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“...No. 2145 Annual Series.
DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR REPORTS.
CHINA.
REPORT FOR THE YEAR 1897
ON THE
TRADE OF CHEFOO.
REFERENCE TO PREVIOUS REPORT, Annual Series No. 1966.
Presented to both Houses of Parliament by Command of Her Majesty,
JULY, 1898.
LONDON:
rRINTED FOR TTER MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE,
BY HARRISON AND SONS, ST. MARTIN'S LANE,
printers in ordinary to her majesty.
And to be purchased, either directly or through any Bookseller, from
EYRE & SPOTT1SWOODE, East Harding Street, Fleet Street, ii.U, ana
,32 aningdon Street, Westminster, S.W.; or
JOHN MENZJES & Co., 12, Hanover Street, Edinburgh, and
90, West Nile Street, Glasgow; or
HODGES, FIGGIS, & Co., Limited, 104, Grafton Street, DdbLIH.
1898.
[C. 8648—167.] Price One Penny....”
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“......................................................................................................................................................................................9
British trade interests in North China ...................................................................................9
Shipping............................................................. ........................................................10
Probable efiect of the opening of Kiao-chou on the trade of Chefoo ................10...”
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“...value of the trade of Chefoo for 1897 was 3,404,782^. General trade
against 3,414,524/. in the preceding year. of the port.
It is thus only less by 9,742/. than the highest figures hitherto Haa slightly
recorded, in spite of a further fall in exchange of 4^. in the value decreased,
of the Haikvvan tael, which has been reckoned in this report at
2s. life?, against 3s. M. in 1896.
The following table shows the comparative values of the whole
trade under the heads of foreign imports, native imports, and
exports for the three years, 1895-97 :—
Gross Value of Trade.
1895. 1896. 1897.
Foreign imports Native imports.. £ 1,287,087 509,447 1,347,686 £ 1,682,128 602,134 1,130,262 £ 1,731,650 523,559 1,149,573
Total 3,144,220 3,414,524 3,404,782
These results exhibit a moderate increase in foreign imports, Foreign
a considerable decrease in native exports, and a small increase in lmPorls-
exports.
There seems, all things considered, not much hope that the
trade of Chefoo will display in the...”
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“...4
CHEFOO.
Articles. Value.
1896. 1897.
Cotton goods Metals .. Kerosene Miscellaneous £ 34,916 1,047,741 19,792 113,614 58,464 355,582 £ 30,141 1,083,531 16,566 66,489 120,693 331,170
Total ...... 1,630,109 1,648,590
A glance at this table shows that though the net total foreign
imports have risen in value, this result is almost entirely due to
kerosene. The enormously increased import of this oil has con-
verted what would have been, taking 1896 as a standard, a deficit
of nearly 44,000^. into a surplus of 18,OOOZ. Of the other classes
cotton goods alone have not fallen away from the figures of the
previous year.
Opium. The importation of Indian opium has diminished by 44
cwts. during 1897, which, with the previous year'3 diminution,
amounts to a total decrease in two years of no less than 160
cwts. valued at 16,481Z. As explained in last year's report, this
is not due to abstention on the part of the population, but to
Growing ]arge an(j apparently rapidly growing use of " pien...”
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“...CHEFOO.
5
diminished from 185,000 pieces in 1896 to 167,000 pieces last year.
The Indian makes, on the contrary, have increased, and their total is
now about one-fifth of the English T-clcths. American sheetings
have more than doubled themselves since 1895, the figures being
in that year 154,000 pieces. ° 0
In yarn, the already insignificant import of English spinnings
has again fallen off, and the Bombay article has been reduced
from 156,000 cwts. in 1896 to about 67^000 cwts. in 1897. Its place
has been taken, and more than taken, by Japanese, which last
year reached a total of 102,000 cwts., being more than four times
the import of the preceding year, which itself was double that of
1895.
The trade in these is feeble and less in value by some 3,000/. Woollens,
than in 1896, and calls for 110 remark.
The business in metals at this port shows curious fluctuations. Metals.
For some reason, which after inquiry I have failed to discover, the
value last year dropped to not much more than...”
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“...6
CHEFOO.
that the oil acts as a strong protection against certain insects that
are accustomed to feed on the plants at that early stage. But the
demand thus created accounts presumably for but a very small
part of the whole consumption of kerosene in any given
neighbourhood.
