted indents, 1902 holding the highest previous record
with 18,710,469 pieces. This has now been beaten by 9.014,511
pieces. In grey shirtings, totalling 6,827,967 pieces, the British
mills accounted for 91-69 percent., American following with 6-74
per cent., Indian with 1-05 per cent., Japanese with 0-26 per cent,
and Dutch with 0-06 per cent. The total increase was 3,042,238
pieces, and was only some 743,000 pieces short of the total import
of 1904; but, as I have stated, 1904 had a decreased import, and
the comparison would be fairer if made with the quinquennial
period from 1900 to 1904, the average import for that period being
4,578,924 pieces.
In grey sheetings the British mills alone fell off, their quota
being 460,694 pieces, against 547,457 pieces in 1904 and 519,993
pieces for the previous five years. The American supply, which was
884 per cent, of the total of 9,428,880 pieces, was 6,340,704 pieces
ahead of 1904 and...”
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“... are credited with a higher value.
Yarn. Cotton yarn, which had fallen from 2,738,448 piculs in 1903 to
2,280,878 piculs in 1904, rose to 2,553,797 piculs in 1905, an increase
of 3,241,903 cwts. To the total import, valued at 9,968,960Z.,
India contributed 2,198,626 cwts., valued at 7,153,2742., followed
by Japan with 811,240 cwts. (2,67 6,1182.), the United Kingdom
with 25,996 cwts. (122,6542.), Hong-Kong with 3,856 cwts. (11,6912.)
and Tonkin with 512 cwts. (5,2232.). Nor were the cotton mills
in China idle during the year. Favoured as they were with a
falling price in the native raw material, which was rising at home,
they took full advantage of the conditions' and helped materially
to meet the demands of the native looms.
Thread. The import of cotton thread in balls trebled in 1905 as com-
pared with the previous year, the figures being 123,867 lbs. against
41,200 lbs. On spools there was an increase of 64 per cent., a rise
from 256,243 to 420,476 gross. The total value of both...”
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“...uniform, stands in the middle
of the road and regulates the traffic. Round the corner the road
is being repaired, and a fine steam roller is crushing the metal into
the ground, and a few yards beyond stands a galvanised iron shed
containing a fire engine. Many of these articles, such as the hats
and dress, are supplied by Japan, but others, and the most
expensive, are of European make, the steam roller, for example,
bearing the name of a well-known British manufacturer. In
addition to cotton mills, flour mills and other industrial enterprises,
entirely in Chinese hands, are springing up, and the awakening of
China warns the foreign manufacturer and merchant to be on the
alert.
Hundreds of native newspapers are now published in China
and sent broadcast over the land, and the Japanese especially are
talcing advantage of their advertising columns to vigorously push
their trade. The dissemination of these advertisements is greatly
aided by the Chinese Imperial Post Office, which has now branches...”
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