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“...Public works ......................................................................................................................................................9
Trade statistics—•
Introductory ................................................................................................................................................9
Value of imports..........................................................................................................................................11
Quantity of imports ..............................................................................................................................16
Value of exports..........................................................................................................................................19
Quantity of exports ..............................................................................................................................21...”
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“...cereals were obtainable than had been anticipated, and the local
prices rose to an almost prohibitive scale—from 31. 6s. to 41. 17s. per
ton ; failures were not infrequent and the more substantial merchants
were in many cases only able to load the vessels chartered to fulfil
their forward contracts at a serious loss.
Instead of the anticipated large increase in the export of beans
during the year 1912, for the haulage of which the Chinese Eastern
Railway had made elaborate preparations, the value of the exports
of this commodity was actually only some 77 per cent, of the figure
reached in 1911. :
Prior to the end of 1912 the Chinese authorities had taken no
adequate steps to cope with the disastrous state of affairs ; it is,
(587) a 2...”
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“...to 21. per ton, while a further burden was inflicted by an
increase during the year, without previous warning, of the freight
charged on the Chinese Eastern Railway from the chief produce-
loading station to Vladivostok by 3s. 4d. per ton.
Altogether it may safely be sstid that only holders of cargo bought
quite early in the season realised a margin of profit on the year's
transactions in soya beans.
There was also a falling-off in the value of grain of all kinds ex-
ported during 1912 as compared with the value for 1911, while in
nankeens the value of the 1912 exports was little over one-third of
the 1911 figure, owing, it appears, to very successful competition on
the part of Japanese manufacturers.
The chief decreases in imports from abroad occur in the following
items :—Sugar (resulting partly from the marked progress made by
the products of the British-owned sugar refineries established in
Hong-Kong and partly from the increased output of the local Russian
beet sugar factory at...”
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“...steel is in plant and materials for the Chinese
Eastern Railway.
Openings for British trade.—There can, I fear, be no doubt that
for varying causes the year 1912 has failed to come up to the bright
expectations entertained for the commercial prosperity of the Con-
sular district of Harbin. That the country is possessed of enormous
natural resources in agriculture, forestry and minerals is beyond
all doubt, but it is, unfortunately, the fact that the Chinese are
exceedingly slow to appreciate the value of modern mechanical and
scientific aids to the proper development of each and all of these
resources.
It is difficult to present an adequate notion of the commercial condi-
tions of Harbin itself, by far the most important town in the district.
Situated as it is at the junction of the main line of the
Chinese Eastern Railway, with its important southern branch
line to Changchun, whence there is direct rail communication
to Mukden, Newchwang, Tientsin, Peking, Port Arthur, Dairen,
Antung and...”
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“...familiar—the depreciation of Chinese currency. All transactions
amongst Chinese, in the two provinces of Kirin and Heilungchiang are
settled in notes, issued by the provincial government banks, originally
worth 40 c. of so-called Manchurian small coin (which consists of 10
and 20-c. pieces, exchanging at an average rate of 115 c. to the Mexican
dollar). Owing, however, to the issue being greatly in excess of the
actual demand, and covered by silver reserves estimated at only
-J- per cent., the value of these notes had fallen from over 8d. to less
than half that figure, and holders of these notes naturally suffered
heavily.
It is satisfactory to note that measures are now at length (April,
1913) on foot to redeem these seriously depreciated notes and replace
them by fresh ones of an actuai fixed silver denomination, covered,
moreover, by far less inadequate reserves.
In the latter half of 1912 the Russian Government announced its
intention of abolishing the freedom from the heavy Russian...”
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“...d, and without such outside
assistance the municipality's finances are not sufficiently flourishing
to allow of many of the above projects taking actual shape.
The municipal council refuse to accept tenders from any nationals
whose Governments have not signified their assent to the municipal
regulations ; British firms are thus among the category of those
debarred from tendering with any prospect of success.
Trade statistics. Introductory.—The statistical tables appended
hereto showing the value and quantity of the imports and exports
passing the five Chinese customs stations in North Manchuria during...”
