M. Rocrer, Coumissioner of Customs, prefaces the Shanghai 'I'rade Returns for the year 1896, " copy of which has been. sent us by the Statistical Department in anticipation of the. publication of the aiiual volume, with a very interesting and.readabie report, which gives in six pages 'a capital survey of a-year which, he tells us, "may well be characterised as astonishing, both in results and the notable occurrences it chronicled." From many standpoints it was record year..[t saw H. EH. Li Hung-chang proceed to Europe i March: and return from America in Octobs Is! saw H. E, Shang, appointed Director-General of Railways, commence the construction of the Woosung-Shangh 'Soochow Railway, and start the perial Bauk* of Chi It saw Sir Robert Hart entrusted with the organi-ion of the Imperial Post. It saw Soochow and Hangchow constituted \reaty ports, and' formally opened to; foreign trade and residence; the former being too near to, and dependent on, Shanghai to become an important trade centre, while commerce promises' to develop more rapidly at the latter, though doubtless at the: expense of Ningpo...M. Rocher then mentions the marine casualties that marked 1896; the collision between the Nor-manche and the Peking; the collision between the Newchwang and the Onwo the sinking of the pilot-boat Syren; and the total loss of the dredger Anding, in reference to which the Commissioner remarks that "it is regrettable to record, that Harbour Rules can be thus violated with parent impiinily." The gross value of the trade of Shanghai was nearly 297 million taels, and the net value 95 millions. The revenue collected, nearly & million taels, was a record; it showed an improvement under every heading except export.duty.
As to Imports, the value. pf foreign goods received aggregates. over lls, 130,000,000, an inerense of 31,000,000 over the figures for 1895, and of 33,000,000 in excess of those for 1894, which total was already farm-advance of that of 1893."° Cotton' goods do not. show much expansion. " 'T-cloths. receded considerably, and thera was a heavy increase' in English~ shirtings and fancy' goods, and in* American goods, In yarn there.was a. greatly increased consumption. of Indian, but, Japanese was. not so much in favour, the deliveries -being only half the importations. " 'The value of-cotton goolls imported role ti G4 millions as against 42 millions in. 1895. Needles and window-glass ced considerably, as did metals, tin anid' lend excepted; -but the dealers carried over large stocks of these goods at the evd of the year. Kerosene oil recovered considerably, and Sumatra sent over 1} million gallons, Sagar was too dear; but Kebao cou! was welcomed, being better and cheaper thin takow anthracite.
Exports-showed a decline of 16 millions, of which raw cotton accounted for millions, raw silk 53, silk piece-goods ud filature siti Th, say in all 14 million: creases under brick' tea—now ships and there were notable A direct to Russia from Hankow hi stead of passing through Shanghai—and some native sundries. " Heavy losses were made on filature, silk, owing to the number of filatures started and the -con-equant rise in cocoons and labour. Nhe fact is that "the North; China silk trade, which should hold a commanding position, is practically stationary and is even threatened by Japan and other silk-producing countries. If this trade, which is one of China's best sources of revenue, and of, wealth to ber people, is-to be retained and developed no time is to he
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.