New-York tribune., 1901-06-08
THE CHICAGO OF CHINA,
HANKOW AND ITS COMMERCIAL I'M.
PORTANCE.

Washington. June (SpeciaD.-Hankow. the CHI
cago of China is the subject of an elaborate dis
cussiOn in recent number of THE British Board
of Trade Journal" which presents facts that will
prove of Importance Americans interested in the
trade with China. Hankow is a city of more than
a million inhabitants, about six hundred miles in
the interior of China but reached by ocean going
steamers. which pass up the great Yang-tse River
to that point. Located in the very heart of the
productive and densely populated section OF
China. it is of the most important trade centres
The article in question
second in importance: coming only after Shanghai.
should be regarded more as sea port than as a
river port. The total import trade OF the eight
treaty ports on the Yang-tse has been S follows
In 1897 113 0s0519 Haikwan taes. of which the value
Of 25.1sO.24s entered Hankow; il 1SsS 109466si
taeIs. Of which o, 5.79i entered at Hankow and
in 1899 IA .474 taels OF which entered
at Hankow The total export trade Of these eight
1857 100 45 coo taes. OF which value of 24540&2
taeis OF which 30 $50 S5i tae in value was ex1oSfed
from HankOw, and in 1899 III SO 55 taels OF which
From the above il will be seen that as regards
exports the trade of Hankow is greater than that
of Shanghai, whose export trade in 1899 amounted
TO loS22 ~ taels. The value Of the Hakwan tael
1S7sO51. entered and cleared at the por5 og Han o.
kow as against $50 vessels with a TofaI Of 90 IN
in 70 OF the total tonnage entered and cleared
amounted to SOS per cent in 1895 and 632 per cent
In 1889. In the report OF the deputy commissioner
OF customs for 1899 il Is said with regard 10 the
Increase OF shipping at HankOW in that year as
compared with lSN. that among the for this
increase may be rOted the arrival OF ocean steamers
with materials for the Hank0w- Peking Railway.
In the .Ssue OF The Indian Import and Export
Trades journal FOR February last. in article on
the commercial Importance of HankOw. is said
that OF all the towns in the interior China this
Is the one most likely 10 increase in commercial
Importance within the next decade. Situated as
II IS on the Y1nS-tSe $50 miles from Shanghai. il
holds the important position OF being at the head 81
that portion or the Nang-tSe which is naVigahe
Tor vessels drawing up to ten feet all the wear
roCnd. and tOr ocean going vessels drawing thirty
ieet during the Hood seasons Clay 70 OctOberl
IL IL also AT the mouth OF the Han River. a very
important trade route for Chinese iunks and what
Is more important the railways from Peking 10
the north and Canton 20 the south o
their terrnini at HankOw. HankOw is from a COM
Inerclal point or view and from that of the for
eigner the most important place Of the three towns
-Wuchang. Hanyang and HankOW-siJuated on
the Adng-tse close 20 each other. but separated
that river and the Han River. Its chief manu-
iacture Is brick tea. The process. briefly described
s simply grinding the dr.ed tea 20 powder cleaning
Into bricks of about half inch in thickness and
by inches in width and length These bricks are
almost all exported to Russian territory. There
are also several works for the manufacture OF
albumen from the white Of eggs. One factory will
Use as many as three million eggs a month. Tia
demand has caused the Chinese to trade largely in
eggs All the principal "hOngs." as the foreign
business houses are called. in British con-
cesSion. with the exception Of German ones
IN their own concession. The Lu-Han Railway
Will. when completed. join HankOw with Pexing.