ele Poets eto pe Ie ape bo Paki Sunk k. Te ENA ie PE Se Wd a hc mad City 2 Oe rere Sats anor ad re ; a vt " a ne Ma él 7 ig plea 8 ‘ae ar Lat ie til oe caren 3 * ; PN AB rh A HE los A (9O4 CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Cornell Universit A Tinian ie | | COMMERCIAL RELATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES WITH FOREIGN COUNTRIES DURING THE YEAR 1904 WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND LABOR Document No. 51 BUREAU OF MANUFACTURES a“ 82107 B CONTENTS: REVIEW OF THE WORLD’S COMMERCE, 1904. Page Introduction ___-_-...-.-..--.----.-------- 2-2-2. ebb nese sen aoe et XIII Europe ___-_.--.-.-- SRO Ceara aaah Sa MASe ASR Cee RE EINES xIVv Austria HUN Paty: o23ce52 oe aaes asses oe Gada aeets ate eileen. xIV Trade of the United States .__...__-....-..-2 22. eee eee xv AUS UD RUD 5 pc asa re seca ans naa ae ok So bene lek eg Pun XVI BUD ea ag se es tence can gh eda eet aat wa ulen wn a * XVI Imports and eroire pa ao ofa net Sa nee omaha) ys ge ae eee Ren XVII FRANCO 2 5 o0s sey oie a: issn Sa WEEE SSIS Sea peesae eI ieee XVII Origin of imports::~.--- 2. 2c2se2hecceeseencsee ceca taaenseaescs XVIII Destination of exports__.._...-_------------.--.--------------- XVIII Germany: =< oe sec 5 inten seen pe Re ecm aot a ee EOO aos sancens XVIII American trade with Germany ._____...---_-------------..---- XIX Machinery and cotton goods --.....-__.-----.---- ------------- xx (rade sentiment. 2-222 testes eee ee pea XXI GLC OCC is caecgs pe ese antacid SANS gone Se kel ao XXI LF" ae eae Ne Snr nn TE XXII Imports and exports.-_.-_-.--....------------..2-------------- XXIII The Netherlands___..._.._.__..---- 22.2222. eee 2 mreninoeanceant eee XXIII MPANSIG GLAD 6 isc cin sacnansrieok Sx wm ayia siajech dds = ROR EO ee me Seek XXII The United States and the Netherlands-____.._.__.-..-....---- XXIV POUCA ac2:ja, acne ate ah awiaainateiel dd eae debt Ee edd dt doce hile XXIV RUSSIA 322 cee ahi ele tate ie alas eas at ei ee Se XXV CEN 1IN Va ap ans yatta Pe han nih ol gn SAAT cs aces Sag Spt phe XXVI TM Ports 2153 ops Ss ste ee Me hue e nag eeceausacee ete cuoaseae XXVII Animportant lesson_._..._._..----.--.------------------------ XXVIIL SDAIN 52 ete hciel toe tiem ais Sie a eee hese eee ea ate e ae eee eee XXVIII Switzerland ..0.cccccase so Se secseGactanaes ese seat ees nadie en Beene _ XXIK Turkey MUPrOpe. Eee seed ee minseeeete eae eee ese XXXV Introduction of better trade facilities _..............----------- XXXVI WeestiIndles:. 322506 ooscassadsccs nonce stab aancsa eeeeeSth Se eemeen XXXVI Central Amoricat:22,.20.-cc2cccsemarccs mnemoscnrenaes beeeerneee name sees XXXVI Costa: Rica. s2 of scamcsete ase aes eo hos aes Bae Caos XXXVI Guatemala_-_-_-__.---------------- Oo ep tho ee XXXVII Mondutast ic 5cs2203occoaseee esd aoe weal acu cu guamaae see XXXVII INicaragM als ocehs see sssosceet Skee sOLen es See ama eee MEMS XXXVIII PAN AI Biles a teeta ee reapers ire arate ead ea een te Se XXXVIII Sal VadOr sac ose t em ceemor a iee ene oiocatesereeaete ene aaceercese XXXVII IV CONTENTS. Page South Amencal.:.o.5.52.6 Soe Seon bots ite as eee Re See Lee ae SI RSSESES XXXIX ATECNUNG S26. otane ated onac Qader eee eens daeeeeeeee seek XXXIX Cattlentaising 40.03.6640) ta\a dechister ta Pet keGiinee eacaae eee eee Bese XXXIX Population and resources ..._._..__._..------------------------- XXXIX MN sh Se wa cha apes Hint a Mai g Sie ipl er la app earn wee GAD XL Trade with the United States ____...._.._........-.------------- XL Relations with the United States not satisfactory Sa peeee ics ort Saks XL Other South American countries £5 pene ie ates teak em ents Aenea er LAS XLI AGN a cS og 8 att ay a wags rg ven ree 2 XLI How to increase trade ...__.__._.__...-_-----. 2. 2-2 -e ee ee XLII ASG he Meat alten alot RAND Se sy Pee D Pe teed At Meee DP OARS A renee XLII ETNA tH psc aka ste eh tae hc ett ah a platy Se ea XLII CT Be aa a accurate ane cy eG SR ae eget i nea ae eae XLII Raw materials of commerce __.._.._.__....-.----_-------------- XLIII Trade possibilities _...............-..----.--------------- ------ XLIII Changing conditions_.-..-.._........._.----.------------------- XLII Other parts Of Asia sc. cen cccamied ud maepnccceesee ne nek heceineccasmne S XLIV OCOaMI ais 2/2 ajar Sas Ba ce ee ee Se os St BEE Olas Nene abe ceeeaes XLIV PAST PALA erik ee e228 OMI Bape ear ah espn sk EEE sl AAR Nil ttl XLIV Imports and exports... .-2.c.22 p22 ghaesccesaced secu sesewccs ses XLIV Conditions in new countries___...._..._.....---.---------------- XLV CONDAUSTON = a's = helene a al mete tae ey pay ae aide Sate hens XLVI CONSULAR REPORTS EUROPE. Page. | Germany—Continued. Page. Austria-Hungary -_--_~-------- 3 Hamburg By ee ae 159 Trieste 8 Maing ------------------- 164 Bohemia. T Mannheim ---------------- 186 Haida ee 23 Markneukirchen __--_____- 169 . Nuremberg -___-__________ 169 Reichenberg —___--__-_ 24 Pl i Hungary ________-______- 25 AUCH) isccsssesesses sea: s i : Solingen .2.-..----.--.2 2 176 Fiume __--_----~_---__ 31 t pa ; 3 = Stettin --_-______________ 178 Belgium --------------------- 37 Weimar 189 ANtWePD!) 2os22252cee eee: Pek a oe eg Bruges! psc ss A | (GMNCCCE. 22 sa eee eee csc 183 Brussels __.._____-________ 45 | [taly .---.-----22--2220cs5055 189 Ghent <2 - 2205020 ee 54 Castellamare di Stabia.... 192 Liege ___---_----- ee 59 Catania: 2522223 e te ais) 198 Denmark ____________________ 64 Plorence: 22-ses.-es-4--23- 196 France ________________ 72 G@enod 2222. ss ees ae cee 197 CSOD, <2 cece 13 Leghorns. .2= 2222220 os osace 201 Dunkirk _______--.______- 73 Messina _________-_______ 203 Grenoble ____.____________ 75 Palermo __~--_-------____ 207 Mei e soe ho eC 16 PRUPIN—eeerniie ose bas. 210 Havre 220522000 78 VeONICGy eivso: 2. oa socal 212 Honfleur ____---.-.--_____ LO2:|| Malta once pe 217 Limoges ___------____-___ 102 | Netherlands ___._____________ 222 Marseille ~~ -------_--_-_- 105 Amsterdam _______________ 246 Nantes = sonut ie ee 111 Dordrecht ~______________ 253 INIC@: oto tee ela 121 Rotterdam _______________ 254 Rheims: 2.02222 122°) Portugal 22.222 263 Rowen. s2e222e58 Sener 124°| RUSSIa 252 foe co ae op ee 268 Roubaix 2-222... -<. 131 WPAN) fo 2 shee eters 279 Germany -_~------.~-________ 135 OdeSS8i ~ be 281 Annaberg ~~ -------------- 142 Riga; 222 cece ees heS 283 Bamberg ~--------------_ 143 Warsaw _-____---___-____ 286 Baines iat age 149° Spain 292 secs cecees eee, 293 Breslatt 22515 22 ..eve en oo 146 @adig: o22s222402222252628. 298 Coburg oa eeesecteeeuks 148 Carthagena ______________ 299 Cologne ___---------_---- 150 Huelva. 2 cages ee 301 Dusseldorf _____----_-_--- 151 Malaga ____-_~-___________ 302 Crefeld ~___.-_--_--____-- 152 Port St. Marys____________ 304 Freiburg so... .4---+-4-. 2 154 Seville: 2.2. 2-225 804 Glauchau __-----_--------- 157 Tarragona __---__________ 306 CONTENTS. Page. Sweden and Norway: Norway 2--2.-s 85118, 107 | cccnswiepisie sence ¥or building p and walnut beams, sawn b 476, 232 b 212, 647 6 276, 968 b 416, 398 Manufactured . a9, 725 a7,118 @ 13,009 a8, 427 PUP se cisiseecces: 7, 250, 502 6, 823, 601 6,314, ae 2, 554, 653 LOU B OR ai os sysiw asd oy asec carssaiaie ateiinia cisiaja Stores ec e2 e WOO) sseavndezcunian atwacseeeeimcecnestues 362, 397 700, 165 721, 078 Dgaiddeiabeiiaives Silks casisecasecansacasencsamsesecicincn 15, 364 6, 6 9,891 |.......2....-. Raw mineral matter, unclassified... al, 085, 561 @1, 151, 352 a 919, 490 a 449, 376 Pottery, ordinary ............-.----- 221) 190 124, 946 J 9B BQ: | ais ormmenienienne! Fish, preserved . « «2 sssese22c0-eusecesesee ce 59, 582 105, 377 Tj O84: | cciuterererascrerere ete Fertilizer ..........0s.scssssssseeesseeeee 10, 634, 881 330, 000 280, 720 6, 388, 800 Work of art ...........----- 00-22 0e eee e eee a791 a 42,417 a7, ad a creiaya araidiays ays aaa iste eniwis oa geeeinisaislericid 141, 895 68, 981 597, 766 548, 196 anh died a eta sie enero iced ae ema eeasie ce 40, 849 18, 494 866,164 |..--.....----- Live Plants (os ccccseccdecesecssceveeeences a 881 a2, 211 BO 929! |. oscesinonecaey EXPORTS FROM BELGIUM TO THE UNITED STATES. Liquors: 1 Brandy of every description— Pounds Pounds. Pounds. Pounds In bottles 4 661 43,037 a2, 641 4897 44,431 4 6,207 a5, 257 43,116 d 42, 622 419, 416 413, 205 43,063 42,430 43, 302 115673 |osneveeeecsese 58, 940 119, 504 2,179, 269 2, 062, 896 1,718 2, 871 38, 412 36, 278 e uw 835 e 21, 252 e 21,819 €18, 707 € 36, 594 € 55, 082 € 90, 940 e 34, 395 e 81,915 e 84,720 € 88, 200 e 45, 550 hemical products not specified, as car- 2s beni i and aiphutle acid .......... 810,174 a 734,341 a 492, 935 a 273, 843 a These figures represent dollars. b These figures represent feet. e These figures represent individual units. ad These figures represent gallons. e These figures represent tons. 40 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. EXPORTS FROM BELGIUM TO THE UNITED STATES—Continued. . First six Articles. 1901. 1902. 1903. months of 1904. Pounds. Pounds, Pounds. Pounds. SA SOGR i ceswewsmedecedainnyttowaneesines kets 572, 660 166, 346 282, 537 295, 064 Se minis singled cecmeiece st ee miete imei 987, 080 95, 869 1, 670, 429 576, 943 alt: Lae felpictieeyeleisls teatehs asic dannasatoad : 132, 948 bs dd dtdihiicdstate |eeemecys rpg sienenncn cn CANE ccc csuecese cs a ii 575, 500 627 | pa cccccscwsce Raw mineral matter, unclassified, as tin, : ; ; copper, lead, zine, ete ........ P 164,040 @ 162, 185 @ 166, 622 a 45, 293 Raw mineral matter not DHUE sce ccewciesies Siwisecss 987, 080 1, 714, 900 2, 862, 387 576, 943 Lead, BM spninesannnonnnmencane : 2,109, 679 5, 579, 736 1, 412, 373 282, 540 ron and steel: ‘ Iron— Small beams .............---2-255- 407,440 6, 007, 944 4, 025, 544 959, 772 Beaten in wire or rolled - : 617, 155 9,571,335 | 23,344,013 2, 137, 223 ieiaimlatataeeh wlerac Siar! - 681, 296 2, 607, 620 2, 490, 730 1, 444, 033 aSyasmraaaicafaisler@rete aa 384, 494 15, 393, 846 ng a ve ART ae os Siceeise seockoreravaneccte 23) 456, 862 8 , 616, Rail 5,166,689 | s0.21d.377 | 791080°624 | 6, 784989 NUS scare ccpasts nicieioie 50, 214, 3 , 050, 624 6, 784 . Manufactured, not specified. ..-: 614) 926 1,949,552 | 2,799 394 596, 388 ae ~ Bars, a oie and wire...........- 109, 288 1, 854, 683 5, 748, 740 128, 700 achines and tools: Cast iron and steel, not specified -.-. 217,712 189, 945 1, 553, 162 145, 768 Iron and steel, not "specified emo oes 97,704 144, 559 44, 42 105, 925 Of other metals .........--..0--2-2-0- 11, 404 28, 083 14, 887 1, 535 PILCATMS ot vis vec cs osisinrae is mwa seers 617, 082 503, 504 a 418, 815 172,749 Haberdashery and hardware .....-.------ 19, 902 17, 589 20,691, | esscinnman acc. cae ae eetaeetena tre Memederancke.| 148, 790) 490 P98 | 198, 302 508 58 998 OMEN E «cc ce nseraligkeyssaresemeseeewing sex , 192, 256, 631, 12: , 302, 86, 856, 798 Stones: For building purposes ....-.....-.---- 1, 114, 852 1, 368, 272 924, 063 344, 476 Not otherwise specified ...........---- 2,340, 850 7, 156, 305 15, 425, 674 2, 405, 139 - = GRD ange ee Rese 14, 359 7,721 BOOT lesciaitrae sieiniiciecns aper, not specified. ....-.....-2. 22... eee Books: 9, 900, 919 1,411, 434 2, 061, 188 1, 371, 224 oe er ene shit ahiemedecnsesigeced ia 365 a es 158, 712 46, 792 MOOUNG. vec ccerneadecievinesemnnaces , 426 2, 855 1,546 4, 736 Clothing: Of all kinds, ready-made ..........--. a 70, 998 @ 84, 628 270,510 a29, 611 ae MEM saiceecesaceeewece me a aes oe a > a a a ee a 11, 044 ‘or women .. 3 az a 58, 312 a4 6 018,477 Cotton tulles, lac a 21, 688 33, 654 GBTAIS! \aeecden cede Cotton textures, total value a3, 446 a@ 89, 202 100, 264 a 44,320 Woolen textures ...........- 0+. .2-00e a 131, 819 a 96, 398 172,720 @121, 285 Woolen thread, carded and twisted. ‘ > fal 16, os ee a ae os , 183, 2, 980, 793 2 . 67,7 * 3) 449) 533 3,696,308 | 4,135, 967 3, 535, 886 Jute and hemp textures ..........-----.-- 4 289, 532 2301, 819 a4,174 84, 833 Cees ee efi] bt) Ra Oskum ss. scescaesek sioesediacsmuiseeqeseaess 8 1 DUG [lsteie cece siemens eee ag are 236, 981 103, ee "165, ot ae cloths ofall Kinds... -eiiesesecesiawara|sceeweerex staves a a a Textures not specified .........-.2.--2--++ a772 a57 1, 891 | sewroacanexaene Horsehair bristles shells........-.-..----- 259, 760 a 72, 239 a79, 212 @18, 084 Live plants and flowers........-.--------- a 71, 641 a 128, 073 a 188, 712 - 466,011 Hides, 2OWistcas nesnceceaseteceemedscees ete 16, 517, 509 11, 981, 120 6, 285, 811 1, 948, 073 Skins, dyed and tanned .............----- 48, o os os 28, oe 9,10 Gloves a a@52, a32, a6, 421 Rags e mae Metals........--.-..-5 115, 653 63, 306 Norr.—These figures include merchandise in transit and delivered to local consumption. EUROPE: FRANCE. 