The Chinese newspapers announce that on account of the losses it has sustained the Joh Hue Woollen Mill at Lunghua is about to be said. This piece of news brings into prominence the fact that this, the} only woollen mill in the neighbour: hood of Shanghai, has not been! found to be a success, and it is} perhaps open to question whether a} Woollen manufacturing industry can be established in the country.
We understand that the mill in question was established some eight or nine years ago, Belgians being engaged to conduct the business. The amount of wool produced in China, and to a much greater extent in Mongolia, suggested that there were the makings of a new industry here. and it was hoped that a considerable business could be done by securing orders for uniforms from the government. It is understood that the promoters found that the prover class of wool was not) obtainable here, and accordingly difficulty was encountered in the proposed manufacture. The Belgian experts who had been engaged concluded their services within a year or two of the inception of the enterprise, and since then the mill has been carried on by Chinese.
It will be interesting to see what! happens to the venture after the present proposed liquidation takes place. The export of wool from China, especially the northern ports, is considerable, most of it going to Europe, and_a proportion returns in the form of the manufactured article. lerops; and the negro labour question has become extremely acute. There seems very little chanco that there can be any relief as a result of increased production in the United States; nor does Professor Todd think that even the average output of pre-war years will be maintained except as a result of the inducement of very high prices. In other parts of the world, despite the laudable efforts of the British Cotton Growing Association, there is no possibility of increased production on 2 scale calculated to affect the issue to any great extent. Exvpt, unfortunately. is torn with political strife, and it must_necessarily be some years before any important results can be obtained.
PerMaxent Suortace THReaTeNeD.
Meanwhile the demand for cotton goods is likely to increase. As the world becomes more prosperous the demand for clothing is certain to be accentuated, and fresh commercial uses ate constantly being found for long staple coffin. The Prospect before the Lancashire cotton industry cannot be regarded as other than extremely unsitisfactors. While the present extra ordinary activities of financiers concerned solely with the buying and selling of cotton mills, and the promotion of mew com-nonics, the unpleasant fact has to be faced that the whole industry is threatened with a permanent shortage of its raw material.—"The Times."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.