The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-08

may mean ory goods case OF Odle, anu
usually does. so that this quantity taxes
the capacity of a fleet OF coasting ships.
Ii represented accommodations for the win
ter in Shanghai warehouses, TO the large
profit OF warehousemen and not always TO
the benefit Of the cases. which get treat
ment none too gentle at this stage Of their
transshipment. Comparisons are not made
with last year, because shipments were
then Insignificant: but II is not unlikely
that some of the goods now reaching con-
sumers left the factory with view TO
their use last year and kept gathering
storage charges until now.
There are agencies here which found
themselves so heavily loaded a year ago
that fears were entertained for thir ability
to keep up. for drafts had accompanied
some OF the goods, and with those sent on
consignment, the home people were not
content TO bear the entire burden of a dead
season. 1t is probably as we'll TO forget
now some of the stories afiOat a few
months ago regarding the eXpedients en-
ployed to tighten overstocking, but it may
be said that not a little of the industrial
panic talk in Germany had it's origin in
conditions here and that many English and
American handlers were nearly IL not quite
as badly off as German houses from this
cause. Failures in the south could be
traced directly TO it. Possibly no merchant
or manufacturer who found big lump of
his capital stock tied up in a Shanghai
warehouse for several months last year, or
for the season, feels in need of further in
structions as to the gauge to be applied TO
the China market following a period OF tur-
ol xiei or her
al the opening of the present season in the
north will carry back home strong views
as TO the time of year goods should be
shipped, and thus by elimination leave the
Shanghai warehousemen in another season
with less pressure upon their space and
more docility toward their kind in their
hearts than occurred at the beginning of
the present year of grace.
AMERICAN GOODS THAT LEAD.
American goods led the list to such an ex-
tent in first shipments of the season TO the
north that comparisons with those from
other lands seem almost ridiculous. There
were 1855 bales of American sheeting
against $500 at the beginning of 1900. Eng
land sent $50 bales and Japan 2OO the Dutch
go and India 80. OF American drills. 1900
bales went north, against 1900 at the be-
ginning of 1900. England sent 500. Japan
900 and the Dutch $50 bales. OF American
jeans there were 1850 bales, against 9O5 at
the beginning of the season of 1900. Eng
land sent 800 and the Dutch 200. These are
sample figures which run all through the
list of cottOns, America leading always ex-
cept in yarns, of which there are few Amer
lean imports. and in which India commands
the market. as has occurred from the
earliest years when cotton was imported
for hand looming. Americans have entered
the field with gray goods the English sta
pie. These goods are mainly of light weight
and American contributions TO the supply
cannot be said TO imperil English supremacy.
In heavy grays, however. American mills
have displayed such activity as TO have de-
velOped a genuine contest for the command
of this market. The year happens to be
most favorable for trade invasion, because
low stocks have stimulated both demand
and prices. Dealers agree that if American
goods continue to improve in variety, they
will regulate this market, even if they may
not control it. in lines that Americans neg
lected in other years. In anticipation Of
increasing demand, both for established
lines and for new varieties, terms have been
from the Southern mills 10 this port, which
are expected to effect economies both in
time and cost. Direct shipments would cur
tail considerably the usefulness of the New
York handler; they would remove wholly
from calculations the item of freights from
the mills to New York and by the employ
ment of a transcontinental route, and
thence by the Pacific, deliveries would be-
come possible in two months, as against
four months, the time allowed for orders
from New York via Suez. A rate on cottors
of s110 (gold) per 100 pounds has been
quoted from the mills to Shanghai. Since
goods through New York have heretofore
paid in freights from the mills to New York
from 40 TO 50 cents per hundred, and that
charge would be related, dealers calculate
that freights to Shanghai from the mills
would cost them not more than 65 cents per
hundred, and possibly less. They pay from
New York % shillings per ton to Shanghai.
That charge added to freights from the
/ mills to New York makes a difference of 50
or so per ton in favor of direct shipments, a
difference that might be large enough 10
turn the scale in favor of American goods
should the increase in varieties be sufficient
Il
with English staples. Improving freights
| for cotton might easily apply to other
/ American products, especially TO hardware
/ machinery and provisions. American flour
mined on the Pacific coast, tobacco and
kerosene already have leading positions in
/ the China market.
CHANCE FOR DYED COTTONS.
The visit of one American agent here this
! season promises to supplant in one line OF
/ goods not merely other foreign manufacture
ers. but a native industry that extends over
/ the entire empire. He has been looking
/ into dyed cloths. Native practice has al
! ways been to buy bleached cotton and &c
! dye by hand. Cost of labor does not count
in this process, for while there are dyers
| devoting themselves to that and nothing
else. the work usually falls TO those who
/ have nothing else 10 DO or is taken up al
leisure. Probably the majority of familie.
either do their own dyeing or arrange tC
have il done in exchange for return favors
/ the cost in either case counting as nothing
/ except for the dyeing material Blue is the
/ dye generally employed. All over China
| one may see cloths Of that color, shading