107 SHIPPING. The French merchant marine continues to suffer acutely from an BE preDey insuperable difliculty—lack of outgoing freight. In Mar- seille, for example, decidedly the most important French port, against 4,666,198 tons of oo imported during 1903 but 2,170,212 tons were exported. Added to this vital complaint of shipowners is the increased cost of operating French ships compared with those of other nations, and, by no means least of all, troubles with labor. During three months of 1904 the Marseille fleet lay idle in the port while labor troubles were being settled, and during this long period foreign ships were regularly transacting their accustomed business. The following table exhibits the general statistics of French ship- ping, excluding the coasting trade: French ships. Foreign ships. Entered and cleared. All France. | Marseille. | All France. | Marseille. Entered: : 1902... 7,581 5, 807 17, 326 2,508 Number of ships ....-....+2++.2+++++- {19087 7611 5, 909 17,681 2; 763 Tonnage 1902... 4,745, 300 3, 250, 209 18, 622, 562 3, 301, 518 Seiya a Oe ore Be AD eye 1903. . 4, 814, 849 3, 465, 893 14, 449, 875 3, 795, 434 Cleared: 2 * 1902... 7,565 5, 824 18, 459 2,617 Number of ships ....-....----..----++ 1903... 7,559 5,927. 13) 887 2) 788 Tonnage 1902. . 4, 588, 542 3, 232, 540 9,195, 921 3, 307, 472 a citer nS ergy faa ngreiicar 1903... 4, 603, 494 3, 473, 240 9, 716, 619 3, 778, 173 The statistics of the port of Marseille continue to demonstrate the increasing sea power of the smaller maritime nations operating cheaper ships with cheaper men than either Great Britain or France. While the amount of merchandise landed and shipped from Marseille from 1900 to 1903, inclusive, increased by 936,335 tons, French ships were benefited by only 163,252 tons of increase and British ships by only 89,726 tons. During the same interval the freight going out and com- ing in on ships of other foreign nations jaenensed by 683,357 tons. Three Mediterranean nations show increases in the last three years greater or almost as great as those of Great Britain or France, namely: Italy, 183,000 tons; Greece, 199,208 tons, and Spain, 142,318 tons. The increasingly profitable business of these smaller maritime nations per ton of shipping employed is even more striking, as is shown by the following statement of the tonnage of ships of the leading nations -entering and leaving Marseille and freight carried by them: Freight Countries. landed or = embarked, Tonnage of ships. Tons. 8, 274, 444 6, 989, 133 1,199,274 | 3,700, 455 584, 866 883, 644 494, 995 476, 606 377, 753 666, 325 LABOR TROUBLES. A series of disastrous labor troubles have affected the general trade of France this year, Marseille being the greatest sufferer. The presi- dent of the Society for the Defense of Commerce, in a detailed state- ment, estimates the direct local loss resulting from the maritime trade 108 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. strike of sixty days at 80,000,000 francs ($15,440,000). The indirect losses, business reverses, and misery to the working population result- ing from the flocking to the city of thousands of laborers who took the strikers’ places can not be computed. The lockout of the summer, which has completely overshadowed in importance the numerous small strikes that preceded it, had its origin in a struggle for and against the ‘‘open-shop” policy. . Two years ago the Marseille dock laborers concluded their last gen- eral strike by consenting to a contract requiring them to submit new grievances as they might arise to a designated arbitrator and in the meantime to remain at work. They continued, however, to perfect their organization, bringing into affiliation the seamen, coal handlers, and truck drivers. This federation made membership in its organiza- tion a condition without which dockers and carters were unable to obtain work. It has been regarded as astonishing that labor leaders should seek a depressed branch of commerce like the French carrying trade for the furtherance of their enterprises. The dockers were already receiving 6 francs ($1.16) per day, a wage rate considerably higher than that prevailing in French cities for unskilled labor. It is not well known, perhaps, that these dockers as a rule worked for contractors whose business continued to be profitable even when the shipping companies themselves were barely able to pay fixed charges. Many stockholders in these companies complained that if the contractors were able to profit by the hiring and directing of dockers to load and unload ships, the operations might have been carried on by the navigation companies themselves to the profit of their depleted treasuries. It was this sit- uation which enabled the common laborer, when told that the carrying companies were living out of their reserves, to respond by pointing to the prosperots contractors, whose fortunes showed no material diminu- tion during the dullest periods. Thus, during a time trying enough tothe legitimate industries and the transportation companies of France, an excuse, if not a justification, could be found for new exactions on the part of labor. These exactions took the form of a series of boycotts against differ- ent shipping companies, to the absolute neglect by the labor organiza- tion of its contract obligation to refer all troubles to an arbitrator. Without the slightest notice, the men at work upon a ship would demand the discharge of a foreman, sometimes even a captain or mate, and exact compliance under threat of tying up the entire business of the line. For nearly a year no transportation company felt safe from one hour to the next, and ships’ officers and dock foremen lived ina state of anxiety, not knowing when they might be sacrificed in order to save their employers from a sudden cessation of work. It inevita- bly followed that discipline became relaxed and demoralization and discouragement followed. No one .cause, but a variety of incidents like these, finally led to the great retaliatory movement of the past summer, when captains refused to take out their ships and foremen declined to supervise the loading and unloading of vessels until they could obtain guaranties that the proscriptions and boycotts should cease, once for all. : For two months the business of the port was completely blocked. Eventually negotiations resulted in an agreement on the part of the labor organization to refer the situation to an arbitrator, designated in EUROPE: FRANCE. 109 zx the contract of 1901. The arbitrator immediately ruled that the men should retutn to work, and added that if the old contract had been adhered to the conflict would have been avoided. As the reimposition of the contract of 1901 meant the ‘‘open-shop” policy, as respects the port of Marseille, the men rejected the decision, although they had previously agreed to accept it. Their own officers, astonished by this decision, resigned, and the employers set about to resume work in their own way. Employment was offered to all who would sign the contract of 1901, whether belonging to the union or not. Ample military protection was afforded, and desertions from the labor organizations were rapid. In three days the strike was broken, but not before several thousand outside laborers had taken the strikers’ places. It is now proposed to safeguard the future by the formation of 4 maritime union. This union, if organized, will consist of employers, foremen, and laborers. The three parties are to have a voice in the organization, which will include a provision for the arbitration of future difficulties. The maritime union will enroll laborers of two cate- gories, one consisting of a certain number of men who are to receive annual salaries, while men of the other class will receive a per diem compensation and be called upon when the permanent laborers are insufficient in number. Contractors and navigation companies will call upon the maritime union from day to day to supply a sufficient number of men for their particular requirements. By making the annual salaries of the guaranteed class attractive, and holding out the prospect of promotion to the per diem class, it is hoped that the enter- prise may ingraft itself upon the local system. OTHER STRIKES IN FRANCE. There were 567 strikes in France in 1908, against 512 in 1902. In 416 cases in 1903 the strikers were organized. Ten unions were organ- ized during strikes, and three were dissolved in consequence of strikes. The strikers were successful in 122 cases, involving 12,526 men; 222 strikes, involving 89,736 men, were settled by adjustment; 223 strikes, involving 20,889 men, failed; 10 strikes lasted more than one hundred days. in 931 cases of strikes occasioned by demands for increased wages, 28,508 men lost 531,318 days of labor, or wages to the amount of 1,842,623 francs ($355,626), equal to 64.63 francs ($12.47) per capita. After three hundred days of work the gross profit accruing to these strikers would be 2,168,983 francs ($418,613), or a net profit of 11.44 francs ($2.21) for each striker. SEED OILS AND OIL SEEDS. Three large new oil-manufacturing plants have been built during the past year to handle the increasingly-heavy arrivals of oleaginous seeds of various kinds. The import of this material has been so great as to prevent serious competition by American cotton-seed oil, which finds more remunerative markets elsewhere. In 1903 Marseille received 494,440 tons of oil-making material, exclusive of olives, and the local manufacture of seed oil amounted to 198,870 tons during the year. The imports of oil-making material during the ten months ended October 28, 1904, amounted to 375,275 tons, a decrease of 47,819 110 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. tons from the imports in the same period of 1903. The imports in 19038 and 1904, in detail, were as follows: ¢ Kinds. 1903. 1904. 110,346 | "80°% Sesame sced 1.01... cece eee cee cece eee ee cee eee ete ee ener eeneer esac ecsssrcessnses , |, 437 Shelled arachides (peanuts).......--------.--0- 22 eee cere eee ee reser serrsrtereete a ae % 892. Unshelled arachides (peanuts) ...--..---5-------- 22 eee eee c rere eee teense ect crtce 88, 792 2, 765 Linseed ......-------- = sieebiacalnccmeweceee 14, 420 13,178 Rape seed a asies seotmeticlamanacine eee 2, 626 | - 962 Poppy seed .. a si Seca ene eisisainingrtemr cian 3,150 4,779 Castor seed... garetts tend Bette wjasdsgnisiciaje.sisialnueisi ait See Sela ETE Yee TAS eis 16, 473 12, 599 Cotton seed . Eatieminemeniavictesce ae pba side eat 9, 232 7,420. Copra ...---. Sulu cieyeciowiiewians diane mise meee meee -| 94,077 68, 390 Palin Kernels coe: crveeuananevewes= wand wwe si . 4, 864 7,158 Mowrab, Illipi nuts, etc ...........--------+--- aes Segre . 1,077 7,700 otal x. .ccencel ees UeSuE esse koaeeerete means eeisseeeieeteeecioneemtieccis ssiee 428,094 375, 275 The tendency all along the line at this time is to hold steady for higher prices. The crop of sesame seed in India appears to be one- quarter short this year, and no definite news is yet at hand in regard to peanuts. There may be, in consequence, a chance for American comestible oils to enter the Marseille market in greater quantities during the next twelve months than heretofore. The imports of cotton-seed oil from various sources during the first ten months have been as follows: Whence imported. 1903. 1904. Tons. Tons. United States sc occcccccccccos ssccvirciicis vis sanizie wan sti civic ncewensecemseseeeece mele! 9, 041 11, 288 Great Britain ... seca eee sista stata 3 845 1, 264 Other SOURCES :2.2.-2:2 cis iseisie ste mesieretaterate ig ores eine sie Mea Mes ee Siow eNE eee sea Eeetiedieeesl 231 271 TOU) sez cuwsig evs evieceee enseeced amecipeckesG ag scheeseieeees alee meceeeess 10,117 12, 818 Exports of Marseille oils to the United States have been heavier this year than usual, the declared value of such exports during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1904, having been as follows: Oils. Value. Oils. Value. AMONG .accccitocens tee ccauaaareand $150. 54 || Poppy ......2..ccccccccc cece ecencnee $153. 43 Castor........- Bake = 3,322.01 || Peanut, edible ............. < 974. 26 Copra ......-. 14,574.20 || Peanut, manufacturing .. : 55, 910. 65 Cotton-se 25.80 || Sesame .........-2.... 222222 ee é 41, 276.71 Essential... . 2, 264.65 || Various, including medicinal 2 1, 710.17 Olive, edible 243, 882. 23 _——— Olive, for manufacturing... 112, 464. 86 DO ccs gcihpewaaapemasien wee 477, 309. 51 WHITE BEANS. Beans to the value of $100,034 were exported from Marseille to the United States during the. fiscal year closed June 30, 1904. It is improbable that the same figures will be reached this year, as prices are much higher on this side and crops are generally shorter. The Roumanian (Braila) crop has been a failure, only enough beans for domestic consumption having been harvested. Braila beans worth 15% francs ($3.08) per 100 kilograms in May were worth 28 frances EUROPE: FRANCE. 