'THERE is so much that is satisfactory and even promising in Mr. Walter C. Hillier's Report on the rade of Corea for 1889, that it is well worth drawing attention to. Corea has passed through two stages since it was first thrown oj to the world, and is now in the third. At first it was thought to be a country of great possibilities, and expensive ference, which they do not always do, preparations were made to engage in The only other export specially noticed trade with it.
"Then followed a fit of sis hides, which were sent forward in depression, and the belief spread that 1889 to the value of £33,362, the country was hopelessly poverty Cotton piece goods, mostly of Man-stricken, and there was no profit in i chester origin, represent one-half of the 30° Now it is realised what the opportunities import trade, but, the amount that actually are, and a steadily increasing passes through the customs is not the business is being done by China and whole trade, for it is well known that a Japan with Corea. There are now considerable trade is done at the port neither illusions nor discouragement, but of Pingyang, to which numbers of Chi-there is a moderate and quiet trade, with nese junks come to load beans, for which reason to hope that it will continue they pay with goods, 'The next head to gradually to expand. 'This expansion which Mr, Hillier draws attention' is 0 ras very marked 1889, as the follow-metals. The great increase in 1889 ing figures for that and the previous year was in copper and spelter, required for show minting purposes. Among the follies Imports $8,046,445 1889 1888 on which the scanty resources of the Exports 867,058 $3,377,815 233, country have been wasted is a foreign mint, constructed at great expense Total...84,611,656 $3,913,501 and fitted with elaborate machinery, The balance between imports and which has never been used except. to exports is redressed by the export of strike off a few specimen coins. The native mint in which the antiquated Hiller tell us, at $3,000,000 in 1888, old, which was estimated, as Mr. moulds are used for the casting of cop-and about $2,000,000 in 1889, the cash, has, however, been working at decrease last year "being due to the fil pressure; and in this demand for fact that mining operations were put a currency Mr. Hillier sees a satisfactory stop to both in the neighbourhood of roof of the increasing prosperity of Fusan and in the north for a portion of the year."
Corea is one of the few countries in whose harbours the British mercantile {flag is now never seen, the 244,400 tons of shipping which entered and cleared at the three open ports being Japanese 221,000, Chinese 14,000, German 7,000, Corean 2,000 and Norwegian 400. The energetic Nippon Yusen Kaisha runs three steamers regularly and others occasionally, and has the virtual control of the trade, for the one Chinese steamer runs very imegularly, and the German steamer is one belonging to the Corean government which has not yet changed her flag, as the whole of her purchase money has not been paid. Mr. Hillier regrets that no systematic attempt has been made to create a steamer traffic on the Seoul river. From Chenmulpo to Mapu, the port of Seoul, is only 54 miles, and from Mapu to Seoul there is only three miles of land carriage, while the charge for taking goods overland from Chemulpo to Seoul is about 15 cents a picul, so that suitable steamers drawing not more than two feet would do well.
Mr. Hillier does not say very much about the export trade of Corea. Beans n are the staple, and the business in them would continue to increase if the Corean authorities would abstain from inter-the country. 'I'he only other import specially noticed by Mr. Hillier is kerosene oil, and he finds the Coreans receiving the Russian with precisely the same favour as the American product.
But the business we have just been considering, satisfactory as it was comparatively, is nothing like what a country with the possibilities of Corea ought to do, The reasons for this have been pointed out before, by Mr, Carles and others. Corea swarms with official drones who live on the working bees, monopolies licensed by the government crush trade on every hand, there are no roads, and there is no coasting trade, as the Corean boats are too unseat worthy. There are other ports that might be opened, and the Japanese would soon open a coasting trade. Pingyang, which has already been. mentioned, would open up a most important commercial area, and the Japanese are most anxious to get it made treaty port, and the Corean government, whose revenue would be increased by its opening, are ready to meet this Japanese wish, but China opposes. Meanwhile, the government would improve its own revenues and greatly increase the prosperity of the country, if it would grant to responsible foreigners concessions to cut timber and work mines, but it does not do it, "he
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.