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“......................................................................................................................................................................13
Local steam filatures............................................................................................................................................................13
Good demand for Shanghai-spun silk....................................................................................................14
New cotton mills ........................................................................................................l't
General remarks......................................................................................................................................................................................15
General—
Significance of year 1897 ..........................................................................................15
Railway to Woosung..........................................”
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“...000 spindles. Additional spindles will
shortly be erected to the number of another 100,000. The
labour employed is principally female, and with the sudden
demand wages have been forced up enormously, the supply of
skilled hands being naturally unequal to the demand. Wages,
which began at 20 c. per day, rose to 30 c. (65^.), but have
since gone down again, as the supply increased, to 25 c. (Bid.).
In spite of this difficulty, the mills have already paid small
dividends, and it is believed have good prospects laefore them.
When in full working, the existing mills should produce about
240,000 bales of 400 lbs. per annum. To meet the demand for
raw cotton, large areas in the neighbourhood are being put under
this crop.
China cotton, though apparently dearer than Indian or
American, has certain advantages which fully compensate for its
higher price. I11 the first place it takes the dye very much better
than other kinds, and consequently the yarn spun commands
better prices. In the second place...”
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“...20 c.; children, 10 c.; and coolies, 15 to
20 c.; trained workmen being paid at a higher rate. The mill has
an English manager and an English engineer. The machinery is by
Messrs. Dobson and Barlow. Limited, of Bolton.
At Wusieli, already mentioned as the centre of the silk district,
there is also a cotton yarn factory, with 10,000 spindles working
(capacity, 16,000); the production of which is perhaps about half
that of the Soochow mill. The machinery is made by the same
manufacturers. Both mills enjoy certain advantages over their
Shanghai competitors in cheapness of labour and in freedom from
taxation. The prosperity of such industries, however, is always in
danger from the peculiar methods of administration that seem
inseparable from the commercial operations of officialdom in China,
(1260 7 | 98—h & 8 233)...”
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