111 ($5.40) in October, and are being held for 29 francs ($5.59). Moldavia beans were worth 1 franc (19 cents) more. Burma beans came into this market in 1903 for the first time, to the extent of 1,500 tons. Thus far this year 5,000 tons have been received from the same source. These Burma beans sold at 14.75 francs ($2.84) in June, and at 20.75 francs ($4) in October. Prices in Marseille have been so high that quantities of Burma beans, exported to Japan at the outbreak of the war with the expectation of high prices in that country, have been reexported to Marseille from Japan. NANTES. [FRom ConsvuL B. H. RIDGELY, NANTES, FRANCE, OCTOBER 19, 1904.] _TRADE REVIEW. The commercial conditions that have prevailed in this consular dis- trict during the year 1904 may be measured to a great extent by the tonnage movement of the port of Nantes for the nine months ending September 30, 1904, as compared with the same months of 1903. During this period in 1903 the tonnage of vessels entering Nantes was 889,501, and in 1904. it was 980,903. The weight of merchandise, loaded and unloaded, for nine months in 1903 was 802,501 tons, as against 879,901 in 1904. This shows an increase of 91,402 in the ton- nage of vessels, and 77,400 tons in the increase weight of merchandise for these nine months. This indicates that the year has been relatively a good one for the commerce of Nantes and the important region of which it is the indus- trial center. That the port and city are steadily growing in commer- cial importance is further evidenced by the fact that during the present year about 950,000 tons of coal will have been consumed by the industries of the region, against 223,200 tons in 1880. Since 1880 the metalurgical industry has increased 727 per cent; the food-products industry 573 per cent. The paper, printing, and furniture industries combined 1,167 per cent; the chemical industry (largely tannic extract) 300 per cent; the textile industry 11 per cent. The above, at least, are the figures as shown by the barometer of the chamber of commerce, and while they would appear to over flatter the present situation they are considered reliable. IDLE SHIPYARDS. Returning to the conditidns of 1904 in Nantes, one particularly unsatisfactory feature has been the continued idleness of the ele This is due to the suppression of the premiums offered by the Govern- ment for the construction of sailing vessels. For more than two years shipyards which would ordinarily employ from 3,000 to 5,000 laborers have been virtually idle and the result has been at once depressing and distressing. It is believed, however, that the French Chamber of Deputies at its approaching session will enact a law which will relieve this situation. 112 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. SUGAR, SOAP, AND CONFECTIONERY. Sugar refining is the most important industry in Nantes, and during the year 1904 the various refineries here have been unusually busy, owing to the decreased Government tax on sugar, which has largely increased the sale and manufacture of that product. The soap industry has also had an unusually good year. Not only is this industry steadily increasing in importance, but it has largely profited this year by the great dock strike at Marseille. Confectionery made from sweetened dough (biscuiterie) is another very important industry of Nantes. The famous ‘Petits Beurres” of commerce and other similar products are nearly all made here, but this year, owing to the large fruit crop and to the Russo-Japanese war, this industry has not enjoyed the fullest measure of prosperity. In this connection it is interesting to note that in France the manu- facture of sweetened biscuits and other similar confections of dough is much influenced by the fruit crop; when fruit is scarce and dear faa was the case in France in 1901, 1902, and 1903) the use of fancy bis- cuits for dessert is largely increased; on the other hand, when fruit is cheap and plentiful, as it has been this year, it serves for dessert, and the use of fancy dough products decreases proportionately. WHEAT SITUATION. The wheat crop in western France this year is a little below the normal, and in the whole of France there is a shortage. It is estimated that 100,000 tons (i. e., 3,666,666 bushels) will have to be imported, and there is a well accredited rumor to the effect that, in view of the necessity of keeping down the price of bread, the French Chamber of Deputies at the approaching session will authorize the temporary removal or reduction of the import duty on wheat. This should be of interest to American exporters of wheat, who might take advantage of the opportunity to establish a more permanent market in western France. The principal importers of wheat here are La Société des Moulins Nantais, Nantes, France; Messieurs Loiret & Haentjens, rue de la Fosse, Nantes, France. COAL SITUATION. England and Wales continue to furnish nearly all the coal imported into this region, amounting annually to about 1,000,000 tons. Ger- many made a big effort to get into the market in 1903 and obtained some big contracts here, but appears now to be out of it. The tendency of the market is at present toward decreased prices. Cardiff steam coal,.double screened, is quoted to-day at 26.50 francs ($5.11) per ton f. 0. b., Nantes. For trash steam coal large contracts have recently been made at 14 frances ($2.70) per ton f. 0. b., Nantes. Stove coal is quoted at 52 francs ($10.04) per ton delivered at domicile. The price of pitch used in making briquets has also gone down. The best quality of Beckton is quoted to-day at 34s. ($8.27) per ton f. o. b, at St. Nazaire. This is the best quality of pitch that reaches this market. EUROPE: FRANCE. 113 AGRICULTURE. Agricultural conditions are fairly good throughout western and northwestern France. The one important crop of Brittany showing a considerable deficit is buckwheat. This product, which is ground into flour by old fashioned windmills, forms ihe principal breadstuff of the whole Brittany region and is consequently a very important crop. The horse and cattle industry of Brittany has also flourished this year, and in spite of an increase of 10 per cent over the prices of last year, there has been a good and steady demand for beef cattle and sheep. Horses are bred and raised in Brittany for the south of France and Spain, and their breeding and sale have resulted in excellent profits both this year and last to the breeders of Finisterre and elsewhere in Brittany. The vineyards in the departments of the Loire Inferieure, Maine, and Loire, and the Vendée have yielded well this year, and there has been an excellent crop of wine, particularly of the fine white wine known as Muscadet, which is a sort of compromise, so to speak; between the white wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy. The big wine crop, however, has had a certain depressing influence in the beer indus- try, which is in a state of considerable development at Nantes. - * TANNING INDUSTRY. This industry complains of hard times at Angers and elsewhere in this district. This complaint is probably due in part to the lack of demand for shoes of the old fashioned styles; also to the fact that American machinery has been introduced and that some of the factories are producing cheaper than others. There will undoubtedly be an urgent demand in France for American shoe machinery during the year 1905. FISHING INDUSTRY. One of the greatest industries of western France is sardine packing. In 1902 and 1903 the catch was almost a complete failure. This year it has been fairly good at nearly every point on the west coast, though the fish were rather smaller than the market demands. Owing to the exhausted stocks of previous years, however, and to the high price of cod roe, which is used for bait, the fishermen fixed their prices high and were able to sell to the manufacturers at from 35 to 40 francs ($6.76 to $7.72) per thousand. These unusually high prices were maintained throughout the catch, and in view of the fact that the cost of preserving is nearly three times as much as the cost of the fish themselves, it is not to to be wondered that the manufacturers have been compelled to quote high prices throughout the season, which will probably be maintained during the year. ; Owing to the scarcity of sardines in 1902-3 a quantity of sprats—a small fish much inferior to sardines—was packed in order to give employment to workmen. This was particularly the case at Concar- neau, and there is in consequence still'an important stock of this fish on the market. CODFISH ROE FOR BAIT. There has been during this season and there will continue to be an active demand for codfish roe for bait. This product is imported principally from Norway, Bergen being the center of the trade. In a previous report I have advised American fishermen of the opportu- H, Doe, 481, 58-3——8 114 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. nity to turn their cod roe to good advantage by packing and preserv- ing it for this market. This opportunity still exists and will continue to exist. The question is merely one of properly packing the roe and offering it through active agents at Nantes. I would be glad to fur- nish the names and addresses of such agents toany American exporter who might be interested in this enterprise. The roe when cut out of the fish should at once be plunged into old brine and left to soak for at least thirty days before being packed into barrels. There is an annual demand in France for about 50,000 barrels of roe, each barrel containing about 225 pounds, and the consumers are nearly always ready to buy at ae ranging from 60 francs a barrel ($11.58) up. This year as much as 100 francs ($19.30) has been paid for roe at certain times. Itis estimated that Norway, in a fairly good year, produces about 25,000 barrels of roe. Of this, Spain and Portugal require a ‘considerable percentage. Thus the French demand must of necessity be nearly always sure and active. Roe from Newfoundland and the United States has been on the market here to some extent for several years, but there has never been enough of it of good quality to supply the demand. AMERICAN MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS AT NANTES. American typewriters, sewing machines, egg beaters, meat choppers, rat traps, and other similar articles are sold currently at Nantes; there is indeed a fairly good and steady demand for meat choppers and sau- sage grinders. A few American cash registers have also appeared here and those who possess them like them very much, though it is believed that their general adoption by the trade in this region will be very slow because of their price. A French cash register has made its appearance at Paris and a small manufactory established there for its fabrication. One’ of these machines is said to be in use at Felx Potin’s great fancy grocery in Paris and is giving satisfaction. The retail price is said to be 1,800 franes ($347). ICE BOXES, Another feature of 1904 is the appearance‘of German refrigerators or ice boxes. Our ice boxes were beginning to attract attention and . find favor in a small way, but the Germans have arrived with a cheaper and poorer product made in imitation of ours. In this market there is not yet much demand for ice boxes of any sort, and I merely call attentidn to the fact as an instance of the fidelity and enterprise with which German manufacturers offer our exports competition. TOOLS. Mr. Leon Ponsolle, the agent of this consulate at Angers, sends me the following interesting note on American tools: American tools are more and more in favor at Angers, but they are finding active competition from similar articles of all sorts labeled ‘‘ American.” MACHINE OIL. Machine oil is consumed in great quantities in this large industrial district, and in writing concerning it from Angers Mr. Pensolle says: Machine oils made from petroleum are much in demand here. They are in general blended ofls more or less authentic. In this connection it should be noted that American oils reported to be pure are sold at from 100 to 140 francs ($19.30 to $27.02), the 100 kilograms (220 pounds), while Russian oils which are put to the same uses are sold at from 60 to 70 francs ($11.58 to $13.51) the 100 kilograms. At least 1,000 EUROPE: FRANCE. 