The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1907-07-24

| L.
Sl,tfG or wild silk, comes
near b-in5 lle chief article of export
of N llci,..:ia ccording to Albert W.
Pont.'@ Lr1tea states vice consul
genera at Newchwang, who recently
made trip to the Kaichow market
for the purpose Of investigation. AS
all silk experts know, this silk is pro-
duced from cocoons, the worms Of
which are fed on oak leaves. After
being spun. it is shipped to kaichow,
where the tax collector. appointed by
the Chinese government, is stationed.
This official holds his position only
after guaranteeing to pay the gov
ernment yearly sum collected
through his official position.
AS he is the only official collecting
tax on this article of export, the ma
tiyes are obliged to ship all their silk
to his station. None of the silk ex-
| ported from Kaichow is spun there.
Kaichow, Or Kaiping, is a walled city,
| lying about 25 miles directly south Of
| Newchwang. It is about five miles
| from the sea and Of easy access to the
| railway, being only about two miles
distant from the Kaiping station Of
the South Manchurian Railway. Af-
| ter the silk arrives at this place and
passes through the hands Of the tax
collector, it is reshipped to Different
parts for export.
The Newchwang custom returns
for 1906 show that wild silk to the
amount Of more chan $1,000, 900 gold
was exported from that place alone.
Value Of the exports through Dalny
are unobtainable. According to the
representative Of German firm at
Kaichow, wild silk to the value Of
nearly s3,000.000 gold was exported
during the past year. The export fig
ures in the course Of the past ten
years have varied considerably,
running as high as 27,000 bales and
as low as 1000 bales Each bale con-
tains one picul, or 1873 1-3 pounds.
The average value per bale for the
past ten years was about s136 gold.
Had not the late war interfered
with the crops, the figures would have
been higher than shown, as the popu-
lation and trees have suffered Both
the Russians and Japanese obtained
concessions to cut trees in the Yalu
district, and as a consequence the oak
forests have dwindIed to some extent.
The very life Of the cocoon depends
on these trees, and the Chinese Gov
ernment must adopt some measure
for their preservation if the wild silk
trade is to retain an important posi-
ton in the exports Of Manchuria
Special Investigations of the wild
silk market of Manchuria have been
made by German firm. which is
much interested IN tne american and
European silk trade: and tneir repre-
sentative declares that kaichow and
.Antung are tise silk markets Of that
province. But, while Antung mainly
exports cocoons to Chefoo, where the
silk is spun in foreign style, Kaichow
is the market for silk spun in the old
fashion. While wild silk is cropped
and spun in districts considerably dis
tant from Kaichow, the spun article
must be sent to that place. The num-
Der Of bales Of wild silk brought to
Kaichow and re-shipped for export
through the ports Of Newchwang and
Dalny agrees with the Shanghai Gus
toms returns, thus proving Kaichow
to be the distributing market Of the
province for that article Of export.
The business Of Kaichow is done al
most entirely through Chinese. The
market price per bale varies accord
ing to the large or small demand in
Shanghai. and is also Influenced by
the stocks in that place. The business
is generally done during the winter,
and the conditions are such that busi-
ness on a commission basis is simply
out Of the question. Wild silk can
only be bought speculatiyely. Offers
are obtainable in Shanghai through
merchants who hold stocks and who
have their Chinese representatives in
Kaichow. The foreigners, therefore,
have an advantage in buying in
Shanghai. When the market began in
November of last year the price of
one bale ranged from $50 to 1892
gold; since then the prices have gone
up steadily, until now a bale will
bring as high as s16S gold.
Manchuria silk, tussah flature,
(small reel) tussah, native, Qarge
reel,) and tussah waste (wild silk re-
fuse) have repeatedly been shipped to
the United States, but at present, ow-
ing to the lack of demand, only tus-
sab filarure of the very best variety
finds a steady market. This grade
brings about 1925 gold per bale Of 1873
1-2 pounds. Tussah native has never
pleased the American consumer. and
tussah waste, having been spun in
England. turns up in the United
States as tussah spun silk, or CHAP
Pc" About ten years ago larger lots
Of tho cta Jvaro trio6 h11t