Miscellaneous. The value of the group of miscellaneous foreign imports has
fallen somewhat from that of the preceding year, and now stands
almost exactly where it was in 1895, in spite of a heavily
Refined sugar, augmented import in refined sugar, which amounted to 332,000
cwts., against 176,000 cwts. in 1896.
Coal. Of coal, excluding- 20,039 tons of Chinese Kaiping coal, a
total of 26,837 tons was imported, less by some 4,000 tons than
in the year before. Of this total, 3,662 tons were Welsh and
23,175 Japanese.
Aniline dyes. Aniline dyes have fallen in value from nearly 19,000/. to
15,000/.
Matches. The demand for matches shows no sign of having reached its
limits, and the total stood last year at 825,834...”
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“...continue and
face new losses.
"The considerable underselling of the native silks of Man-
churia has created a most unfortunate situation for the filatures of
Shantung, which must face the crisis as best it can. Only by the
return of the silk into favour can the fall be stopped, and where
the bottom is it is difficult to say."
This, the only establishment in China in which machinery is The Chefoo
applied to the reeling of wild silk, as distinct from yellow and fi,anda-
white silk, was noticed at some length in hist year's report. I
learn from Messrs. Cornabe and Co. that " the production of the
Chefoo Filanda Tussah silk under intelligent native management
O ®
has been in good demand. The bulk was well under contract to
foreign buyers, who are again enquiring for this silk."
To the same firm I am indebted for the following remarks on
pongees and waste silk :—
" The trade in pongees from a foreign point of view has almost Pongees,
died out. The quality generally has very much deteriorated...”
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“...CHEFOO.
" Extort for the throe years 189;j-97.
" Tlie export during the year has been steady, showing a fair
foreign demand. The total for the year wa^ some G per cent,
more than in 1896, foreigners' purchases being responsible for the
increase, the Chinese having shipped a few hundred bales less
than last year.
"There is the same old cry for good quality, of which not
nearly enough apparently can be produced, nor will there be until
the Chinese, like the Japanese, institute a careful and business-
like supervision of the plaiting in well-regulated, properly paid
factories. Bad quality is at a discount. The consuming markets
require a good honest article, for which they are willing to pay a
good price, and if the Chinese would only realise that there is
much more chance of profit on good quality, and would make an
effort to produce it to the exclusion of the bad, there is a fair
trade to be looked for in China plait.
" The ' improved plaits,' of which much was expected, have
not realised...”
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“...CHEFOO.
9
world—the making of wine. Although local viticulture is still
in an early stage, the undertaking is being seriously taken in
hand, and two separate concerns are in the field. One is con-
ducted by a German firm of this port, Messrs. II. Sietas and Co.,
who have acquired and planted land on the low hills close to
Chefoo, as well as at some distance to the eastwards. The other
is being pushed by Chinese capitalists in the Straits Settlements,
and is known as " Chang Yii and Co., Pioneer Wine Company
in China." This Company appears to have large resources,' and
to be prepared to invest very considerable sums in the experiment.
Their main estate, consisting of several hundred "mou" (or
Chinese acres) on the southern slopes of the hills to the west of
Chefoo, is being carefully prepared, the whole of the soil being
turned over to a depth of 3 feet. Vine plants have been imported
from Austria, and the general superintendence is entrusted to
an Austrian gentleman whose competence and...”
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“...Kiao-chou Bay to foreign trade may be expected to affect the
future position of the older and more northern port, has been exer-
cising the minds of both European and native merchants doing
business and having capital invested in Chefoo. The general
opinion was undoubtedly at first that the prosperity of Chefoo
was doomed. Shantung, it was thought, had not. a volume of
trade sufficient to maintain two treaty ports in full working
activity, and as there was no denying that Kiao-chou Bay is
naturally better situated than Chefoo as a distributing centre for
foreign goods, and as a shipping terminus for exports, it was
assumed and argued that business would forthwith transfer itself
to the new port, and that gradual decadence, or mox-e probably
rapid ruin, impended over Chefoo. Anticipations of a rush of
outsiders from Shanghai and elsewhere cutting into the field
hitherto cultivated by a very restricted number of local firms,
added to the gloom of the outlook.
But the lapse of several months has...”
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“...CHEFOO.
11
acquired by private individuals, no business premises or ware-
houses begun ; that up to the present there exists no well-to-do
native trading community on the spot ready to co-operate in the
creation or development of Kiao-chou as a trading and shipping
centre; and, in short, that the expectation of a sudden transfer
of the trade of Chefoo on a large scale to the shores of Kiao-chou
Bay is entirely premature.