115 barrell ve oil, aid to be reas net oil, are bought annually by dealers and manufacturers of my acquaintance, at prices ranging f 48 to 54 fra : $10.42) the 100 kilograms. are i 7 neue Mr. Ponsolle argues from the above that the price of American machine oil must either come down, or an oil of a cheaper grade be offered. NATURAL PHOSPHATES. There is a steady and growing demand for American natural phos- phates at Nantes. These phosphates are chemically treated here and sold for fertilizing. The supply is by no means always equal to the demand, and Americans interested in properties producing phosphates can_be assured of a steady and profitable market here. I would be glad to put any American exporter in communication with active rep- resentatives at Nantes. There is also a steady demand here for sulphate of copper, and if there are any American exporters of this product they can find a ready market in this region. STEAMSHIP AND RAILWAY LINES. Three of the great railway systems of France enter Nantes, viz, the Paris-Orleans, the State Railway, and the Western of France. Thus, in point of railway service, no city in France, except Paris, is more advantageously placed. Paris is less than six hours distant, by fast express, and Bordeaux less than five hours. The very best rail- way facilities exist for transporting freight between Nantes and all interior points of France. Besides, Nantes, though not,situated on the sea, is none the less a seaport, since it is on the navigable Loire, only 38 miles from the Atlantic, and has regular lines of cargo steamers not only to Havre, Bordeaux, Marseilles, and all ports on the west and northwest coast of France, but to London, Dublin, Glasgow, Antwerp, Gibraltar, Morocco, and various Spanish ports. St. Nazaire, the sea- port of Nantes, situated on the Atlantic at the mouth of the Loire, is a port of departure arid arrival for the trans-Atlantic liners of the French Compagnie Transatlantique bound to and from southern waters, and is a very busy port. : The work of widening and deepening the Loire between Nantes and St. Nazaire, which was to have been commenced in 1904 will not be under way until 1905; and it is estimated that three years will be required for accomplishing it. The purpose is to assure 8 meters (about 26 feet) of water atlow.tide. This will enable big ships to come up to the docks at Nantes at will. As Nantesis nearly 200 kilo- meters (124 miles) closer to the United States than Havre, and is much better situated than either Havre, Bordeaux, or Marseilles for the transportation of merchandise to and from the center of the country, there is no reason why it should not become one of the great seaports of France. Those who have closely examined the situation and studied the possibilities are convinced that a line of cargo and passenger boats from Nantes to New York or Philadelphia would be a paying venture, and Americans interested in such ventures might do well to take the matter up seriously. The line could be established for the moment between New York and St. Nazaire, the latter port being already available for ships drawing 30 feet, and at the finish of the work of deepening and widening the river Nantes could be made a termini. There are several miles of fine quays at Nantes and every facility for handling freight and passengers, 116 FOREIGN IMPORTS INTO NANTES IN THE NINE MONTHS ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 1904. COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. TRADE. Articles. Quantity. Value. Countries of origin. Ammoniacal salt: Tons. 487 $80, 300 | England. 7 ; England, Germany. 2,498 104,920 | Sweden. . 866 29, 440 | Algeria, Egypt, Mexico, Morocco. a144, 192 10,100 | England, Germany. 761 9,140 | England. x 5, 050 151,500 | Belgium, England, Spain, Morocco, Argentina. 117 58,620 | Belgium, Germany. 326 104,520 | Canada, England. 87 12,360 | Guadeloupe, English Indies, Germany. 2,299 49,500 | England, Spain. 141 51,020 ; Canada, Switzerland, Holland. 3, 516 42,000 | Belgium, England, Germany, other countries. 2, 293 74, 660 oe States, Germany, Austria, Turkey, anada,. © : OAT. nisiscminieecaiecitisaeiees 6 290,779 | 1,075,880 | Holland, England. Coal in briquetts . - 21, 760 84,860 | Belgium, England, Holland. ocoa. 2,191 758, 240 | English Indies, Colombia, Brazil, Philippines. Codfish (smoked and dried). 463 55, 660 | Iceland. Codfish oil............-..... 84 27,040 | Norway, England, Iceland, Holland. Cod roe.............. 70 4,200 | United States, other countries. Coffee aiik6 semadoesacos 609 108, 060 | Brazil, Colombia, English Indies, Dutch Indies. Coke nw. s2cseensmee sees 21,924 49,900 | Holland, England. Copper 4 120, 200 | Austria, England. ‘ OPN sasietie hivswies ee see.e 1, 973 39,620 | Belgium. : Cotton in bales 63 18,860 | Exigland, Belgium, English Indies. Cotton seed.............. 1, 671 50,140 | Egypt. Fertilizer.....2..2...-... 1,275 25,500 | Belgium, sng lands Spain. WIR S i ckicccsimsinciioiece 592 28,420 | Algeria, Turkey. Founded iron ........... 48 6, 820 | England, Germany, Belgium. HOM) onns 117 EXPORTS FROM NANTES IN THE NINE MONTHS ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 1904. Articles. Quantity. | Value. To what countries exported. Tons. Boneblack 5. $780 | Belgium, Guadeloupe. 2,140 | .All countries. . \. England. 2,940 Do. 57,880 ; Belgium, Cayenne, England.- 21,640 | Cayenne. 10, 404 35, 780 | Brazil, Cayenne, Martinique, Switzerland, and for coaling steamers. Colonial food products®.._.. 26 11, 920 Dry vegetables and potatoes. 3,689 80,520 | Cayenne, England, United States, and ships’ provisions, Earthen and glass ware ....- 168 38,120 | Cayenne, ship’s provisions. Fresh fruits... ..... trai 245 16,520 | England. Gluessi2s22ceciece 87 14,140 | Belgium. Glycerine ......... 188 25,020 | Belgium, England, United States. Hay and straw ...... 8, 204 28,840 | Cayenne, England. Hemp ............- 51 20,080 | England. ON CY aera rce se ois cases 280 44,260 | Belgium. Hyperphosphate of lime 8,379 101, 760 | Guadeloupe, Spain. Lard 565 79,400 | Belgium. Lumber 3, 380 110,040 | England, Guadeloupe. Machinery : Beata, Egypt, England, Spain, Italy, United 8. OU CAKES). w2s ces scence senicin 1,720 43,000 | Belgium, Denmark, England. Olive and nut oil.... i 41 5,220 | Cayenne, England, Belgium; ships’ provisions. Other building materials... 394 67,200 | Guadeloupe, Cayenne; ships’ provisions. 22 10,500 | Cayenne, Tunis, Guadeloupe. 9, 102 43,700 | England. 20 8,600 | Belgium, England, Germany. 225 9,040 | Algeria, Belgium, Cayenne, Guadeloupe, Mar- tinique, Switzerland. Sailing vessels (steel) .....-. 6, 587 329, 360 | Germany, Norway. ~ Sardines and other canned 389 147, 380 SD Cayenne, England, Germany, United es. 23 7,223 | Belgium, Cayenne, England. 36 10,620 | Belgium, Germany. 123 380 | Ships’ provisions; Cayenne. 16,777 205, 220 | Belgium, England, Germany. 9, 279 483,980 | Belgium, Germany, Russia. 124 33,720 | Belgium, England, Germany, Madagascar, Rus- sia, Indo-China, Switzerland. 1, 541 62,940 | Belgium, England, Germany, Portugal. OOI8 = nee iceaeene seiscwse tens 2, 966 581,360 | Switzerland, England, Belgium, Tunis, Spain, Argentina. Trimmed stones......--.--.- 50 2,500 | Cayenne. Eine Me Secs een cu 2,261 68,640 | England. ° Wit oc saccscccccsasa cates ne 326, 228 87,140 | Belgium, Cayenne, England, United States. Wood pulp . ‘ 18,460 | United States. Woven goods..........--.... 88 49,560 | Cayenne. : 5 Wrought, cast, and pig iron. © 310 13,020 | Switzerland, Cayenne, Belgium. ZINC i gaedensesewevivesaxss ese 1,273 12,400 | Belgium, England, a Liters. > Ships’ provisions in port at Nantes. IMPORTS INTO ST. NAZAIRE IN 1904.4 Articles. Quantity. Countries of origin. Metric tons. 5 England. 1,718 10. , 646 | Algeria, Spain, Greece. 80 land. 156 | England, Italy. 1 | Reunion. r 38, 947 nue Sweden, Norway, United States, Canada, English Indies, Coffee and cocoa . 54 | Mexico, Brazil, Haiti, Venezuela, Colombia. Cereals and flour 2| England, Tunis. . : RiC@ wi.cccccee 5,658 | French Indo-China, English Indies. Beans ........---- 1,600 } Algeria, Morocco, Egypt. : : Oleaginous grains. . 8,843 | French establishments in India, English Indies, Dutch In- dies, Philippines. Rubber and gutta-percha.... 1| Cayenne. _ . Wines .......-. aisGezenamasme 4,181 | Algeria, Spain, Tunis, England. a From Consul Goldschmidt, Nantes, France. 118 COMMERCTAL RELATIONS, 1904. IMPORTS INTO ST, NAZAIRE IN 1904—Continued. Articles. Quantity. Countries of origin. Metric tons. Alcohol (rum and brandy)... 25 | Guadaloupe, Martinique, Algeria. Hemp : 1,808 | England, English Indies, Algeria, Oils and fats........-. 47 | Algeria, Spain, Italy. Machinery and parts of ..-.-. 580 | England, Germany, ‘onitea States. All other articles............ 150, 602 1 ROCA s25.23.ckdieeawiesee es 801, 566 EXPORTS FROM ST. NAZAIRE IN 1904.4 Articles. Quantity. Destination. Metric tons. ss ix Siacibeptdiaidieiaye le Sista miata ste 68, 214 | Switzerland, Reunion, Cayenne, ships’ provisions, Coal briquettes. 10, 989 | Algeria, Cayenne, ships? provisions. Sugar.......-. 351 | England, Belgium, Cayenne. Iron ore 28,791 | Rotterdam, Colombia, Cayenne. Building materials. 1,116 | Germany, England, Algeria. Cereals and flour. 10,122 | England, Belgium, Algeria, Tunis. Hardware 20 | Mexico, Colombia, Cayenne. Oil cake 30 | England. Iron goods, forged and cast. . 244 | England, Algeria, Martinique. Victuals, preserved.......... 2,994 | England, Mexico, Algeria, Tunis. Wood, oak ........- 39 | Mexico, Cayenne. Wood, barrel hoops 1,148 | England, English possessions. Fodder .........--.- 162 Do. Fresh provisions . 37 | Ships’ provisions. Wines ........ 1,379 | England, Mexico, Algeria. Spirits, brand 529 | England, Mexico, Colombia. Posts for mines 10,711 | England. Potatoes 8,286 | England, Algeria, Cayenne. 27, 290 MPOtA sero eecesnnentitce 172, 452 a¥rom Consul Goldschmidt, Nantes, France. IMPORTS INTO SABLES D’OLONNE IN 1904.4 Articles. Quantity. Countries of origin. 2 Metric tons, COBL : .2cc2tcauiescdedesnaes 64,444 | England. Da Grae 13,512 | Germany. Coal briquette. , 454 | England. aaemeecioain 2,219 | Sweden and Russia. Chemical Sx 1,600 | England. Chemical fertilizers 1,232 | Belgium. Phosphates....... 800 Do. puperphospnstes 3 weenie sheiey 1, 005 Do. Petroleum: CRUG eavcnesiecneeescecs 3,126 | United States. Refined .. 179 Do. Essence ....-.-. 266 Do. All other articles 60 | Newfoundland, Great Britain, Belgium. POCA! aceoracctatwehcnpsresnteind 80, 897 a From Consul Goldschmidt, Nantes, France. The only exports from Sables d’Olonne in 1904 were 3,580 metric tons of wood posts for mines. EUROPE: FRANCE. 119 SHIPPING. SHIPPING AT NANTES IN 1904, Steamships. Sailing vessels. + Total. . oe Number. Tonnage. Number. Tonnage. Number. Tonnage. Nationalities. In ‘| In In La- In bal- | La- In bal-| La- : In bal- bal- | Laden. bal- | Laden. bal-} Laden. den. last. last. | den. last. last. |den. last. last. ENTERED. ‘ 117,577 42,127 . 73,121 Norwegian : is 41,377 Belgian .-......... 5 14, 334 German........... s 15, 678 Swedish........... 4, 626 534 5,160 |........ Danish ............ 15, 871 178 Dutch ......2..-... 6,929 |........ Italian ............ 6, 222 |........ Russian ........... 1, 552 178 Uruguayan e 2,346 |.....2.. Austrian ..-....... 743 |..2-222- 1 395, 620 580 | 165 3 2, 11 (330, 713 8,767 | 146 | 14 | 44,284] 1,556 | 601 | 25 | 374,997 5, 423 48 | 43,625 | 47,556 60,755 | 54,319 187 | 20, 735 21,449 | 123, 884 4,038 | 68,251 4,961 | 34,766 10,406 | 3,882 5,060 | 12,187 747 | 4,413 1,451 | 14,315 acsiemchor 431 4, 1,310 6, 206 934 Austrian . ahs ale Ree oenwinte se bs ceserarctess ana 743 Uruguayan ....... [ocectthns SOC [ectieel D2 O46 iscwtetll Cea ie ale hes rcall Lanny aa acca 2, 346 Z Total.......- 194 | 388 | 89,797 | 307,534 | 134 | 43 | 21,314 | 23,520 | 328 | 381 | 111,111 | 331, 054 Total in 1908 ....-- 181 | 299 | 79,579 | 261,155 | 135 | 36 | 26,754 | 19,664 | 316 | 335 | 106,333 | 280, 819 SHIPPING AT ST. NAZAIRE IN 1904. Steamships. Sailing vessels. Total. Number. Tonnage. Number. Tonnage. Number. Tonnage. Nationalities. 3 In In In r La- In bal- | La- La- | In bal-| La- In bal- bal-| Laden. bal- bal-| Laden. den. last. last. |den. last. den. | last. {den. last. last. ENTERED. French........---- 138 | 27 31 | 158, 474 British .. -| 192 6 6 | 201, 635 Spanish . 94) I s:scc[ 114088! loccccews oscce|eeceslacemenclancessast OF |ecce 114, 033 Norwegian. . al DOS |esicwsd 16,182: |oczcwisscel Lpecane| IGT [eecrssce]! 20 fae acs, 16, 299 Swedish... V1 Wsssxc] (10)489 se cmsesec|ieecclssece|sneechclesvcueeel TD |e 10, 489 Dutch... s\( 14s |eoeuis| 11,782 | cess scx seegellesslesssecs|ecmsmes| 14sec 11, 732 Danish... Al) Balt sisiana 2,504 pe 11,451 1} 9,140 series 1,650 |........ aeiion p18O>facceices sioreece sieiais SD cssteve/ allie brio siase'cs! gia Sraraiasscajace | sstrare Th | starereza asec 1 584,383 | 15,017| 10] 5| 7,210] 6,692 | 503 | 40 | 541,543 | 21,709 580,022 | 14,997 | 32 1 | 8,400 87 | 599 | 19 | 588,422 | 16,084 CLEARED. French.........--- 168 | 51 | 181,444 | 62,579 4 7 | 2,350 | 6,779 | 172 | 58 | 133,794 | 69,358 English .........-- 15 | 179 | 24,512 | 188, 243 Te eniieat 198 feieciccree 16 | 179 | 24,650 | 188, 243 120 COMMERCTAL RELATIONS, 1904. SHIPPING AT ST. NAZAIRE IN 1904—Continued. Steamships. Sailing vessels. / Total. Number. Tonnage. Number.| Tonnage. | Number. Tonnage. Nationalities. - In In In «La- In bal- | La- La- | In bal-| La- In a bal-| Laden. bal- bal-| Laden, den.) ty st. last. |den.|j,¢4 | den. | last. den. last. las | CLEARED—cont’d. ! Spanish ........... 1} 93 1,109 | 114,148 |.....].....].------]-------- 1} 93 1,109 | 114, 148 Norwegian........|....- TBS | seis sersceysie' Swedish...........).