By H. B. Morse, Esq, 1. M. Customs.
The few who are i-terested in such studies consul' the published statistics of, the trade of Chia to ascertain the extent) of she demand fr the articles with which they are concerned. They find figures to show the quantities imported rewall} but few there are who consider that, in China, nothing goes to waste, and that in Gauging quan ities itin necessary to i OF 1 make allowance for, much ne attention is paid in other countries, At home the hurtivare desier supplies you with dust paus, flour scoops. hearth trays, and such like appliances, made of bright tin or prettily Incquered and decorated flamboyantly im gold; companies even are incorporated for making xoine one such cle, Importers know well that they Hwould God no market for the thous and one articles of tinware, or the many patented articles of nickel,' which Gill the stores nud add 80 much 10 the comfort and even dignity of life of home we do without, sume few we can buy ready made, but for most of the others that we cannot do without we send our servant to order shorn made by the nearest tinsmith, Our (the foreigaer'=) wants are few, but the Chinese demand is great; here is no large call for the imported finished product, the raw material must come in sufficient supply.
Tinplate, which the Chinese do not make, was imported in 1904 to the extent 26,000 Ibs, more than double th-for 1903. his figure a" shown in fistics is no', however, the total quantity of tinplates which was utilised in the industries of Chins, Here nothing gora to waste, and we must add to the reported import the qu Goldsnith says "doth a double duty pay," not to the treasury, but in first serving axa Pickage and then as the raw material of an industry. Kerosene oil was imported in 1904 to the extent f 16,000,000 cases. Taking the proportion of case to bulk oil ling at Shanghai, the cases came in tin cal case weigh 4]-Ibs., an! feom this source of supply we have 60,000,000-Ibs. of tinplates imported for Chinese industrial use. Cotton piece-goods of the finer kinds are imported in cates protected by tin Vining. the weight of which may be put at 12} per case. and the total at not less than 8,000,000-Ibs. For other goods in tin-lined cases' we may safely as-ume a minimum ut 2,090,000.ibs, To our total import. of 18} million Ibs, in the legitimate tiuplace trade we have therefore to add 65 million Ibs introda.ed indirectly, thus raising the total supply for the Chinese demand to four and a-half times the figures given in the statistics.
Tron hongs were imported in 1904 to the extent of 5,429,00)-Ib-. This again takes no account of the hoops whicl encircle piece goods coming in bales, and whi being fastened only at the ends, are available for use in serviceable lengths of over two yards. Bales come into Shanzha with from four to six such ho ps around them, but who ever saw them leave the importer's godown with more than one, or the meat two? In China they are not packing material, they are iron, and serve to supplement the quantities published in the tables of statistics; and to the 5} million-Ibs. given there, must be aided at least another 2 million-lbs. from this Of soft-wood planks there were in 1904 imported 524 million square feet, valued aided the wood that comes in packages, much of which, we all know, is used as ordinary planking for ordinary purposes. Of quarter inch planking Kerosene cil cases provide 874 million square feet, and other small cases (s ap, milk, jams, ete., may be counted' on '0° give 12) million feet, giving 25 million fee: of standard inch stuff; piece-goods cases and other Inge cases will give close on 20 mil-feet of three quarter inch and upwards, making 15 million feet of une inch stut. To our 52} million feet regularly imported t be added fully 4 million feet umpcrted in the shape of packing, much of wi is used for purposes for which new planking would be used in other countries, "These are the important items, but th are many others, Bottles come in containing sine, beer and spirits, drugs, confectiovery, ete, but none leave the country; they -re all absorbed for daily ise, anid will be found in every village in Emvire. The common tin can after having disgorged its contents of milk or petits pois, will serve us x receptacle for fluids. Tarpaulin from bales of piece-goods never goes to Waste, but serves many uses, fre g down, The truth iv that form of importation that, China calls fo:—the very cheapest—the finished product ix not wanted outside the fringe around the treaty ports which hay taken on artificial tastes. Of cotton manufactures a full half is taken in the least finished shape, yarn; woollens are now no more than the value of forty yeara ago; of all iron and mild steel imported, three-sevenths are made up of plate cuttings, cobbles and wire shorts, and old iton~the cards of Western markets; and even the window glass and-condensed milk which come are usually in cases stencilled "Chinn quality." America flour should, if anything, make its way on its mneri's, and yet the import is less than 24 million bogy of 50-Ibs. exch; North-China prefers its own flavour less flour, and the only Inrge demand ovines from South China where returned emigrants have brought with them tastes acquired elsewhere.
This, then, is the lesson which the home exporter must learn, that China isa land of primitive wants.—'sTournal of the American Association of China."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.