CHINA'S INDUSTRIAL GROWTH

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 1504, 16 September 1925, Page 2

CHINA'S INDUSTRIAL GROWTH

PROGRESS DESPITE DISORDERS Civil ware, riots, political disturbances, floods, and famine would seem to preclude the possibility of industrial progress in China. But the ' Iron Trade Review' (Cleveland) prints a brief article by Dr C. T. Wang, the Chinese statesman" and diplomat, who has been Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Peking Government, which would seem to show that China is, in spite of all disturbances, making steady industrial progress. Dr Wang cites the following specific features in the industrialisation of China: (1) The growth of the cotton industry and the prosperity of cotton mills. There are to-day twenty-seven Chinese-owned cotton mills with 2,639,862 spindles in operation and 32,500 spindles under installation, while there are 13,403 looms working and 5,625 looms in construction.

(2) The increased in the number of modern factories and their exported output. At the end of- 1922 there were no Jess than 740 factories producing articles of foreign type. Among these, 202 manufactured cotton piece goods, 87 socks and stockings, 69 motton yarn, 41 cotton towels, 25 cotton thread; 66 specialised in soap, 42 in candles; there were also 38 flour mills, 19 cigar and cigarette factories, 11 f&per mills. 7 factories turning out slate pencils, and 7 biscuit factories.

(3) The increase in the volume of Chinese exports. Last year (1923) out rf the total foreign trade of 1,676,320,303 lUikwan tsels. (about 80 cents), Chinese exports aggregated 752,917,416 taels, while the anesponding figure for the previous jear was 654,891,933 taels. (4) The increase in tho number and strength of modern, as distinct from native style Chinese banks. Of these there are now over eighty, with a total author- ; ised capital of nearly 400 million silver dollars and paid-up capital of some 170 million silver dollars, and 350 branch offices scattered throughout the country. (5) The increase in the number of operated mining areas and their output. Following arc the latest available official as well as semi-official statistics: Number of mining areas 1,936 Number of engineers 2,142 Number of technical staff ... 9,308 Tons. Annual output coal 19,954,529 Annual output iron 1,153,491 Annua] output antimony 12,062 Annual output tin 9,069 (6) The growth of such important industries "as ironw orka and dockyards. Of the first there are at present three iu operation, the premier of which is the Hanyeliping Company, which owns an iron and steel works iu Hanyang, a rich iron ore mine, and auother ironworks iu Tayeli, and a rich colliery in- Pinghsiang, also manganese mines and a low phosphorus iron mine, all within a distance of 200 miles of each other. Being under financial obligations to Japanese financiers, the company exports annually 50,000 tons of pig iron and 300,000 tons of iron ore to the Japanese steel plant at Yawata. Of dockyards there are a few, principally Government concerns, excluding those owned and run by foreign companies. The Kiangnan Dockyard at Shanghai is the most promising. of all. It recently constructed four 10,000-ton deadweight cargo steamers for the United States Shipping Board, each 439 ft long, 55ft beam, with a loaded draft of 27jft, and equipped with a triple expansion engine, while its next-door neighbor, the Nicholas Tsu Engineering Works, also owns an iron mine, which is eight hours distant by train. Therefore, the ' Trade Returns' for 1919 remarked: " Shipbuilding on a considerable 'scale' may now- lie counted as one of tlie established industries of China, capable of great expansion. According to Lloyd's shipping returns there were launched from Chinese yards during 1919 vessels aggregating 12,307 tons." The article by Dr Wang is a summarisation of a paper read before the American Iron nmj Steel Institute iu New York last month. The: Chinese statesman concludes by asserting that " industrialism has indeed come to stay."