AWAKENING OF THE EAST.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 160, 31 March 1908, Page 4

AWAKENING OF THE EAST.

POSSIBILITIES OF TRADE ■ a Commercial agent's report Thp;P^epiiqr. pir.j Bent};- .when Mr'.' -J: M- ; , Siiiplaiivrcalis^uppu^luin't'o^a^ boiirrio " Argus '', of March .18): to'give, 'an account' of • liis.';stewardship;' as/.,commpi'ciai agent in. the. East, | will .hear as" picturesque a story as llaleigh/had to tell Queeii.Elizabeth •—a story -. of 'amazing riches , waiting to bo tapped,'/'of; trade illimitable ready/for','our' ■ ships.;,/, . : '//;// ';f::'//V'''i"'''" ' . Mr./ Sinclair,'s -, circuit., has, extended from vpcliin . China to India, and - he- had visiUxi overy country';iii, that; .wide .range^Jaya,: the. States; Sunlatr'a, Bur.mah—Jtwicfe,' and .Siam piice.' . And' .eyerj'wherb ho lias. found widenpe Of prodigious wealth, a rapid dpvelopmbnt of European. tastes, • an- anxiety' to -adopt tho',.foods arid. th'b engines- and•'■ the . machines of the West. ' .The,, East is 'exceed-: .ingly/ wbalthy. :: ":lt; has' as. : riiany /millionarifis .—Jobo, Abraham, Tippo;Tibs >; .aiid. In. Hung. .Changs—as^.,America; /as /many..'/ merchant •p'ririoes ;■. as -.' vast" a well-to-do middle/,cla.ds.i_.as:. - !England,-' : -,-4nd/; I these, ; as; assimilate tlio ideas,'; desire', to-, secure, the comforts, ■ luxuries, arid inventions/of the Occidont. '.. ' ■ _/'./ v /'/;-,;./ ~. /./ '■ speak English.',' -I: ribvpr; required 1 an interpreter.'/. They, send soils, to excellent colleges; thoy-follow European modes.. 1/ hay l o':,'sben'/huiidrbds' i ' bf heads of;' great firms,' only/in one;, iiistarico has', it' been .neces-. sary t? translate my handbook of facts! as to .Victorian ''/products into' a : 'native/;tongue. This -,was _ J ,' iri : Everywherb/ 'else; the pamphlet is 'readily understood;"." ■ / - / These countries;'are. consumers. of the; lowing articlPs; ! stated fi approximately"ifi order of '/'impcirtarico':—Hour, : '/ butter,''/-jams;' tinned'/arid; ripo". fruits, .biscuits, - ham .andbacon, condensed liiilk, cheese, dried fruits. Tho United States' does an ! 'euormous' trade in-' flour,; England 'sends- fivo million, pounds';' -'of biscuits /and million.:pounds 'of 'condensed milk every year = iiit'o Chiiia' alorie: - ; "Iu; Singapore," says 'Mr.-Sinclair, "which is my, headquarters,, tliere aro. great .possibilities of; ti'ado with 1 tho floating, population —Penang/ Bangkok,, Rangoon, Saigon, Calcutta—the. needs.- of "tlie' chief /cities alone, apart from" -the demands of the, enormous iareas foiv which thoy. are "distributing cen-tres,-would-serve: to keep an/Australian fleet busy,. arid Would absorb, . far more 1 'than '(Vie- 1 toria : at present sends to,: Europe.'? , The / standard '.of Uyiii^ 1 ' is being' raised as' •steadily "in -the East,; it; jibt;as' fasts'-in' ' the; West;/thbi accumiilat-ioii'of riches is'as notable ; and: the line of expenditure/points' to/liritisli and Australian : manufsctures and foodstuffs.;/ In .India; tho-.white" man"pre--1 erred: an apple to . the 'mango; iii: Bangkok; tho/native':: trader Wpuld' barter a hundred i bananas for 'fa luscious pear; the' geiltlemari of . China, 'inordinately'fond of 'sweets,''/willingly /substitutes bottled and tinhed fruits and coniestiblbs for . his old-fashioned kicksliaws.. ■' '

./."If - and when there arc regular: sailing from iVictonan / ports—carrying ■ buttor and fruit as 'carefully graded as tor tho. London niarket, arid - macinnery specially-: adapted for, ,: : sav/;.- Malay'' mines—ftlioro, must'.'springup between: this-State and the East—Cochm Chiiia'to India—a ■ trade implying : ;'eriormous prosperity -to our ''farmers : .and manufiicturr ■.-' • ... -' '- " For three', weeks' or' a' month'; Mr,-. Sinclair will bo' in 'Melbourne,-at. tlie call: of firmswlio already do business, or who wish to begin' business,','\yithin his circuit. Then lie returns to-follow up .the work'of the last tlireo jeais ' . :