The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-08-20
AS TO cHINA'S DEVELOPMENT.

AS TO CFlNAS DEVELOFMElNl -
Washington August 1zIn view OF the early settlement
Of the Chinese difficulty and the resumption OF norman uu
conditions with comparatively undeveoped country oo
siderable attaches to the report OF the
reau of statistics for this month which is specially devoted
to the Chinese trade. 81.
review of the conditions under which trade with Cha
has been conducted aptly points out that with an area "
900 600 square miles and population OF 4'ooo'oo,
Chnas doors have closed against foreign taue oi
dreds thousands, Of until within inc neUy
the present generation With hundreds OF miles oil fa''w
now in operation and thousands of miles projected, "
teegraphs connecting its capital with every PoVe i
even its far away dependencies, with steam naVissuo anu
foreign vessels penetrating to the neau u ~ -
navigabe waterways and with foreigners permted "
travel for business or pleasure the emoest corners OF inc
empire carrying with them merchandise and the machinery
by which is manufactured the changes in condition arc
now such to attract unusual attention
The first American vessel engaged in the Chinese trade
left New York February 1884 and returned hi'e
months Since that time the In'tea states mas WIN
the exception Britain been the leading factor ~
trade with China In 1910 the Portuguese opened tae
with China and finally succeeded in establishing oothold
but were permitted to sell only through the Chinese mer
chants having hongs' warehouses in China Alter tho
Spanish conquered the Philippines in 545 they estaosheo
/ a trade with China and the Dutch followed in 1924
The British did appear until 1885 and were refused
trading privileges until they established themselves by the
use Of guns The opium war OF I842 between Cnn'
and Britain opened the way for the commercial deVe
opmen of the empire In 1853 the ministers OF foreign eou
tries permitted to reside in Pekin ana IN 1878 WeI'
given their first reception by the emperor in person he
ministers wives however were not received by the empress
until 1905 The between Japan and China was followed
by the rapid development of the Chinese empires toregr
and from the trade expected to greatly
increase
The 4oooooooo people Of China are now served by $50
miles OF railway less than one mile tor each 100000
the population The roads now in operation were CONSTRUCTED
by the government at IT'S expense connecting fekn VIII
Ten Tsiu thence ohanha an while another line run
from Pekn to PaonsFu the capital OF the province o
Pechil The first railroad fourteen miles in length run
ming from Shanghai to Wusung, was opened in 1870 OF al
the projected roads China the one IN which Amercan
are directly interested is connect Canton with Han
kow great and rich interior city OF this line the review
says
1T passes through rich and important agricultural sec
ton having population equal that Of the United States
and taps important iron and coal center TIL
direction Of this line almost due north and south, an
while practically touches the seaboad at its southern ter
minus where reaches the Yangtze the north II is
eral hundred miles interior thus bringing direction witt
the port OF Canton the products OF the langz
valley AT Hankow the proposed American line will connec
with the proposed Belgian line which reaches Pekin thu
placing in direct communication the capital OF the empire
the north the great commercial center IN the interior Han
ow and the great producing center III the western interior
with the great seaport at The south Canton
The Carnegie Steel company is supposed be intereste
in this railway and is reported to be ready to advance $40
for the Canton ankow road and 100000 tn
ankow Pekn road The natural waterways of China aggre
gate miles in length and the canals and continuou
waterways formed by sections OF navgab and lake
add greatly this length Land traffic in the interior is
tedious process the roads are as bad as represented and h
wheeled vehicles consist almost exclusively of the wheel
barrow.
The money Of China an uncertain quantity and OWN
the rivalry Of the different provinces weight and fine
mes of their dollars has been reduced until they
garded everywhere with suspicion There is Chin
which seldom figures in commercial accounts called tn
sycec This is merely silver cast in the form Of woman
shoe and actual weight and fnencss determined by OF
hcas appointed by the merchants for that purpose TIL
honesty OF the officials supposed be guaranteed by tn
fact that dishonesty is punished by decanation