-..- 10 Dutch... 3 Danish ...........-|...-. 2 German. 6 Beleian oc cciencecectescsn 10 Italian .. 1 Russian .. 1 Uruguaya’ 3 Other nation TOSisscsces venses|ecess 2 Total.. ‘ 379 | 181,246 | 413, 785 9 9 | 3,371 | 7,113 | 211 | 388 | 184,617 | 420, 898 Total in 1903 ...... 518 | 473 | 108,422 | 486,257 | 18 | 11] 5,271 | 7,294 | 176 | 484 | 118,698 | 493, 551 SHIPPING AT SABLES D’OLONNE IN 1904. Steamships. Sailing vessels. Total. Number. Tonnage. Number. Tonnage. Number. Tonnage. Nationalities. In In Tn La- In bal-| La- In bal-| La- In bal- bal- | Laden. bal-| Laden. bal- | Laden. den. last. last. | den. last, last. | den. last. last. ENTERED, fine d.a:2 641 3, 256 Se! ecicjecs 21, 043 |. «| 21,228 9 | sccm 6, 784. , Swedish and Nor- | Wegian.........- Be Bascicre 5, 251 |... - 6,261 Belgian .... 2 | eacistaca! 1, 268 |. 1, 258 Other nationali- ties... sae |oemse| ence lecsee aes AB cSasibior Total. -| 84,977 38,211 |......-. Total in 1908 . 33, 552 36, 668 |........ CLEARED. French TD. |emiewincns 641 8) 17 885 | 3,020 8 18 885 3, 661 , British . 28 587 | 195428 se os olla senl sinavecad'leaonsieice 2 28 587 | 19,423 Spanish 3 Gl svasciareiciors 6784. lisa oy'ellsnmcrl ns iticiain| cisisioisteaeiocisinone Qo ie dcrcicisings 6, 784 Swedish and or- wegian... 2) Eb 6 Add) By GI8 Pew. dvilllecsiere.altsszicisdyareqs| Saharoiobes 1 6 444 8, 678 Belgian .... < Dewees OF i cise idicra elle scoucyee| vine averse| Memes A. | saaetace 571 Other nationali- GOS egies saoyeaen| se bens | ese |Setscciee a) ceesiatisel cacy Dy esesesan 149 |...... L, [ssinteictancts 149 Total........ 2{ 45] 1,081 | 21,097 8| 18 885 | 3,169 11 63 | 1,916 | 34,266 Total in 1903 ..... 3] 45 495 | 28,559 8} 13 677 | 3,492 10 58 | 1,172] 82,091 EUROPE: FRANCE. 121 NICE. [From ConsvL H.S, VAN BUREN, NICE, FRANCE, OCTOBER 24, 1904.] LOCAL CONDITIONS. Building industry.—There is no abatement in the steady activity of building operations, and it is most marked in the suburbs of the town. As far as can be seen the building is not of a speculative nature, and the taking up of loans for these operations has been only to a limited extent. In the meantime the value of, land holds its own, and any change to be noted is rather toward stiffening and advancing prices. Gas and electricity.—The gas and electricity contract, which, as men- tioned in my report for 1903, has been sent to Paris for the sanction of the Government, is still there awaiting action. ’ Electric lines of tramways.—The new lines of electric tramways have been conceded, in part, to the Chemins de Fers du Sud, and in part to the existing Compagnie des Tramways du Littoral. Water supply.—The new convention between the town and the water company has been approved at Paris, and the company is proceeding to the expropriation of lands. The new convention will result in an increased and improved supply of water for the town and suburbs. NICE-CUNEO RAILWAY. . An understanding has finally been reached between the French and Italian Governments respecting the projected railway from Nice to Cuneo. The present status is as follows: The length of the French portion of the line Nice-Breil-Foutan to the frontier will be 58 kilo- meters (36 miles). It has lately been rumored that a strategic branch line will be built from Escaréne to Luceram, with a length of 12 kilo- meters (7$ miles). The Italian portion of the line consists of two branches. One of these, starting at the frontier where the French -branch terminates, will run to Cuneo via Vievola and St. Delmas de Teude; the second one will run from Breil to Vintimille. The former, as far as I can ascertain, will have a length of about 60 kilometers (874 miles) and the latter of 23 kilometers (144 miles). The French and Italian Governments have signed a convention for the construction and exploitation of the principal line Nice-Breil- Vievola, and of the branch line from Breil to Vintimille. According to that convention, the lines must be completed and in operation within eight years from the date of the confiemation of the conven- tion by the Parliament and Chamber. The Italian Parliament has already given its approval to the convention, and the French Cham- bers will soon be called upon to confirm it. There appears to be no doubt as to such confirmation. The preliminary steps to the build- ing of the lines have already been taken in France but not in Italy. This will enable the French Government, as soon as the convention is approved, to present a law declaring the line to be of ‘‘ utilité publique,” thus cutting short many delays that might otherwise ensue. From present indications I should judge that this will occur early in 1905. This accomplished, the building of the roads should commence in 1906 at the latest. I have not been able to ascertain that an approximate estimate of the cost has yet been made, but all opinions agree that they will be very expensive roads to build. 122 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. FOREIGN COMMEROE. IMPORTS INTO PORTS OF NICE CONSULAR DISTRICT, FIRST SIX MONTHS OF 1904, Articles. Nice. Cannes. Menton. | Monaco. Tons. 1, 298 1, 154 1, 760 35, 066 eoeuie 15 a sisa's 48 BIOUY ez ciceesegasaeeceeeetaten: sheen. ceases 327 DIQUOTs s28ceck s eostieeeseees raise ee enemsigesze sas 11,095 Machinery «001000 cocsiemes sxeeserweaees tee eeeice tase 26 j..- MAG sieientes4aecinisn[eciea noire nes Sees See mere 51 PES x ac apo crepes eid alone Gai aneiecisiatn de ences + DE a EE ae 2, 369 QU (GUE) se cp ndgsaecasilen'enuce swat tance sam 3, 450 RiCG, stearate He tiedsee ecm mtotecenianSaiasinnaseys . 14 |... e dips Whe at ois cece nciccncccsencaccecea sccm vee dias 6, 207 2,520 WNC ss. cee scssscccecceeG cas sence cniacessieeneane ---| @2, 468, 715 2 69, 953 41138, 331 a 91,669 Wood: (planks),...c.cvccwcosnascccnmscceseserntes sate 72 UT Vie ssescasiasi yo: seaichalllstasaichorare crarstece Wood { MAM DER) rerarg:srsisicistessiercis aciormctcate tteeeirrmersinte Seem 5, 766 452 |...-2---20+- 8 Total— = Tons ....-. 7 57, 623 5, 010 4, 603 7,039 Gallons - 2,479, 810 59, 953 118, 331 91, 669 aGallons. EXPORTS FROM NICE, FIRST SIX MONTHS OF 1904. Articles. Tons. Articles. Tons, Casks, empty. 31 21 3, 358 314 80 23 56 3,981 32 66 Note.—There were exported from Cannes 123 tons of coal and 7 tons of pelle and 20 tons of casks were exported from Menton. This makes a total of 4,181 tons of merchandise exported from this consular district. RHEIMS. e [From ConsuL W. A. PRICKITT, RHEIMS, FRANCE, OCTOBER 17, 1904,] DEPRESSED CONDITIONS. Times are not good in Rheims. The dealers in champagne are com- plaining, for England, one of their best customers, has been buying much less wine than formerly. Exportations to the United States have fallen off also during the last year. Then, too, the war in the East injures trade, and altogether the situation is far from satisfying. The depression in the manufacture of woolen textiles still continues, and the output of cloth for 1903 was the lowest on record for over twenty years. Fortunately a large proportion of the inhabitants are well to do, having a surplus accumulated from the good business of former years; but the condition of the mill hands, who are forced to lose one-half of their time, is not, to say the least, enviable. The tradesmen and all who cater to the wants of the working people feel severely the loss of wages from this enforced idleness. EUROPE: FRANCE. 123 This state of things is mitigated by good crops of almost everything, except sugar beets, for which the weather has been too dry. The fruit crop was better than it has been for years and prices are cheaper than usual. Fruit is still too high for general consumption, however. Even in this land of grapes, this fruit is seldom lower than 8 cents a pound. ® CHAMPAGNE. a The grape crop this year was all that could be desired both as re- gards quantity and quality. The grapes were sold by the vine growers to the manufacturers for a satisfactory price because the quality of the juice was so good that all the manufacturers were anxious to buy. While the output of champagne was nearly four millions of bottles greater in 1903 than in’ 1902, there has been such a falling off in the sales this year and the total sales for 1904 will probably be less than in 1902. The exports to the United States declined in 1904 nearly as much as they gained in 1903 and stand now at about the same figures that they did in 1902. . The bulk of the champagne trade with the United States is in the hands of a few large manufacturers, and the tendency to increase the quantity of wine sent by each invoice is constantly growing. Invoices of 3,000 cases, valued at over $50,000, in one shipment are now common. If some plan was formulated and adopted by which the price of the certification of the consular invoice could be based upon the value of the shipment, such procedure would be very advantageous to this consulate. For several years past the number of champagne invoices has been gradually decreasing, while the value of the exports have -materially increased. WOOLENS. An output of 14,105,900 yards of woelen textiles in 1890 and 4,562,857 yards in 1903 from the manufactories of the city of Rheims and‘ its environs indicates the decline which has taken place in this industry in the last thirteen years. The figures for 1904 have not yet been published, but they will probably be below the four million . mark. The extreme depression now ruling is attributed in part to the con- tinued high price of wool and the seeming inability to advance the price of cloth to the trade. In order not to advance the price of the finished product, the quality is cheapened. A cheap grade of wool called ‘*crossbreds” is being used, and this grade of wool has advanced 30 per cent in price during the last year. Shoddy is also worked in, ad the shoddy mills, where old clothes and other woolen refuse are ground up, are running to their full capacity. No ewithcuanciie all efforts, however, orders seem to be declining. The output of the two large wool-combing plants will be one-third less than last year, and two large spinning establishments have ceased to manufacture. The exports to the United States were larger than in 1908, but still are valued at only $1,623.69. COTTON GOODS. St. Quentin, department of Aisne, in this consular district is the most important cotton manufacturing center in France. The exports 124 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. to the United States formerly consisted of fine tissues used for under- wear and ladies’ and children’s dresses. In 1897-98 the exports amounted to over $100,000, and the next year suddenly declined to less than $30,000. Shortly after machine-made embroidered lace goods, used chiefly for window curtains, began to go forward, and nearly $78,000 worth was exported in 1900-1901. e exports have since been steadily declining, and this year are a little over $53,000. Cotton manufacturing is not so much depressed as the woolen indus- try, but the instability of the raw cotton market and the insecurity of the supply are worrying the manufacturers. ; The inquietude caused by the violent fluctuations of the cotton market is expressed by the following extract from a letter of the Chamber of Commerce of St. Quentin to the French minister of com- merce and industry at Paris: . The Chamber of Commerce of St. Quentin has already called attention to the dan- ger incurred by the French cotton industry by the fact that the production of cotton is confined to three foreign countries, the English East Indies, the United States of America, and Egypt. ; This situation places our manufacturers at the mercy of foreign speculators, and actually the manufacture of cotton has become a speculation rather than an industry. In America the speculators of that country have become the veritable masters of the market for raw cotton. Their speculative market controls the Liverpool market, for the prices of the latter vary continually, according tq the importance of the American cotton crop. Those interested in this country see but one way to remedy the matter—develop the culture of cotton everywhere possible, and above all give the preference to our French colonies. The chamber is not ignorant that the Government is already occupied with this affair and that the matter has been confided to competent persons, but we ask that, realizing fully the gravity of the situation, the Government will persevere in this direction with the greatest energy and by all the means at its disposal. The chamber goes on to show that in the Soudan and other French . possessions cotton has been raised in a small way, and begs the Gov- ernment to see to it that France may become independent of the rest of the world for its cotton supply. The letter received a very favorable reply from the French minister, who said that experts were at present in the United States and-in Africa studying the subject; that cotton seed of approved quality was being selected, and that soon a trial on a grand scale would be made at Koubkow and Dakar. ROUEN. [From ConsuL THORNWELL HayNEs, ROUEN, FRANCE, OCTOBER 81, 1904.] ROUEN AS A RIVER AND SEAPORT. Reports from this consulate have dealt with the advantages of the port of Rouen as a distributing center for American imports, and also as a terminal for a French-American regular line of steamers, but they have apparently produced little effect except to cause inquiries concerning the matter by some British shipowners. Few ports combine a fluvial, maritime, and regional port in one as Rouen does, and so great are its facilities, and so unheedingly does the $120,000,000 worth of American goods entering France and the $48,000,000 worth going from Paris to the United Plates yearly pass them by, that I beg to submit additional facts. . EUROPE: FRANCE. 