Tue Report on the Trade of Corea and Abstract of Statistios for the year 1905, issued by the Chief Commissioner of Corean Customs, consists of only twenty-seven pages, but its interest is enhanced by the fact that it is the first Report issued since the Corean Customs came under the new regime brought about by the retirement off Mr. McLeavy Brown. It is still, of course, difficult to give figures to bear comparison with what have been in the past, or will be in the future, normal years, The concise statement of the actual condition of trade by Mr. H. W. Davidson, the Secretary to the Chief} Commissioner, indicates that satisfactory progress has been' made in several directions. This can be seen at a 450 glance, as the Abstract of Returns for the last four years (instead of ten as formerly) are given for comparison. The subject is presented under seven different headings: General, Reveaue, Foreign Trade, Coast Trade, Shipping, Treasure, and Miscellaneous, Under the first heading we find that the gross value in yen of the year's trade, without including gold or the trade with Non-Treaty ports lias been as follows Foreign goods imported from "tured a 28,971,852 Foreign goods imported from native ports s. 4,839,773 Foreign goods ro-exported abroad ye. 1,012,270 Foreign goods re-exported to native porta. 5,050,872 Native goods imported from 4,033,073
983,862 6,904,301 Exports to native ports 4,432,606
Y60,368,609
This is an increase of more than seven million yen over the total of the preceding year, and, secing that the country has not yet completely nettied after the war, this may be accounted satisfactory showing. During the past year the currency of Corea has been changed. The old nickel coin has been for the most part replaced by a newer and better, bearing the same face value the Japanese five-sen piece and backed by silver fifty and twenty-cent pieces, All of these are interchangeable at par with the Japanese coinage. The advantage of this is obvious as it doe y with the uncertainty which has existed during the Inst few years by reason of the possibility of a sudden variation of the exchange between Japanese and Corean money, which possibility was always a source of annoyance and inconvenience to foreigners doing business with the Coreans.
The crops of cereals, it is pointed out, gave a fairly average yield, but owing to a prolonged rainy season, and the exceptionally severe storm of.the $rd_ of September, it did not come up to the expectations formed, In considering the direct. foreign trade only, showing net total imports of 31,959,582 yon, and exports (goods 6,904,301 yen and gold, 5,206,805 yen) of 11,106 yen, another enormous balance against' Corea of 19,848,476 yen is recorded. In 1902 the adverse balance was only 160,233 yen, while in 1900 there was over two million yen in favour.
The revenue reached a total of 2,293,250,17 you. - Of this sum impers duties account for 1,966,794.23 yon, by amount ever collected.
5 anipwnt-to 263,919.69
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.