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“...Value of the Net Imports into the Harbin Consular District—continued.
W
£
5
hh
Si
Articles. Harbin. Manchouli. Suifenho. Aigun. Sansing. Total.
( 1912. 1911.
£ £ £ £ £ £ £
Clothing, &c.......... 147,480 20,469 167,949 158,133
Coal and coke 1,612 2,728 4,340 1,810
Confectionery, &c. ... 11,304 11,304 13,065
Copper 507 2,712 3,219 5,834
Cordage 3,485 2,943 6,428
Cotton, manufactures of— 965
Blankets 481 608 1,089
Cambrics, lawns, muslins 158 6 164 1,340
Chintzes and plain prints 101,594 101,594 52,725
Drills ............... 66 7,826 "662 8,554 7,955
Flannel ............... 4,926 88 5,014 8,470
Handkerchiefs 1,180 7 1,187 1,384
Italians, plain, fast, black and figured ... 14,730 2,445 17,175 5,068
Japanese cotton cloth ... 6,258 6,258 "588
Jeans 111 111
Sateens, reps, &c. ... 10,666 5 10,671 5,360
Sheetings, grey, plain ..." ... 197 197 5,373
Shirtings— 15,231 17,766 3,756
Dyed, plain ...... 14,951 280 ...
Grey...”
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“...Value of the Net Imports into the Harbin Consular District—continued.
M
(<•
P=
W
Articles. Harbin. Manchouli. Suifenhu. Aigun. Sansing. Total.
1912. 1911.
£ £ £ £ £ £ £
Matches ...... ...... 3,534 3,669 7,203 1,373
Metals......... ...... 3,020 21,484 480 235 25,219 8,092
Milk, condensed 3 1,228 ... 1,231 834
Oils-
Engine 323 9,373 9,696 10,082
Kerosene, Russian 1,882 82,932 4,223 89,037 58,633
Vegetable, all kinds 1,592 7,723 9,315 2,073
Paper.................. 5,374 24,556 29,930 32,050
Perfumery 11,325 1,406 12,731 11,033
Photographic materials 1,545 7,089 285 1,830 1,541
Piece-goods, miscellaneous ... 110 4,474 11,673 10,376
Printing and lithographic materials 3,089 309 3,398 499
Soap ... 16,875 3,592 1,573 177 20,644 20,731
Soda ... 45 ... 1,618 4,690 3,668
Stationery 4,668 22 2,314
Sugar—
Brown 511 ... 511 234
White ......... 558 1,705 ... 2,263 35,932
Refined 1,850 18,796 20,646 18,150
Stores, household, marine...”
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“...Value of the Exports from the Harbin Consular District—continued.
to
o
Articles. Harbin. Manchouli. •Suifenlio. Aigun. Sansing. Total.
1912. 1911.
Hides and skins— £ £ £ £ £ £ £
Pressed ... 407 ... 407 740
Undressed ... i 7,081 911 17,992 6,850
Meat products—
Lard 5,838 1,207 3,963 762 11,770 6,090
Meats ......... 15,432 143,027 15,439 173,898 103,714
Tallow, beef 1,389 ' 704 405 2,498 1,779
Oil, bean, hemp seed, &c. ... 59,303 8,696 1,261 140 373 69,773 71,663
Paper ... ...... 2,666 2,666 2,500
Provisions and vegetables ... 4,583 8,663 1 15,820 8,431
Seeds ... 4,780 1,751 81,552 331 88,414 84,747
Silk piece-goods 18,774 91 494 19,359 71,611 6,583
Tea ............ 57,309 755 13,547 20,518
Tobacco and manufactures of 1,222 1,222 1,864
Wood...... ...... 15,225 134 54,737 2,622 72,718 112,243
Wool ............ 33 15,001 373 15,407 5,678 15,101
Postal parcels 2,078 3,600 ...
All other articles 92,524 2.1,754 22,552 22,477 463 159,770 152,407...”
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