125 Last year over 1,000,000 tons of merchandise ascended the Seine from Rouen; a part of it debarked within 100 miles of Lyon, and 10,000 tons passed over half the distance from Rouen to the Mediter- ranean. Through the canals Escaret and Sambre, a portion of the chemical products of Rouen pass into Belgium, while wood, grain, and liquid embarked at Rouen are shipped as far east as Nancy, and even across the frontier into Germany. , : I wish that American exporters to France could partake somewhat of the interest aroused in me by watching and studying the activity and statistics of this great river, maritime, and regional port. The very nature of goods exported to this country from the United States renders water carriage especially valuable. Shippers of Florida fruits north are compelled by the nature of the goods to reckon upon quick- ness of transit rather than upon its cheapness, but American wheat, ~ timber, or machines entering France will take a longer route if it isa less expensive one. Norwegian feldspar entering at Rouen strikingly emphasizes this point. The most of it is embarked directly into lighters and is carried into the heart of France, into the Department of the Loire. There, upon the Canal de Briare, is an immense button fac- tory where hundreds of hands are employed in turning the imported feldspar into buttons. That feldspar from Norway is used, when in the heart of France this same kind of feldspar is found in abundance and of a quality equaling that of the Norwegian product, is explained by the fact that Norway is nearer the manufactory in regard to the cost of transportation than the French feldspar, only 100 miles distant. Such would not be the case if these 100 miles possessed water-carrying facilities or if feldspar were a perishable article. THE WATERWAYS OF FRANCE. France possesses an almost. perfect system of canals and rivers made navigable through deepened and trained channels and locks, affording uniform depths for navigation over great distances. But there are reasons that impede to a great extent river navigation and canal con- struction in France, elsewhere than in the basin of the Seine and its tributaries, and these reasons explain the remarkable decline of the Loire, Garonne, and Rhone water traffic and the increased activity of that on the Seine. ; The superiority of the Seine as a waterway is due to nature. Inthe contiguration of the country, in its geological composition, and in the rainfall its basin differs in important respects from other French river’ basins. The Seine and its affluents, excepting the Yonne, take their rise at low altitudes, and in their upper courses flow through permeable Cre- taceous strata that moderate their floods and regulate their flow. The affluents of the other great rivers of France—the Loire, Garonne, and Rhone—rise in the highest peaks and plateaus of the central _moun- tains, in the Pyrenees and Alps, and, rushing down steep slopes, of granite and other crystalline impermeable rocks, are naturally violent and irregular, The Loire at Roanne, the great manufacturing center of the Department of the’Loire and the highest point up the valley of the river to which a canal has been carried, varies in volume from 15 or 20 cubic meters (529 to 706 cubic feet) a second in dry weather to 6,000 or 7,000 cubic meters (211,878 to 247,212 cubic feet) after heavy rains. Lower down, at Orleans, its bed, though twice as wide as that 126 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. of the Seine at Paris, often contains at midsummer but half of the water of the latter, and in its worst floods the Loire between Orleans and Tours rolls a furious volume of from 8,000 to 10,000 cubic meters (282,525 to 353,316 cubic feet) a second. On the other hand, the ‘Seine flows under the bridges at Paris 250 cubic meters (8,829 cubic feet) a second, and at its highest floods seldom more than 2,000 cubic meters (70,632 cubic feet). The most turbulent of its tributaries, the Yonne, never throws into it, after the most persistent rains, more than 1,000 cubic meters (35,316 cubic feet) per second, and the floods of its two great affluents, owing to differences of slope, length, and soil, do not reach it at the same time. The Garonne and Rhone differ little, as compared with the Seine, from the Loire. The numerous points of juncture of the Seine with adjacent coun- tries sufficiently attest its superiority, being so numerous that. to describe them fully would require a volume. ROUEN AS A MARITIME PORT. For a river and maritime port no better place exists than where a long and steady volume of fresh water mingles with salt water, and Rouen is situated at such a point. Its distance of 65 miles from the sea in former times constituted an almost insurmountable obstacle to ships frequenting its port, and even now, when the lower Seine is sufficiently deep to admit vessels of heavy draft, sailing ships compose only 4 per cent of its total tonnage. These vessels are obliged to sup- port the expense of 20 to 40 cents per ton for pilotage in ascending and 15 to 25 cents in descending, while steamers, less hindered by the necessity, which lies upon every heavy-burdened vessel entering at Rouen, of timing its ascent and descent with the tide, have a great advantage, and can often come and go without pilotage. The quadrupling within the last twenty years of the registered ton- nage of shipping entering and leaving Rouen attests that the deepening of the channel called the lower Seine, leading from the port to the sea, has contributed as much to the development of the port as the projecting of its inland waterways, and that 5,000 vessels brought last year four times as much as the 3,805 vessels entering and clearing twenty years ago sufficiently affirms the difference of the class of vessels now frequenting this port. In 1880 a vessel drawing 16 feet hardly dared venture up the Seine at spring tides, while at present vessels drawing 23 feet, with cargoes of 3,000 to 5,000 tons, enter at neap tides. Nothing more conclusively shows the development of Rouen as a maritime port than the comparison of the points. from which vessels were and are now freighted direct for Rouen. Twenty- five years ago not a single vessel entered from the East, vessels from there chartered for this district discharging at Havre, while at present cargoes enter direct from Australia, from the western coast of Amer- ica, and from the South American republics. Briefly, in 1880 the majority of vessels entering at Rouen were coasters, while at présent 85 per cent of them are ocean-going vessels freighted direct for this port. ROUEN AS A REGIONAL PORT, Rouen is not only the maritime port. of its 160,000 inhabitants, it is the port of Elbeuf, with 50,000 inhabitants; Sotteville-les-Rouen, with EUROPE: FRANCE. 127 20,000; Darnetal, with 7,000; Petit-Quevilly, with 14,000; Caudebec- les-Elbeuf, with 50,000; Maromme, with 4,000; St. Etienne du Rouvray, with 6,000; Deville-les-Rouen, with 7,000, and others whose inhabitants amount to many thousands, all situated within a radius of 10 miles. Its accessibility to the coal fields of northern France and the English coal and iron fields has caused the gathering around it of numerous industries, which obtain their raw material through the maritime basin. Seagoing vessels enter here, but go no farther. Their cargoes by transshipment into lighters take advantage of the . unsurpassed river facilities, which reach every port of France and into neighboring countries. Rouen also separates lower Normandy from upper Normandy. All along the 65 miles to the ocean there is no crossing except by boat. The last bridge in descending the Seine is at Rouen, and the greater part of the communications of all the rich country between the city and the sea pass this way. IN DUSTRIES OF ROUEN. During 1908 and for the last six months local industries have for the most part been dull. a . Cotton industry.—It is strange that Rouen is preeminently a cotton- manufacturing district, while no Department of France grows the raw material, and it is a fact for study that raw cotton from the United States enters here and Rouennaise cotton cloth is sold in New York. No such goods, however, have been invoiced at this consulate for the last few months. Foragreat part of the time looms have been stopped two days in the week, and only a few days ago a radnutaciuner ht complained that ‘‘ your American speculation took advantage of a reported short crop.” The exceptionally bad weather of the summer of 1903 was also very unfavorable. On several occasions last year discontented cotton spinners and weavers came to the consulate asking for information concerning the cotton industry in the United States and the cheapest way to get there. Weaving in this district, in the Vosges and fhe Rhone, has never experienced such a crisis since 1870. anntyg.—Last year the small slaughter in South America occa- sioned an advance in price equaled only twice in the last twenty years. During the first months of this year the fabrication of leather in this vicinity suffered greatly, the work of the drying room being com- pletely suspended for weeks on account of the humid atmosphere. Raw hides, however, from some unaccountable reason, still maintained their normal price. . Chemicals.—Foreign importation continues despite the low local prices resulting from the competition brought about by the establish- ment of new plants and the struggle between the electric and the chemical processes. Considerable muriate of ammonia is shipped from this district to New York. The shipments of cobalt made some years ago have about ceased, Alcohol.—The crisis of this industry, brought about mostly by the law concerning the ‘‘bruilleurs de cru,” grows in intensity, and the great apple harvest of this year seems to increase the manufacture of cider rather than relieve the situation. Distillation of the beet root is not so much affected, but grain distillation is greatly diminishing, and at present rests under the oft-threatened increased tariff on wheat. ere > 128 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. IMPORTS AT ROUEN. Coal.—The imports of this article, which have doubled within the last eight years, were about the same last year as in 1902, the figures being 975,799 and 956,284 tons, respectively. England furnishes prac- tically all the coal entering here. In view of the proximity of the northern coal fields to this port, it would be natural for considerable French coal to be brought here, but the amount is no more than one- eighth of the total. If Rouen were dispossessed of ber excellent water transportation facilities, England would not enter one-half the coal she does. For instance, of the 975,799 tons cuming here last year, 674,816 tons were transshipped, seagoing vessels moored here discharging from one side onto the quay for Rouen consignment and at the same time unloading from the other side into lighters for canal delivery at Paris and other interior canal ports. .From a study of the conditions for the last few years, from the disappointed hopes of American exporters of coal who have entered it upon the Rouen quays only to have it reconsigned, from the still unsolved problem of cheap ocean transportation and the strikes in American coal fields, it appears that the American article will not enter France to any great extent, at least the northern part of it, until the lapse of the fifteen years given by French geological experts for the exhaustion of this country’s coal supply. Grain and flour.—The imports of grain and flour at Rouen for the last four years have been as follows: Entered by|Cleared’by Years. maritime fluvial basin. basin. Tons. Tons. 297, 885 158, 427 320, 852 951,314 159, 876 142; 766 124, 524 93) 621 The increased harvests of the last two years explain the great decrease of imports. That the clearances and entries are so nearly the same is due to the great agricultural resources of this district. An occasional cargo of American wheat enters here, but it is always con- signed inland. No corn from any country enters to any extent either this or any other French port. Virtually the French know nothing of corn. Grits and corn meal can not, with perhaps one or two excep- tions, be bought outside of Paris. Breakfast foods are unheard of, and no bread but the baker’s light bread, made of wheat, is eaten. Wine.