The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1904-05-20
CnINA's FOREIGN TRADE.

The foreign trade OF the Chinese EN-
pire in 1903 surpassed all previous rec
ords; the total was 5i1 900, 600 haikwan
taels. or s3i6, 900. The annual re-
port OF the inspector-general Of Gus
toms for the Chinese Empire. which
has just been received by the Bureau
OF Statistics of the Department of
Commerce and Labor shows that the
imports in 1903 were valued at 326.739,-
600 haikwan taels, and exports at 214,-
I 1862, 600 haikwan taels. At the value Of
GA cents American gold, which is stated
as the average exchange for the year,
/ the equivalent values are: Imports,
5000 113, 900, and exports, sl37, 1s5,OO0 AS
compared with former years the total
trade is almost exactly double what it
was decade ago, but only little
more than per cent greater than in
| 1902 Imports exceed those of the
! previous year by about 4 per cent,
while the total value of exports is
1 pIdtllCdlly the SdHIe.
Harvests in China We're abundant
last year and helped to recoup the
losses Aom flood and drought and war
in the years just preceding. The silk
crop in Mid China, however, is report
ed as disastrous failure and affected
| adversely the balance of export BUSH
ness. Forty years ago half the ex-
ports consisted of silk and silk prod
ucts, while now this item is only 35
per cent of the total. The value of
exports of all kinds of silk, except
piece goods, fell from 70,S12.O00 haik-
wan taels in 1902 to 2193, 900 haikwan
taels in 1903 the export value of silk
piece goods, however, increased from
$4,000 haikwan taels to 12,096,000.
Tea shows the greatest increase in ex-
ports. Not only did the quantity in
crease, but the prices realized are
higher so that the 1903 export value
was 26,334,0O0 haikwan taels as COM
pared with 1-3 millions less in the
preceding year Owing to increased
demand from America, export of mat
tngs increased from 2,SO9,OOO haikwan
taels to 4,140, 900 haikwan taels
The article of import in which the
largest increase is found is opium,
which increased over eight million
taels, to a value of 43,S31,000 haikwan
taels in 1908. Metals, including manu-.
features of iron and copper, increased
so per cent to 1876, 900 taels, and there
We're also imported railway supplies to
the amount of nearly 100000 taels.
American kerosene decreased largely
in quantity and to some extent in
value also; it's value is now nearly
equaled and its quantity is exceeded by
Samaritan oil, imports of which, in
1902. amounted to less than half the
value of the American product i'm
ported. Imports of Russian kerosene
also nearly doubled. The value of the
American kerosene amounted to $780,
900 taels, the Russian to 2,332,O00, and
the Samaritan to 6,626. 900.
Good crops are responsible for the
large diminution in rice imports. which
was less than a third OF the 1902 i'm
portation of 23,6O0,000 haikwan taels.
Foreign flour also fell off million
taels. or about one-fourth, its place
being taken by the product of recently
established mills grinding Chinese
wheat. Imports of cotton yarn in-
creased, while plain fabrics fell from
1905, 900 pieces to 1S,SS5,OOO pieces and
fancy goods increased but slightly;
cotton yarn increased from 1926, 4OO,ooo
pounds to 365, 066 900 pounds. For many
years the cotton goods sold to China
consisted mainly of woven fabrics. In
1872 the import of yarns constituted
only per cent of the total cotton
goods imported, but last year 1t was
4S per cent. 1t is stated that now
over so per cent of the cotton goods
are made in that country Ihls III
crease in the importation of yarn ana
of home manufacture from yarn is ap-
parently one OF the causes of the gen.
eral decrease in the importation of cot
ton cloths. Japanese fabrics are the
only ones in which increased imports
are shown. The increase in importa-
ton of yarns was chiefly from Japan.
II is I'D TO the Jury Commissioner rs
again. The failure of indictments
brought by the Territorial Grand Jury