There is, moreover, another consideration which should not be
forgotten.
Superior as Kiao-chou Bay is to Chefoo as a port for the
province in general, there is a region along the north-west
shores of the Shangtung Promontory as an outlet and entrepot
for which Chefoo is better situated, given one condition, than the
more southerly harbour. The region is that of which Lai-chow-
fu is the principal city, and straw braid a leading production.
The condition is the extension of the right to trade regularly
thither by means of small steaming craft, which has hitherto been...”
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“...12 CHEFOO.
Annex I.—Return of Principal Articles of Import at Chefoo
during the Years 1895-97.
Quantity.
Articles.
1895. 1896. 1897.
Foreign imports—
Opium, Indian Cwta. 540 424 380
Cottons—
Shirtings —
Grey Pieces 257,978 283,498 301,178
White a • ■ 47,107 60,874 61,454
Dyed, plain » • • 6,666 13,806 12,697
„ figured IF * * 18,209 20,753 14,609 222,523
T-cloths 226,843 219,913
Drills-
English II ' * 51,742 18,570 10,245
American .. 59,515 106,326 142,955
Jeans >> 9,353 7,350 10,610
Sheetings-
English II * * 31,385 61,363 40,780
American .. II ' • 154,540 217,560 336,741
Indian II * * 8,815 17,885 11,440
Chintzes and furni-
tures II 42,559 56,373 57,260
Turkey-red II * * 28,012 24,789 30,063
Lastings II 34,578 28,359 31,110
Italians II • * 24,964 24,958 42,603
Towels Dozen 39,263 73,545 64,660
Yarn-
English Cwts. 1,542 1,393 1,255
Indian it * • 107,532 166,148 66,771
Japanese . 11,632 23,212 102,686
Woollens—
Lastings Pieces 2,895 2,974...”
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“...CHEFOO.
13
Annex It.—Return of Principal Articles of Export from Ohefoo
during tlie Years 1895-97.
Quantity.
Articles.
189;5. 1896. 1897.
Cwts. Cwts. Cwts.
Beancake 973,416 1,596,356 1,545,1)36
Beans, various 157,292 53,756 110,836
Medicines 12,794 11,360 10,774
Prawns, dried 14,653 10,551 10,728
Silk-
Raw, white .. 301 32 115
,, yellow .. 4,025 907 2,27i>
„ wild 7,98i 3,882 0,449
Cocoons 375 74
Refuse 6,919 6,010 8,975
Piece-goods 131 225 268
Pongees 3,375 3,187 2,702
Straw braid 60,006 48,464 52,360
Vermicelli 136,983 184,124 173,832
Annex III.—Return of all Shipping at the Port of Chefoo
during the Year 1897.
Steamers Entered.
With Cargo. In Ballast. Total.
Flag.
Number of Vessels. Tons. Number of Vessels. Tons. Number of Vessels. Tons.
British ...... 432 423,710 232 234,504 664 658,214
Chinese ...... 272 228,453 76 70,636 348 298,989
German ...... 91 75,921 39 32,151 130 108,072
Japanese...... G4 57,469 9 7,476 73 64,944
Swedish and Nor-
wegian .......”
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“...14
CHEFOO.
Sailing Vessels Entered.
With Cargo. In Ballast. Total.
Fluff. Number of Vessels. Tons. Number of Vessels. Tons. Number of Vessels. Tons.
British ...... Amorican...... Swedish and Nor- wegian ...... German ...... 7 3 2 1 3,642 1,431 700 447 4 1,807 11 3 2 1 6,449 1,431 700 447
Total ...... „ for the year preceding 13 12 6,220 8,206 4 7 1,807 3,278 17 19 8,027 11,484
Sailing Vessels Cleared.
With Cargo. In Ballast. Total.
Flag. Number of Vessels. Tons. Number of Vessels. Tons. Number of Vessels. Tons,
British ...... American...... Swedish and Nor- wegian ...... German ...... 3 2 2 1 1,826 758 700 447 5 1 2,223 673 8 3 2 1 4,C49 1,431 700 447
Total ...... ,, for the year preceding 8 11 3,731 4,905 6 9 2,896 7,048 14 20 6,627 11,953
LONDON:
Printed for Her Majesty's Stationery Oflice,
Bt HARRISON AND SONS,
Printers in Ordinary to II er Majesty.
(1250 7 | 98 -H & S 216)...”
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