—This is an important import at Rouen. Its course, includ- ing brandy, cider, beer, etc,, has been as follows in the last four years: Entered by} Cleared Years. maritime | by fluvial basin. basin. Tons. 258, 910 146, 009 187, 692 204, 575 EUROPE: FRANCE. 129 The wine entering here comes from Algeria, Bordeaux, and Spain— that from the latter country being used mostly for mixing with native wine to give body and color. Much of the wine that passes through Rouen to Paris, and other great centers for which Rouen is the most convenient terminal seaport, is French wine grown in the extreme south of France and embarked at Cette, Port Vendres, and Marseille. ve is free of customs duties, it is but natural that its import should e large. Lumber.—This office is in continual receipt of letters from the extreme southern and western parts of the United States asking as to the possibility of the introduction of hard-wood lumber in this district. They are all answered in the words of the largest wood and lumber dealer in Rouen, who remarked to me: ‘‘Tell them there is absolutely no market for it; but for pitch pine, yes.” For the last six years the imports of this article have ranged between 275,000 and 350,000 tons, about 10 per ceat of which is transshipped by the fluvial basin to Paris and ports of middle France. Most of the lumber enter- ing here comes from Norway, Sweden, Austria, and Russia. Petroleum.—W ith the exception of an occasional cargo of wheat and lumber, the United States enters nothing at Rouen by water except raw petroleum, but this comes in large quantities. The imports of this mineral at Rouen have increased steadily for the last fifteen years. They averaged between 45,000 and 50,000 tons annually for the four years previous to 1894, since which every year has shown a greater import than the year preceding. Last year 171,996 tons entered. The five refineries situated on the banks of the Seine at Rouen convert this oil into a French commercial necessity. The establishment of refineries in France is due to the higher tariff existing on refined than on raw oil. EXPORTS FROM ROUEN TO THE UNITED STATES. The principal exports from this consular district to the United States are paper stock, pulled rabbit skins, hatters’ fur, muriate of ammonia, and clarinets. The export of paper stock is greater than any other, for the reason that the principal industry of this section (woolen and cotton manufacturing) furnishes many thousands of pounds of new cuttings, wastes, thread, cotton-bale bagging, old ropes, etc., and in such a district there are, naturally, many rags gathered. The exports to the United States in the year ended June 30, 1904, were as follows: " Articles. Value. Articles. Value. Angora WOOl....-..2..2.-2cseeeceeeeeees $3, 669 || Hatters’ fur ........2..2.20020.2020-2e ee 35, 278 Brushes ......-2.-.--cee-e eee eee ener ee ree 799 || Household goods...........--..-------+ 781 Chloral .........---- as 400) ||| Mistletoe o.c ss 22 cccc0 as eecesicceseseseees 58 Church clocks ... see ts Muriate of ammonia........-.....-.--- 21,155 Clover seed .....- OCHO isa sies 2 sacisaeratcinn vatosisischusesicie et. 1, 898 Cobalt ......-..-- ste 1,867 || Paper stock ........ ---| 176,640 Clarinets ..........-.0.0--e eee ee eee e eens 17,876 |} Prepared bristles...............--002005 19, 648 Coney fur and waste...-......---------- 377 || Pulled rabbit skins..............------- 58, 571 Cotton goods.....-.------- Sie 6,560 |; Surrogate caoutchouc.... edaaens 4,129 Electrical appliances -.... orsie 2,086 || Toothbrushes ..............-.----2.+0-+ 313 BUNA pels oocccscecavsseen anes senesen 275 || Varnished leather....................-. 271 Fur-cutting machine 151 || Woolen goods .............-.-.02200+ 00: 7,296 H. Doce. 481, 58-3-—-9 130 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. AMERICAN GOODS IN ROUEN. Most American goods do not enter here direct, but come from Paris or Havre; they consist chiefly of radiators, typewriters, desks, dried “fruits, electrical appliances, sewing machines, and agricultural im- plements. : Besides the roll-top desk, which made its appearance two years ago, no other American furniture is to be found. The furniture magazines coming to this office seem to be appreciated by the dealers to whom they are handed, but when asked about trying a few pieces of Ameri- can furniture they shake their heads. The reason is plain. Their customers, and in fact all Frenchmen, fail to appreciate the poet’s happy medium. They are not the first by whom the new are tried, but rather the last to lay the old aside. The French consider French furniture superior in solidity to either the American or English, and though the French washstands may be clumsy, their chairs uncom- fortable, and their tables heavy, they endure. In furniture, as in everything else, a Frenchman does not buy a thing because it is cheap; he thinks rather of the service it may render his grandson or great- grandson. ; Agricultural implements are still being sold throughout this dis- trict, but their.sale is not what it might be were certain conditions fulfilled. Despite the small divisions of land, no field is more ‘“‘ripe unto the harvest.” Many American implements are unsold because the agriculturist of this country does not know their use. More American plows will come this way when the French farmer is thor- oughly convinced that a single plow, always put to the left-of a row in going and to the right in coming, is much easier both for man and horse than the heavy, unwieldy, double moldboard and double right- and-left-hand plow that necessitates turning down or over at the end of every row, presumably for no other reason than that one row must be finished before another is begun. The American manufacturer who turns his plows over toa French agent can not expect this agent, a manufacturer himself, to insist upon the merits of the American make to the detriment of his own. Articles virtually unknown here are lanterns, modern spring win- dow shades, corn meal and grits, rock crushers, barbers’ chairs, laundry machinery, bath cabinets, lightning rods, chewing gum, and rocking chairs. American manufacturers often make the mistake of thinking that Paris is France. Less expensive markets can often be found else- where in this country. This consular district lacks scores of conven- iences and comforts essential to American civilized life, which could be furnished this country at noncompetitive prices, but not by means of circulars, catalogues, and ornamental agents. If intelligent personal work were done in Normandy it would pay, but it will take a great many years to reach this market by means of an agent in a showy office at Paris. The same conditions pret in this consular district as throughout France. Rouen, the old capital of Normandy, and a city of intense historical interest, where art is king, has not made any great advance commercially. Interest on fortunes made generations ago supplies ue luxurious desires that industry and commerce supply in many other places, EUROPE: FRANCE. 131 NAVIGATION. The movement of the port for last year shows an increase. There entered 1,600 vessels, with 1,983,351 tons of merchandise, while 251,671 tons of merchandise left. In 1902 there entered 1,611 vessels, with 1,881,591 tons of merchandise, while 221,658 tons left; being an auginentation of 49 vessels and 101,760 tons, ‘‘a result sufficiently sat- isfactory,” remarks the chamber of commerce, ‘‘for ordinary times,” and adding in regard to the 30,014 tons increase in exports, ‘‘a good figure considering the almost totalabsence of the exportation of sugar.” ROUBAIX. [FRom ConsuUL W. P. ATWELL, ROUBAIX, FRANCE, AUGUST 26, 1904.] TRADE REVIEW. The past year in Roubaix-Tourcoing, although not exceptionally prosperous, may be regarded as having been satisfactory. Business was more active in 1903 than during 1902, and 1902 registered an improvement over 1901. The most striking feature of 1903 was the increase in the price of raw material, particularly in the cotton market. This condition of affairs naturally influenced the various industries in the manufacture of this article. : WOOL AND WOOLENS. The wool market has shown little change, the combers and spinners having confined their purchases as a whole to actual and immediate needs, preferring to make frequent purchases rather than buy in a speculative market. The amount of combed wool showed a great fall- ing off during the fiscal year, there having been 137,315,741 pounds in 1902-3 against 124,489,375 in 1903-4. aste wools also showed a decrease; 29,426,502 in 1902-3 against 23,982,990 pounds in 1903-4. Clearances through conditioning houses are shown in the following table: CLEARANCES THROUGH CONDITIONING HOUSES FOR THE YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 1904. [Notr.—Kilo=2.2046 pounds.] Roubaix. Tourcoing. Months. Combed Waste : Combed Waste wool Yarns, wool. Cotton. | Silk. wool. Yarns. wool. Cotton. Kilos, Kilos. Kilos. | Kilos. | Kilos.| Kilos. Kilos. Kilos. | Kilos. DULY, sawassacies 2, 284,688} 682,770) 79,682} 260,323) 7,053] 1,781,841) 516,556) 549,482] 272,059 August ......... 2,329,611} 652,153} 159,123) 252,639) 5,775) 2,088,363} 447,242! 735,991) 280,116 September...... 2,481,525] 655,147) 193,110) 245,569) 5,610] 2,245,696] 479,957} 874,357| 279,291 Octgber......... 2,912,933} 749,550) 190,506] 278,129) 6,724) 2,138,690} 501,434] 978,160} 231,637 November ...... 2,376, 247| 670,455) 90,379) 289,042) 3,588) 1,614,609} 414,430) 786,063 346,589 165, 550) 307,610) 3,827) 1,764,865} 439,122) 704,213) 358, 542 160,975] 276,312) 4,300] 2,162,615) 460,698] 784,617| 309,052 179,361; 370,951) 3,526) 1,670,571] 477,886) 679,513) 317,140 230,513) 364,218) 2,466) 2,243,757] 514,588) 768, 887| 313,542 167,524) 364,682) 2,205) 1,552,440} 363,416] 564,370) 215,425 207,834) 254,499) 2,140) 1,642,139} 421,498} 678,316] 232,716 188, 286} 254,899) 1,833) 2,092,763) 458,443} 761,801] 237, 634 Total kilos... .|31, 210, 405} 8, 233, 16412, 012, 84313, 518, 873] 49, 047/22, 938, 339| 5, 495, 270| 8, 865, 720|3, 398, 743 Total lbs...... 68, 806, 459/18, 150, 833]4, 437, 51/7, 757, 708/108, 128150, 569, 115/12, 114, 872/19, 545, 366|7, 481, 844 132 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. CLEARANCES THROUGH VONDETTONING HOUSES FOR THE YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 1904— ontinued. Fourmies. Le Cateau. Months. | Gompea Soubed _ ffotal kilos,| Total eae Yarns. |~SMSo1, | Yarns. | Cotton. | Silk. pounds, Kilos. Kilos. Kilos. Kilos. Kilos. Kilos. IMLY esacesesaciveis 127,740} 338, 020 1, 328] 104, 905) 7, 560 68} 6,974,025) 15, 374, 985 August.........- 149,029} 342, 040).......... 90, 916 7, 891 120] 7,491,010} 16,514, 658 September ...-.. 198, 024 49) 8,145,787] 17, 958, 092 October ... --| 159,196 35) 8, 718, 328) 19, 209, 402 November 146, 317 11) 7,287,778; 16, 066,635 December. 119, 596 119} 7,748, 246} 17, 081,782 January... 218, 565 41} 8,338,874) 18, 383, 881 February 193, 076 107| 7,581,852) 16,714, 950 March... 269, 282 315) 8, 931,986] 19, 691, 457 April. 316, 730 430} 6,951, 675) , 820, 663 May.. 170, 091 254) 7,697,589) 16,970, 105 JUNE cessserciexe 282, 692 231) 8,179,212) 18, 031,890 Total kilos ....] 2,295, 338] 4, 491, 650 20, 928) 1, 006, 328 57, 903} 1,780] 94,041, 331)..........-. Total Ibs ...... 5, 060, 302] 9, 902, 290 46,137| 2,218,551) 127,652 B) G24 cressietcietnsasis 207, 323, 520 DRESS GOODS. The depression in the manufacture of dress goods continues. Orders for the foreign market have been confined to current needs and a lim- ited variety of styles; here and there a manufacturer of some specialty in fancies has done well. It is estimated that not over one-half the looms in this district have been in full operation during the year. Manufacturers have made great sacrifices in order to keep their employees at work, knowing that prolonged curtailment brings great suffering to operatives. It is an unfortunate fact that the woolen mills in this district are more than able to supply the markets that are now open to them. Exports of dress goods to the United States showed an increase of $70,257 over last year. COTTON. The cotton industry while not fully meeting early promises of growth shows a favorable development. Spinners who purchased stocks of raw material before the rise in the market were able to work with regularity. Five modern mills have been built during the year, two spinning and three weaving, and many improvements Rave been made in old mills. There has been an increase of about 180,000 spindles. UPHOLSTERY GOODS. The manufacture of upholstery goods and table covers, particularly in low-priced articles, has been quite active. Statistics in this consu- late denote a decrease in exports of this class of goods to the United States during the past year of $40,543. These figures can not be relied upon as showing the volume of exports to the United States, however, as manufacturers in this district ship large quantities through Paris agents. DYEING AND FINISHING. Dyers and finishers in raw material, as well as in piece goods, have not been steadily employed. The greater part of the year they have worked on short time and have often shut down on Saturdays. EUROPE: FRANCE. 