CHINESE COMMERCE. 195 



fused, and which, as a source of income to the Chinese Government, 

 need not be considered in this place. 



The foreign commerce of China, both import and export, is growing 

 steadily, having doubled since 1891, the figures for 1899 showing that 

 foreign goods to the value of 264,748,456 Haikwan taels ($185,324,000) 

 were imported, and native goods to the value of 195,784,332 Haikwan 

 taels ($137,049,000) were exported, or a total commerce of 460,533,288 

 Haikwan taels. 



Owing to the lack of internal communication, the distribution of 

 Chinese commerce is singularly restricted. Of the imports more than 

 one-half is confined to two classes of articles alone; thus cotton and 

 cotton goods in 1899 accounted for 40.2 per cent., and opium, unfor- 

 tunately, for 13|- per cent. In like manner the exports, silk and tea, 

 stand out almost without competition with other articles; these two 

 together also aggregating more than 50 per cent, of the total. Silk 

 provided no less than 41.8 per cent, and tea 16.3 per cent. Kerosene oil, 

 metals, rice, sugar and coal are other articles largely imported, and 

 beans, hides and furs, mats and matting, and wool other exports. 



Although the extent of the traffic entered at native custom-houses, 

 or, at least, not passing through the Maritime Customs, cannot be ascer- 

 tained, that it is considerable is well understood, as can be showm by the 

 single item of the export of rice. The exportation of this article was in 

 1898 prohibited in order to prevent a possible shortage at home. The 

 Maritime Customs, therefore, report no rice as having been shipped out- 

 ward during that year. The Japanese Customs, however, report having 

 received rice from China to the value of $2,000,000 United States gold. 

 It had been smuggled out in native vessels through the native customs 

 and the Government deprived of revenue. An amusing explanation of 

 this is given, which so thoroughly illustrates Chinese methods as to 

 be w T orth repeating. As rice forms the greatest single item in Chinese 

 food, any falling off in supply threatens a famine, the one thing the 

 Government most dreads. Such being the case in 1898, stringent orders 

 were sent to the Customs Tao-tai in Shanghai to prohibit any export of 

 the grain, the greatest source of supply for which being the Yang-tze 

 Valley, Shanghai is the natural point of shipment. On account of 

 the power attached to it, and the opportunities offered, the position 

 of Shanghai Tao-tai is one specially sought after, and it is generally 

 believed that the price paid for a three-year appointment, in the way 

 of 'presents' to the Palace officials, is about 200,000 taels. Since the 

 authorized emoluments are about 20,000 taels per annum, out of which 

 expenses exceeding that amount must be paid, it is evident that great 

 financial skill must be displayed by the official in order to make both 

 ends meet. On receipt of the restraining order the Tao-tai, under 

 the advice of the syndicate who were 'financ-in"-' him, held the order for 



