1 |
|
“...FOREIGN OFFICE.
1896.
ANNUAL SERIES.
1768.
DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR REPORTS ON TRADE
AND FINANCE.
CHINA.
REPORT FOR THE YEAR 1895
ON THE
TRADE OF CHEFOO.
REFERENCE TO PREVIOUS REPORT, Annual Series No. 1599.
Presented to both Houses of Parliament by Command of Iler Majesty,
JTJLY, 1896.
LONDON:
' PRINTED FOR HER MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE,
BY HARRISON AND SONS, ST. MARTIN'S LAN IS,
printers in ordinary to her majesty.
And to be purchased, either directly or through any Bookseller, from
JI;YRE & SPOTT1SWOODE, East Harding Street, Fleet Street, Ifi.C., and
32, Abingdon Street, Westminster, S.W.; or
JOHN MENZIES & Co., 12, Hanover Street, Edinburgh, and
90, West Nile Street, Glasgow ; or
HODGES, FIGGIS, &, Co., Limited, 101, Grafton Street, Dublin.
1896.
79J9—136.J
Price One Penny....”
|
|
2 |
|
“...No. 1768.
Reference to previous Report, Annual Series No. 1599.
CHINA.
CHEFOO.
Consul Bullock to the Marquis of Salisbury.
My Lord, Chefoo, April 29, 1896.
I have the honour to forward herewith a Report on the
Trade of Chefoo for the past year.
I have, &e.
(Signed) T. L. BULLOCK.
Report on the Trade of Chefoo for the Year 1895.
Abstract of Contents.
Page
General trade of the port .. ,. .. .. .. .. .. 1
Imports .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2
Exports .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . • .. 5
Treasure ,, ,, .. ,, ,, .. .. .. .. 6
Shipping ,, .. .. .. .. .. ,, .. .. 6
General Trade of the PorL
Chefoo has enjoyed a season of remarkable prosperity. There
wa9 a general belief that its trade must suffer seriously from the
military operations, of which the adjacent parts of China were
the theatre during the spring of the year, as well as in the
previous autumn and winter. Such, however, has not proved to
be the case. Except in a very few branches, its commerce
appears to have been in no...”
|
|
3 |
|
“... it has only been exceeded in 1890, when the total trade of
the port amounted to 3,385,617/. In that year not only was there
a very extraordinary importation of foreign goods, but the tsiel
was at the high figure of 5?. 2d. If we take silver values, 1895
becomes without exception the best year on record. It will be
noticed that this prosperous condition prevails with all the three
divisions, foreign imports, native imports, and exports. The
main reason for it seems to be that the region near Chefoo has,
generally speaking, enjoyed a most favourable year in agriculture,
in sericulture, and in fishing, whereby the people have been enabled
both to sell more than in ordinary years, and, from their additional
profits, to purchase a larger quantity than usual of the good things
produced elsewhere.
Imports.
Foreign
imports.
Value.
The net value of foreign imports, i.e., their value after the
deduction of re-exports, amounts to 1,227,910/., as against
917,774/. in 1894. The following short table...”
|
|
4 |
|
“...CHEFOO.
3
The import of foreign opium, all of it Indian, is 540 cwts. Opium.
This is the largest quantity brought into Chefoo for several years
past. The explanation, doubtl ess, is that consumers of this
luxury had more money than usual tc spend in indulging their
taste. One notices that the increase has occurred simultaneously
with a marked growth in the amount of native opium imported Native opium,
through the foreign, custom-house here. In 1892 none of the
latter appears in the returns. In 1894 the amount was 77 cwts.;
in 1895, 370 cwts. It is, I ani informed, all Sechuen drug,
coming in steamers from Shanghai. As Chinese dealers find
that they can safely and profitably transport the article by this
method, its use will doubtless spread more and more in the parts
of China where it is not grown, to the detriment of its Indian
rival.
There has been a very considerable import of cotton piece- Coitons.
goods and yarn in 1895. The exact quantities of the principal
kinds will be found...”
|
|
5 |
|
“...Metals are the only elass of foreign goods of which the
import is less than in 1894. The decrease, however, is small,
52,538Z. instead of 55,36*ll. There is little demand for any metal
except iron, and even that is consumed in very small quantities.
Iron is found and worked in several parts of Shantung. These
local industries find strong protection against foreign competition
in the high cost for transportation for so heavy an article. For
iron, like everything else, if sent into the interior from Chefoo,
must be carried on the backs of mules.
Foreign " sundries" form a considerable portion . of the
import trade at Ghefoo. Among them coal is worthy of mention.
In 1894 foreign countries sent us 22,244 tons, in 1895, 37,707
tons. Of this some 17,000 tons were English coal, which was
taken chiefly by British and other men-of-war frequenting the
port. The remainder was Japanese coal for the use of merchant
steamers trading here. Native coal fell off even more than
foreign increased, only 5,080 tons...”
|
|
6 |
|
“...CHEFOO.
5
Chinese dealers in imports, especially those of them engaged profiiB.
in the foreign goods trade, acknowledge that they have had a
prosperous year. One may, therefore, hope to see extended pur-
chases in the course of the season now commenced.
Experts.
The total value of the export trade, exclusive of foreign goods Value and
re-exported, was 1,280,022/. How much of this was ultimately destination,
destined for foreign countries one has no means of discovering.
But local produce worth 1,110,0] 0/. was shipped to Chinese
ports, 87.523/. to Hong-Kong, 35,963/, direct to other foreign
ports, and native re-exports amounted to 56,526/., their various
destinations not being recorded.
