CHINA'S INDUSTRIAL GROWTH

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 3654, 8 September 1925, Page 2

CHINA'S INDUSTRIAL GROWTH

PROGRESS DESPITE DISORDERS Civil wars, riots, political disturbances, floods, and famine would seem to preclude the possibility of industrial progress in China. But "the ‘lron Trade Review’ (Cleveland) prints a brief article by Dr 0. T. Wang, the Chinese statesman and diplomat, who has been Minister of foreign Affairs of the Poking Government, winch would seem to show that China is, in spite of nil 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 :n'e 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 1022 there were >m less than 740 factories producing articles of foreign type. Among these, 202 manufactured cotton piece goods. 87 socks and stockings, 09 motion yarn, 41 cotton towels, 25 cotton thread; 66 specialised in soap, 42 in candles; there were also 33 flour mills, 19 cigar and cigarette factories, 11 paper mills, 7 factories turning out slate pencils, and 7 Biscuit factories.

(3) The increase in tbc volume of Chinese exports. Last year (1923) out < f Iho total foreign trade of 1,676,320.303 IL.ikwan taels (about 80 cents), Chinese exports aggregated 752,917,416 taels, while the ericspending figure for the previous year was 654,891,933 taels. (4) The increase in the number and strength of modern, as distinct from native style Chinese banks. Of these there arc now over eighty, with a total authorised 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 are the latest available official as well as semi-official statistics: Number of mining areas 1,966 Number of engineers 2,142 Number of technical staff ... 9,308 Tons. Annual output coal 19,954,529 Annual output iron 1,153,491 Annual output antimony 12.052 Annual output tin 9.069

(6) The growth of such important industries ns ironworks and dockyards. Of the first there are at present three in operation, the premier of which is the Hanvehping Company, which owns an iron and steel works in Hanyang, a rich iron oro mine, and another ironworks in Tayeh, and a rich colliery in Pinghsifing, also manganese mines and a low phosphorus iron mine, aII within a distance of 2UO miles of each other. Being under financial obligations lo Japanese financiers, the company exports annually 60,000 tons of pig iron and 300,000 tons of iron oro to tlie Japanese steel plant at Yawata. Of dockyards there arc a few, principally Government concerns, excluding those owned and run by foreign companies. The Kianguan Dockyard at Shanghai is the most promising of all. It recently constructed four 10,000-ton deadweight' cargo steamers for the United Stales Shipping Board, each 439 ft lung. 55ft beam, with a loaded draft of 27itt. and equipped with a triple expansion engine, while its next-door neighbor, the Nirbffias Tsu Lnigineoring 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 be counted as one of the established industries of ("himi, capable qt greet expansion. According to Lloyd’s shipping returns there were launched I'nan Chinese yards during 1919 vessels aggregating 12.307 tons." The article by I> r Wang n a summarisation of a paper read before tho American Iron and Steel Institute in New York last month. Tin; Chinese statesman concludes by asserting that '■industrialism Inis indeed como to stay,’