Tae Memoraudam on the British import trade with Japan, by Mr. Longford, Vioe-Consul at Tokio, is reviewed by the Yokohama papera received by the mail. The document wns specially commended to the consideration of British mer-dante and mauofacturers in the long five colamued article on Consular Reports and Moerohante, which appeared lately inthe Times, The British Mi for in Japan introduces the Memorandumin a brief despatch to Lord Rosebery in which he calls attention to the necessity of British merchants and manufacturers cultivating friendly and intimate relations with their Japanese customers, adding that at present too riy of them take little trouble to quire what are the requirements of the Jvoal buyers, but methodically deal year after year, through the same channels in almost the same articles, The Vice-
Consul suggests that an expert in the mavnfagiure of cotton goo should be sent to Japan to study on the spot the dimensions, qualities, and patterns of the articles most in vogue among the hold ite own and British goods not be supplanted by those of other nations, \dvice has been the burden of many 1 and Consular Reports from all parts of the world, and is apparently the official answer to the complaints of merchants outlier in the year, No doubt it is svand advi and if noted upon would possibly produce an increase of our trade, Bat we are inclined to think that this stady of the wants of native consumers has been pursyed by British merchants in China, at all events, toe much greater extent than the officials give our trade oredit for, and British merchants in both this country and Japan do not doubt, been more active than their Minister, and the officials who imitate Peking and Tokio, know of.
Mr, Longford's statistics show that the Britich import trade with Japan lis fallen off something like 24 per cent. since 1881, There has been a decline of 45 per cent. in cotton and woollen mauufuotures, but increases in other goods bring the falling off down to 24 per cent. Objections have boon taken by writers in the Yokohama nowspapore, to Mr. Longford's Laving stated only the values and not the quanti of the trade, and it has been f ly urged that considering the great d cline that Las taken place in exchange between these two years, concurrently with a fall in prices at home, his figures do not pre an accurate li picture of the import trade. This ion may be borne in mind when the Report. According to the Return published by the Bureau of Customs in Japan on the foreign trade of the Empire for 1885, the imports from Great Britain during the year amounted to £2,554,250, from Aus. tralia £14,709 and from the Enst Indies and Siam, between which no distinction is draw", £697,315. OF this last amount cotton yarn, which was altogether obtained from Bombay, amounted to £470,317 miscel la. neons articles, produced either in Indi or the Straits Settlements £45,399. These figures of the Indian trade added to those previously given are the value import for the year, but the value of the refined sugar obtained from Hongkong—probably half million sterling—is to he added, which makes a total of over 3} million sterling for the British trade in the year. This way of stating the British import trade is ocosioned by the Japanese Customs making no distinction between the trade with China, and with Hongkong, and the Legations having heretofore followed this plan, But the recent increase inthe import of refined sugar from the Colony has made it necessary to adopt a new system, The sugar trade with Hongkong was last year of the calculated value of over £500,000, nud this year un inorense of £100,000 would be shown, if the import for the last seven months was on the same scale for the first five. The trade in this article, Longford says, has in the spree of years grown from nil to w value of half @ million sterling, a sum which represents one-twelfth of the where foreign import trade of Japan, und one-seventh of the British portion of it, Cantonese white sugar as con quently import tables,' in proof that Eng! not been of Into years altogether in the idle, dozing condition that a perusal of some of the recent Con. sular Reporta would lead na to believe. The principal items of the British trade in cotton manufactures during the year are thus given Cotton Yaru, from England..
lo, from Bombay Shirtings Turkey Reds Velvets Miscellaneous 1,642,187
These figures, Mr. Longford anys, cannot be called satisfactory, 'I'hey show an increase over those of the year 1884, but fall below those of any preceding year since 1871, and below the average value of the import during the five years 1880-1884, by over half a million sterling; and they represent but a very small portion of the trade whiok might readily be sooomplished by British mavofaotarers with a conn-thirty-six millions of nts, among whom the custom of dressing in cotton is almost auiversal. Io woollen and mixed cotton and woollen manufactures a decline is also shown, whiok is ascribed to the resumption of the habit of wearing in winter thickly padded cotton garments instead of the more comfortable healthy woollen ones, by such of the people as were able to the Intier, Why this has not required " larger importation of cotton muunfeotares ix shown in the concluding portion of the Report which we publish to-day, Bat, in the Japan Herald n otitio—apparently a merchaut,—of the Report, tukes exception to the comparison between the trade in 1872 and in 1885, because in the foi Inpunese wore importing quantities of woollens in reorganization of the army and navy. And the same writer goes on to say "Tt is also a matter of some ouminent, that whilst our Consular officials in Tupan, following the lead of those Chins, continually deplore the steady deterioration of Cotton goods, they never refer to the largo Import of called Woollen Cloth which is brought, here in widths of 54 inches (14 yards) and sold Inrgely as low as Si cents tu 35 cents por yard. It requires very little imagination to al at some idea of the quality of each cloth made up of a Cotton warp and Shoddy weft, which the poorest wan in Bugland would look on with disdain, but which, og with cheap cottons, what the bayere ask for, and what merchants have to cupply to meet their require-monte, the fault lying not with the home manufacturer or merchant here, bat with the Jupsnese craving taste for the cheapest of inferior goods." On other points this critic deals sharply with Mr, Longford's strictures on the of British merchants, their to old wave and grooves of yese, their want of knowledge of Japanese, and he makes out a very good conse. Ho says:—=" Mr, Longford also complaine that merchants on the spot do not pay attention to the "innumer able shapes in which Cotton piece goods uro used by the Japanese, and meet their tastes for changing and fanciful pattern adds "each year's production of Cotton Goods in Japan brings forth a host of new and artistic designe, &0." It la just these continued changes which Prevent foreigners competing with native products; la this respect, to parody a familiar proverb, "Fancy Cottons are not made in a day," and presuming patterns can be collected in a week, sent home in 35 days, take 90 days tu make, and 60 voyage out, which is a minimum time to allow for euch item, it la 64 months before they can arrive, and as there are two distinct seasons for Fancy Cottons, viz. for summer and winter Consumption, it atauds to reason that a successful operator must anticipate the patterns to be required the next season, ticipation which may snoosed casionally, but which too many people know to their cost, is far oftener atten ded with loss, not ordinary market I bat practionlly a sacrifice of the goods, for so fickle are the Jupanese tastes for changing and fanciful patterns" that what they will pay a fair price for to. dey, will be utterly out of favour tree
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.