Timber Trade of Chinese Empire. 667 



from west to east — with immense agricultural and mineral terri- 

 tories back of it, and a vast tributary population, its future is 

 assured. Already one finds there large iron works, engineering 

 works, and so on ; and it was one of the few places in China 

 which went ahead even during these last two years of great 

 financial depression. So that here, too, the desirability of estab- 

 lishing a yard appears good. 



For South China, apparently, at present, it would be better to 

 establish a lumber yard in Kow-loon, in the British concession 

 opposite Hongkong, as land itself in Hongkong is a little too ex- 

 pensive for a lumber yard. This, however, is very apt to be sub- 

 ject to change, as, if the Chinese government does, as is expected, 

 make some provision whereby goods imported into one Chinese 

 port and paying tariff there will not have to pay tariff again upon 

 entering another Chinese port, as is now the case, Canton would 

 be an ever so much more desirable place for a supply depot for 

 South China. It is rather strange that the Chinese thus discrimi- 

 nate at present against their own ports ; and so long as that is the 

 case one would perhaps be forced to keep the yard in Hongkong 

 and ship lumber as ordered to various points in the delta of the 

 West river and to interior and coast points. 



The new railroad development in South China will open a 

 large amount of country and will prove a big stimulus to the lum- 

 ber trade. It is rather curious that South China and especially 

 Canton, which has always been considered the most progressive 

 city in China, should be about the furthest behind in the develop- 

 ment of railroads and modern industrial works, mining, etc. This 

 is probably due to the stronger opposition to foreigners' partici- 

 pation in industrial activities there and the incapacity, so far, of 

 the Chinese themselves to successfully manage them. This in- 

 capacity, however, is rapidly being overcome by experience, so 

 that now even railroads are being successfully built entirely under 

 the direction of Chinese engineers with Chinese capital. How- 

 ever, political disturbances and the extraordinary power of the old 

 guilds in this district will probably result in this district falling 

 behind, relatively, in its development along modern industrial lines 

 as compared to the other districts (the Yangtse basin and North 

 China). Thus for example, railroad building and mining is much 

 further developed in the other two districts than in the South, 

 although the opportunities are reputed to be as good in the South. 



From a lumber standpoint, this district, it must be remembered, 

 has a semi-tropical to tropical climate, at least in the lower 

 elevations. It has therefore many great menaces to woods, es- 

 pecially rots and the white ant ; and therefore wood to be satis- 

 factory here must be fairly resistant to these destructive agencies 

 to be successfully used. That precludes practically all the 

 Japanese woods and American woods; and especially, when it is 



