Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-05-22
CH|NA'S TRADE BRISK
Report OF Chinese Government
Shows That Country's
Business Active.
Railroad Construction Shows
Much Activity and U. S.
Imports Increase.
American Mill Goods and Kero-
sene Oil Are Finding
Great Demand.

Special to Times -Republican.
Washington, May 22.-Business has
Leen resumed in China apparently with
increased activity. The official publ
cation of the Chinese government. Re
turns of Trade and Trade Reports for
the Year 1901 which has just reached
the treasury bureau of statistics, shows
that railroad construction has been act
lively resumed in severa! of the prov
inces, that practically 1000 miles of
railway are now completed and in oper-
atlon, and that several hundred miles
will be added during the present year;
while the record of the foreign COM
merce presented by the report shows
that the imports into China in the year
1901 were larger than those of any pre-
ceding year. The total value OF the I'M
PORTS is given as 26S,302,91S haikwan
taels, or $192, 1878, 100, against 264,o0o,-
600 taels in 1899, 2o2,00O,O0o in 1897,
III, 900, 900 in 1895 and 162,0OO,OOO in
1894. The exports are valued at los,-
G56,735 haikwan taels S122.153,O0O),
and exceed those of any prior year ex-
cept 1899.
From the United States the imports
IN 1901 were valued at 23.529,606 haik-
wan taels (s16,S 41, 5000, against 16,724,-
4s3 haikwan taels in 1900, 22,2ss'i4o
taels in 1899, 17,163,912 taels in 1893 n
1893. 0S2 haikwan taels in 1884. mus
the imports from the United States
have increased about $50 per cent since
1894, while the exports to the onlteo
States in 1901 We're practically the
same as those of 1894, the figures OF
1901 being 16,572,9SS hailSwan taels ana
those Of 1894 16,442,7SS haikwan taeis.
| COMPARING the progress OF the onlteu
states with that of other countries, II
may, be said that the imports INTO emma
from Great Britain Increased from 81
100000 haikwan taels in 1894 to 4l,ooo'-
6O0 in 1901; those from Hong Kong IN
@, eased from SO, 900. 600 to 120,OOo,OoO;
those from continental Europe, except
Russia, from 5000. 600 to 17,OoO,ooo, n
those, from Russia increased from less
than 1000, 900 to 100000 haikwan taels.
The growth in imports from the unlted
States is larger than that in imports
from any other country, tho Hong
Kong. Great Britain, japan ana inala
rank higher than the United States IN
the import statement of 1901.
American merchandise continues to
find favor in China, according to a
statement of the statistical secretary.
Mr.. +. E.. TAYLOR, which accompanies
the report, american heavy goods
he saws. Continue to find favor, drills
So - a,,,@,, Jorirp now reached
1.s4s.626 pieces. or more tina double
the importations of 1900; While sheet-
ines rose to 2.S40,51S pieces. Japanese
goods also show progress. japanese
shirtings having risen from 1856 TO a.
O29 pieces. Grey and white shlrtings
were about the same. them pc
ing included a growing importation Oh
| American goods. Owing to the fall III
exchange and the dearness OF cotton III
America and Europe. there was a
marked demand during the year for
cheaper qualities of cotton goods, which
was rather a reversal of the tendency
Of late years.
american kerosene oil was six mill
ions of gallons in excess of the largest
previous Importation. in 1894; Russian
kept its place, while Sumatran is rap
id]y gaining and has reached 40,64O,049
gallons"
An interesting feature of the report
is that relating to the resumption OF
railway construction, as follows: The
Shantung railway had 160 ktlometers
completed at the end of thu year, and
trains were running between Tsingtao
and Tso-shan. This next spring 1t is
expected to reach the Ma-shu coal
mines, and should be completed as far
as Chi-nan-fu. the capital of the prov
ince. in three years. TIE Imperial rail-
ways of North China between Pekin
and Tien Tsin and Newchwang, with
Feng-tai to the Lu-Han railway, and
extensions to Tung-chou and Hsln-
min-tun, nave 901 kilometers ccm-
| pleted. The short line between Shang-
fai and Woosung, eighteen kilometers.
Is said to be paying it's way now, bui
nothing has been done by way OF COM
mencing the projected railway from
Shanghai to Soochow, Ningpo, etc, and
I. is understood that there is some dif-
fculty in raising the necessary capital.
owing to the terms of the concessions
not being considered satisfactory by in
yestors. The great trunk line from
Pekin to Hankow makes steady prog
ress, and the influence on trade should
be felt Immediately. During the year
the section between Lu -kou-chiao and
Fao-ting-fu, destroyed by Boxers, was
rebuilt, and the line has been carried
down to Cheng-ting-fu distant from
Pekin 262 kilometers. In 1902 it is hoped
To complete the line as far south as
Shun-te-fu, a further distance OF l2o
kilometers. In the south, at the end OF
the year It's kilometers northwards
from Hankow We're completed, ana
trains will be running us far as Hsln-
yang (22o kilometers) o May l
rext. BY the end of the year 1t is hoped
that the track will be laid for another
700 kilometers north of Hsin-yang. IL
is intended to commence work shortly
on the line from Wuchang to Canton.
Experience has already shown that
RAILWAYS in China are eagerly awaited
of and that business increases wherever
they are built"
LEG AMONG SHEEP.