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“...17
Chinese-made silk fabrics becoming popul.u* ......17
Tea: export to England now very small .. ,. .. .. .. 18
Other articles of local produce.. .. .. .. .. .. ..18
Skins and furs; raw cotton; musk .. .. .. .. .. .. 18
Prices of local produce, variations in, from 1870 to 1895 .. . • .. 18
Treasure—
Large import of silver—probable effect of tlie Japanese indemnity .. 20
Movement of treasure between Shanghai and foreign countries .. .. 20
Local industries—
Cotton mills .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 21
Foreign-owned mills in course of construction .. .. 21
Increase in value of land at Shanghai .. .. .. ..21
Chinese sending money for investment .. . .. 21
Foreign settlements need extension of area .. .. .. ..22
Opening of new ports under Japanese treaty .. .. ..22
General—
Chi na-Japan "War, effect on trade .. .. .. .. .. ..23
Railway schemes .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..23
Eight to manufacture by foreigners, concession of .. .. ., ?4
Large spinning industry sprung up.. .. .. .. .. ..24...”
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“...8
CHINA.
This is composccl in great part of raw cotton for the supply of
the Osaka mills.
The total value of raw cotton exported last year was over
10,000,000 taels. Curiously enough the import of Bombay yarn
was valued at almost identically the same amount.
Ship>ping.
British pre- The predominant part which Great Britain takes in the
best^Bhown in tra^e better exemplified in the shipping returns,
shipping The. following table gives the tonnage, value of cargoes, and
returns. duties paid on British vessels as compared with those under other
flags.
Table V.—Proportionate Share of the Trade of Shanghai
carried in British Vessels and Duties Paid thereon.
FoitEIGN". TltADE.
ring. Tonnage. Inward. Value of Cargo. Duties.
Inward. O utward.
British...... German.. .. French .. .. All other nationalities.. Total Tons. 963,275 232,126 114,253 284,870 11. tacls. 75,8-14,228 11,349,310 3,007,724 8,378,347 11. tacls. 45,476,414 8,817,287 12,999,879 8,836,579 II. tacls. 2,811,150 500,570...”
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“...of 40
Yards each.)
Imported from—
Local
Year. Manufac-
United ture.
England. States of Bombay. Japan.
America.
Pieces. Pieces. Pieces. Pieces. Pieces.
1880-84, average 381,000 429,000 ,. ,. ..
1885-89 „ 382,000 532,000 450 ,,
1890 266,000 592,000 80
1891 277,000 850,999 155 .. 1,200
1892 154,000 638,000 420 4,000
1893 427,000 422,000 10,260 112,000
1894 257,000 720,000 2,070 11,606
1895 269,000 537,000 16,855 2S,013 60,000*
* The weaving of cloth in the local mills, burned down in 1893, has only just
been recommenced....”
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“...14
CHINA.
country begins to get rich from the new rising industries. Not
merely will there be more money to spend, but the falling-off in
the imports of yarn, and probably also cloths, which is bound to
follow on the establishment of the new cotton-mills, will still
further diminish ihe relative proportion of these categories.
It has been usual in our trade tables to classify imports under
the five headings of opium, cotton, woollens, metals, and
Proportion of miscellaneous. The following table shows the relative proportion
miscellaneous which each of these bears to the whole trade at intervals of
goods to other r ,.„„,„ i otr^
categories for 13 JealS sinCe 16 '
last 25 years.
Table showing the Proportions of the several Categories of
Merchandise constituting the whole Foreign Import Trade.
Percentage.
Ckss.
1S75. 1880. 18S5. 1S90. 1895.
Opium 32-8 37 "2 26-6 18 '8 17!)
Cottons 34 2 33 40-3 47 -5 42-7
Woollens .. 9 9 1 8-4 3 -8 3
Metals 6-1 5-5 6-9 6 5 51
Miscellaneous...”
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“...Shanghai. This year witnesses a new
departure altogether. It is no longer a question of a few
mandarin owned mills, but the whole industry lias by the
Japanese Treaty been thrown open to the capital of the world.
Some questions, and these no doubt of great importance, have
yet to be settled as to the taxation which the Chinese authorities
may impose bo I h on the produce of the mills and 011 the raw
material required for their use. But I do not doubt that these
questions will soon be settled in a just and equitable manner,
having regard to the various interests involved. A fair com-
promise would point to an excise duty equivalent to the import
duty, and treaty privileges as to transit dues.
At the close of the year 105,000 spindles were in operation, Foreign
and 30,000 were in the course of being erected. These belong ^"om-s^of
10 the original Chinese administration or the mills affiliated with construetioxv:
them. In addition four foreign companies have been floated
during the year, and...”
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“...a few brief observations on
each.
I have in previous reports spoken of the establishment of
native-owned cotton-mills at Shanghai, and of the efforts
which: foreign merchants were making to obtain a share in
what promised to be a very lucrative industry. Their claims,
which.were based on the wording of certain of the old treaties,
were bitterly opposed by the officials both in Pekin and in the
provinces, firstly, because it was an innovation, and, secondly,
because some, at least, of these officials were personally interested
in the already-existing mills, for which, indeed, they claimed a
monopoly. The fight took place over the right to import,
machinery, in which the officials were clearly in the wrong, but,
even if forced to give way on that, as, indeed, they practically
were, they would have found ways and means to frustrate the
successful working of foreign-owned mills. If China had been
victorious in the war, the claim would almost certainly have still
Clear been refused. Fortunately...”
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“...full extent of her means. She takes value
in goods for everything she sells.
The manufacture of her own yarn and commoner cloth will
set free a present annual payment of, say, 2,000,000/. to 3,000,000/.
She will want to spend this in something, no doubt, what
particular form it will take remains to be seen, but, doubtless,
Lancashire will have a share in supplying her with an increased
quantity of the finer cloths. Just as India continues a good Iricreasc(-|
customer, notwithstanding the Bombay mills, so, no doubt, will -wealth will
China, long after she has learnt to make her own yarns, and all '™J'®nset|
the better probably for the increased wealth which the new purchasing
industries will bring to the labourers of China. power.
The other new factor in the situation to which I wish to call Second factor
attention is the large foreign debt which China has been obliged m the
to incur to discharge the Japanese indemnity. The total nationalBltuatl0"'
debt of China now stands, or will soon stand...”
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