Even taking gold values, these figures have only been equalled Good year,
in one year, 1889. If we go either by silver values or by quan-
tities, the year must be called the best on record. This seems
most remarkable when one remembers the anticipations of the
damage which would be done by the presence...”
|
|
7 |
|
“...require notice.
Gold bars to the value of 105.775Z. were sent southwards
from Chefoo, their ultimate destination, of course, being Europe.
Of this gold, a small part came from Vladivostok, and a good
deal more was brought from Manchuria, bv cold-difforers and
i i • i °
others returning to their homes.
Copper cash during the last few months has been extraor-
dinarily dear; that is to say, silver has exchanged for a very
much smaller quantity of cash than usual. It does not seem
that the depreciation of silver has anything to do with this.
Indeed, it would be strange if the depreciation began to make
itself felt here just at the time when silver has shown slight
signs of recovery throughout the rest of the world. The
Chinese are unanimous in ascribing the rate of exchange to there
being an absolute scarcity of cash, but they give various
and not very satisfactory reasons to account for the scarcity.
Shipping.
Chefoo, lying on the route to Tientsin and Newchwang from
the South, is visited...”
|
|
8 |
|
“...tonnage in proportion to its value. Again,
there was a great diminution in the number of Chinese passengers
carried to or from Chefoo. On this account many passing
vessels, which in ordinary years would have called in, went
straight on to their destination instead.
The Chinese passenger trade between Chefoo and other ports
in North China is of much importance to steamers of all
nationalities, British as well well as others. In 1895, a bad year,
as I have said, for the trade, the customs returns give the figures
as 28,529 persons going away and 21,450 coming in, total
49,979. In 1894 the total was 105,711. As it is no easy matter
to collect the exact statistics, I have little doubt that a good
many people escaped being counted, and that the figures should
be still higher. These passengers are carried at incredibly low
rates; and the facility thus afforded to them for travelling is a
greater advantage to them than the profits are to the vessels
which carry them. As far as I can learn, accidents...”
|
|
9 |
|
“...8
CHINA.
the vicinity. She was most useful as a collector and distributor
for the Chefoo trade, and could only be beneficial to the general
commerce of the port. She was sent elsewhere last year on
account of the war, but she has now returned, and it is to be
hoped that she will re-commence her general service. It is a
pity that more mandarins are not intelligent and energetic enough
to promote such enterprises in other parts of China.
I must express my gratitude to Mr. Boyd Bredon, Commis-
sioner of Customs, for allowing me access to the returns com-
piled by his office.
Appended will be found tables of the principal imports and
exports, and of shipping....”
|
|
10 |
|
“...CHEFOO. 9
Annex 1.— Ektuhn of Principal Articles of Import at Cliefoo
during the Years 1893-95.
Quantity.
Articles.
1893. 1894. 1895.
Foreign Imports.
Opium, Indian Cwts. 893 492 540
Cottons—
Shirtings —
Pieces .. 201,408 224.739 257,978
White i, • • 33,408 37,617 47,107
Dyed, plain .. 15,120 8,153 6,556
,, figured 17,068 7,629 18,209
T elo;hs...... 153,694 134,859 226,843
Drills-
English 27,871 9,215 21,742
American 37,679 45,025 59,515
Jeans .. .. » • • 7,909 6,940 9,353
Sheetings—
English 73,740 44,510 31,385
American 85,055 108,647 154,540
Indian 8,815
Chintzes and furnitures „ • • 29,001 22,626 42,559
Turkey-red 31,159 15,837 28,012
Listings M * * 22,013 18,274 34,578
Italians.. „ • 1 12,930 12,687 24,964
Velvets and velveteens >1 • * 1,341 1,070 2,208
Yarn—
English ,. .. Cwts. 500 1,045 1,542
Indian a ■ • 87,511 87,439 107,532
Japanese .. ii • ■ 2,888 11,632
Woollens—
Lasiings Pieces 2,610 2,027 2,895
Italian cloth .. n • * 4,818...”
|
|
11 |
|
“...10 CHINA.
Annex 2. — Return of Principal Articles of Export from Chefoo
during tlie Years 1893-95.
Articles. 1893. Quan I ity. 1 894. 1895.
Bean-cake Cwts. J, 157,940 1,473,960 973,416
Beans, various i) • • 81', 120 148,814 157,292
Medicines 11,580 10,340 12,794
Prawns, dried .. i* »• 16,881 10,053 14,653
Silk-
Raw, white .. ii «* 32 46 301
„ yellow,. 3,859 2,706 4,025
„ wild i, • • 3,095 4,558 7,982
Cocoons II • • 411 6l8 375
Refuse ,, »• 10,131 4,756 6,919
Piece-goods .. ii ■ • 17 113 131
Pongees ii • • 3,798 S.fi53 3,375
Straw braid it • • 36,908 71,711 60,006
"Vermicelli .. II • • 175,020 171,029 136,986
Annex 3.—Return of all Shipping at the Port of Chefoo during
the Year 1895.
Entered.
Stilling. Steam. Total.
Nationality. Number of Vessels. Tons. Number of Vessels. Tons. Nuniber of Vessels. Tons.
British ...... Chinese ...... GerinQn ...... Swedish and Nor- wefiinn ...... Other nations 4 4 6,627 I 509 2,524 3,460 498 147 168 29 36 481,401 127,058 159,145 ...”
|
|