133 METALLURGY. The situation in this industry for the past year has been depressed and unsatisfactory. It may be regarded as an extremely dull year, fifty hours comprising the average working week. Boiler makers and coppersmiths have been the most actively em- ployed. Locomotive and engine makers, through the cutting competi- tion of foreign firms, have been obliged to accept greatly reduced prices. In order to keep their plants working they have engaged, also, in repairs, which, in ordinary times, they would have left to smaller concerns. AGRICULTURE. In spite of the damp weather that persisted until late in the spring the crops of the past year were fairly good. The wheat yield was almost equal to that of the previous year, and oats yielded 7 hun- dredweight more to the acre. The beet-root crop was somewhat less than usual, but fairly good prices were obtained. The failure of the fruit crop caused growers to fal back on foreign markets, principally the United States and Canada. California oranges and grape fruit were seen in the market of this district for the first time. STRIKES. The Millerand labor Jaw, reducing the labor day to ten hours, went into full effect April 1, 1904. Operatives immediately demanded an increase in pay equivalent to the loss entailed by shorter hours. They made other demands also with regard to the abolition of fines, restric- tion of the power of foremen, and, in fact, sought to impose conditions that would have ruined manufacture in this district. Manufactures almost unanimously granted the increase in wages but refused other demands. This was a signal for a general strike, which had been declared prematurely in October, 1903. After six weeks of agitation in the spring the operatives were glad to accept the increase granted and to resume work under old conditions. At present there is but one strike in progress, that of a carpet factory in Tour- coing. A dangerous feature resulting from the late strikes is the increase in the number of unions among unskilled workmen. It is an unfortunate fact that older unions of skilled workmen show too great readiness to support the former in unreasonable demands upon their employers. DMIGRATION. A large number of skilled workmen have left this district for the United Sintes during the past year, but it is impossible to state the figures. The Red Star, Cunard, and Hamburg-American lines have opened special offices in Roubaix for the sale of emigrant tickets. NEW INDUSTRIES. Notwithstandiug the bad condition of trade, several new mills are being built in Roubaix and vicinity. Three of their number are to be weaving sheds and two for the spinning of cotton. 134 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. A new hospital with accommodation for one thousand beds, the funds for which were raised by popular subscription, is now being ‘built in the suburbs of Roubaix. It is constructed according to latest sanitary principles and furnished with all the scientific apparatus required in first-class institutions of this kind. A poultry farm upon the American model has just been started at Walters, in this district. AMERICAN MACHINERY. The opening still exists for all kinds of American machinery such as labor-saving tools; steam, gas, and oil engines; hardware; type- writers; cash registers; desks; and office supplies; farming imple- ments; stoves; dried and canned fruits; cereals; motor cars; and bicy- cles. There are also special opportunities for the sale of brick-making machinery in this consular district, in fact throughout all France. Great attention should be paid to the packing of goods for export, nickeled pieces should be packed apart, as the duty on nickel is heavy and shall any be found with other parts of machinery the whole may be taxed at the rate imposed on nickel. Parts liable to break should also be packed separately and in such a way as to prevent their shift- ing in transport. Weights and measures as well as prices should be stated according to those in use in the country for which the goods are intended. COAL. In spite of the several strikes in the mining district, which were of short duration, there was a general increase in the production of coal, coke, and patent fuel, as will be seen by the annexed table. There is just the same number of pits as during previous years: The increase is said to be due to improved tools, in the use of which coal miners of this district are now becoming very expert. Most of these tools are of American manufacture. PRODUCTION OF COAL, COKE, AND PATENT FUEL. Coal. Coke. Patent fuel. Names of mines. 1903. 1902. |Increase.| 1903. 1902. |Increase.} 1903. | 1902. | Increase. : Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. | Tons. Tons. Tons. | Tons. Tons. Auzin .......--. 3,136,480 [2,710,015 | 426,465 | 234,850 |218, 361 21, 489 |245, 270 |218, 048 27, 222 Aniche ......... 1,376, 657 |1,158,708 | 216,949 | 202,306 |168, 050 34, 256 |188, 440 |155, 165 28,275 Douchy......... 382, 6 344, 615 38,008 | 185,749 |118, 433 LY, BLG || asain aincasecolte canteens [naires cw aie Vicoigne ....... 131,905 | 110,785 21,120 Crespin.. . 78, 533 78, 140 393 |... Marly 24, 674 12,180 12,494 |... Agincour 127,025 | 108, 563 18, 462 Thivencelt 146,497 | 124,916 21,581 thsi ecyeia l rere aaegcys Escarpelle ....-. 779,414 | 659,826 | 119,588 55, @17, 393 FlineslésRaches| 141,012 | 122,650 18, 362 |... 38, 006 4, 218 Ostricourt.......|....----cce|eceeeeeeeeleneeeeenee 58, 790 11, 820 Total .....| 6,323,820 |5, 430,398 | 893,422 | 693,503 /591,482 | 102,021 |579, 971 |525, 829 71, 585 a Decrease. EUROPE: GERMANY. FOREIGN COMMERCE OF ROUBAIX. IMPORTS IN 1903. 135 Articles. Value. Articles. Value. Butter sve sccoaceespeairsinen tesa 213,490 || LEI BG? vs cvcawawaxas ceveauaanaesa eee $2, 005, 270 Cereals: sicciccicssemcaisnncatwes eee seta 5,818, 985 || Machinery ................-. 2, 583, 125 CHO GSC ic ire: s ceisysins Sica cle eeeie ees Saiearantae 1,075,010 || Manganese.................2 935, 664 Chemicals. 26-20. sere~sscevsoeescese Nitrate of soda ................ 7,790, 062 ChICOPY as sssecceeeesmeceenesed ses enan 1,010, 069 C08) ccisiasieis easy svesenseseaxesde asec 1, 181, 366 Copper. 10, 688, 340 Cotton . 85, 4 Cotton tissues 1, 332, 655 Dyes ... 1, 274, 572 Fertil 1, 217, 956 Pak escccscsc 201, 106 Plax: Cisse sec osc.ssesaicieotsners secisce 5 249, 456 GLOASE sciisciesiesgtcciswnietiiaionaceciadeege 330, 609 |) Silk tissues . 36, 991 OH ce cee s na tegeoeeeeaceeeeeseweees 282,002], TOONS wei eisivie sieresastis bie aie nite aeeinins 1, 080, 800 Hemp: csccsaeeecs weeds oats 1, 261,677 || Wool and waste .............-. 45, 267, 597 Hid C8 recs seceveeesaieseseusmsas teeeeess 2,054,485 || Wool tissues...........-.------ 231, 986 HOPS os snce sesce nities sdcmoneecaionsien 110,975 |} Yarns of all kinds........... 1, 045, 876 India rubber..........-....--2-2-..--- TY, 492: |b ZAM Cs o:eca:nsrssniaerereeieneeeture avian 1, 548, 086 Tron and steel.............--..-----26- 1, 243, 306 || All other articles....................- 12, 417, 375 SMLC aetna stubeeamcerecaenicesesenicas 4, 309, 304 ——_——. Thea Gia ccscicecaedeeeneuincdtiuntmesinctcedass 728,174 DOC casoiaisns x cicsatslsssiniatnioralessisislavsle wie 127, 295, 182 EXPORTS IN 1903. EBPAD 6 oja's,aisacaiesiaencrenmemees -Sudeaaee $168, 003: |] OUG: oe os cue canniscccsanie semaicaaacemincte $466, 674 Cereal esses csermnedacseecete secu eendeae 1, 282, 584 |) Oil cake.............22222-20-- 108, 080 CHOC8C x sears cecewsastendassncsaa se cae 29D,.72D: ||| PADOD oisca aiccncencwavrwaciem eee « 408, 477 Chem Cals nici cncraisenieseenaaeerecsscce 1, 605, 561 || Pottery.............2.02---20.- 1, 229, 064 CHICOLY? 2 recizisececem ae siisecewst tencinet 301, 852 || Potash .............2.2.2-2---- 32, 262 GOD sis ciciatcin sia sisriaieredcwiseimectianaciexe pe’ 298, 957 || Seeds for sowing ............-- 98, 745_. COPPOY 2 saseev esse ss cccgeeexcacscsuees 312,139 |) Silk tissues ...............2.... 112, 098 Cottons ces. seepescsses oexigiasssreckoses 1, 631, 429 || Spirits and liquors .........- 166,173 Cotton tissues.....-.-....---------+--- 1,587,232 || Starch o5.0-.0. 2202s cee ccene ce 441, 391 Flax, combed .......-.-.----------.--- 906, 328 || Sugar...........4.2-.-2222-200- 3, 981, 976 WAX FISSUCS «ose seg ere ee seis sceieievsis csitin 527,842 || Tools.............2--2---- 220 e- 4,716,727 GICASC es ccbaes ied weeds tine secon acta 465, 902 || Upholstery goods............ 1, 478, 694 AOAT eianwiancacecn 28 dietwees veredet tens 55, 254 || Wool, combed.........-....- 21, 502, 237 Hides ........ --| 1,366,607 || Wool tissues............-..-- 4, 545, 864 India rubber. 596, 565 || Wool yarns. 2,993, 910 iron and steel 218, 573 ANG oe cr Europe: | RN S8l@issincewsueevewece ses ; one wheat flour, india rubber, hides, copper, copra, $21, 883, 501 cotton. Sweden | Coffee, wheat, nitrate, hides, cotton 18, 648, 014 Norway Coffee, wheat’ flour, woolens.......... 15, 322, 240 Denmark. ..--| Coffee, wheat, barley, maize, margarine, whe r 15, 017, 322 linseed, copra. United Kingdom......-. Sugar, eggs, woolens, glassware, ironware, machinery,| 112, 497, 589 pianos. Netherlands............. Cocoa, sugar, coffee, tobacco, meat, hides, cocoanut oil... 8, 655, 282 Belgium...........-----. Bead): hides, wO0llecces2c sisiecateareccaee tawus.saiterecsncnc: 6, 599, 902 BYANCE sc ccesccec ccs secess Tobacco, meat, zinc, Abraum salts......... . 5, 822, 827 Spain... .-.-..| Nitrate, iron goods, machines............... & 7, 894, 738 POTBUGA! siasccinie occ cect ' SUPAX; MACHINES «0:01 aiscsisis ecus oes ete ns 3 5, 122, 522 Italy and Malta ......... . Dried fish, iron, machines ................ a 38, 484, 334 Austria-Hungary ......... Coffee, tea, cocoa .......---2---22-2-2-2-- = 2, 369, 502 Greeté...2225 se:ess2s --| Cottons, iron goods, iron.........-.--- é 974, 446 Roumania........... --: Palm oil, iron goods, coffee... 629, 429 Bulgaria-Servia ......... Cottons, iron goods, iron........--..--...--. 2 375, 933 European Turkey ‘ Cottons, woolens, iron goods, iron, cartridges............- 3, 518, 516 TOtAVOLMUTORC: actc4 oe cance ae eeayeee aide Sete ee Rama Oe Ree een ERR ROR EROS, 227, 766, 100 North America: British North America ..} Sugar, furs, ee isis eae staia alate lis nardvcicravinn inte lata iateinictatesepeyerait 3, 785, 211 United States............ Cement, india rubber, hides, skins, furs, abraum salts, . wool, ‘cottons, linens, hosiery, porcelain, toys..----..--. 58, 185,101 MCXICO s secwecesesee exes Cottons, hosiery, glassware, iron goods, machineés......... 8,004, 292 Totalto North ADM Gal. 2 ac.cauiiss se uowenmes saeoe ue Teg wieeetuieaeeatcaciecex . 69, 924, 604 Central America and West Indies: Guatemala .............- Sacks, cottons, iron goods.....-.. 2.222. --.ee ee ee eee eee eee 368, 591 Other Central America..| Leather, sacks, rice, cottons...-......- eal 1, 308, 262 Porto Rico....-....------ Iron goods, pottery, meats, beer ....-.. sa 197, 735 St. Thomas Iron goods, beer, cartridges ..........- its 311, 844 Rice, iron goods, hosiery ............ if 283, 858 23, Rice, beer, cheese, hats 531, 075 “ Rice, beans, hosiery, paper, i iron good 2, 380, 307 Rice, butter, cottons....-. z 179, 226 B Nitrate, sugar, furniture WS cud sets série, “| 590, 283 Total to Central Amer- | ......... 002. c0ceceeeceeeeeecceeececeecceeeseeceeseeseeeeens | 6,151,181 ica and West Indies. ——<————— South America: Colombia.............--- Rice, sugar, woolens, cottons, ironware ...............--- 2,601, 011 Venezuela... -| Cottons, rice, butter ........++400:22202<0<06 1, 977, 447 Brazil .... -| Rice, dried fish, jute yarns, cottons, iron goods. 17, 241, 632 UMgUay asses ee ea Sugar, cottons, hosiery Deusiowaecedaesemeeieuces 3, 184, 320 aoe Republic .....} Cottons, baggings, hosiery, iron goods, machines . sre 12, 508, 082 LINDE cestScisrouz ss eseteisidcwitan Cottons, woolens, iron goodS............2.2..-eeeee eee eee 796,117 Chile Seema daatemetaiiant Hosiery, paper, glassware, iron goods, machines, ord- 9, 157, 393 nance, Ironware, hosiery, cottons, woolens ............-.-..----- ‘ 2, 388, 563 se Cottons, hosiery, woolens, ironware .. aes 1, 042, 764 Other South American |.........0.0.0cccceccecececccaccescacesssssesetsstcsesesees 220, 257 countries. or Total to BOE HA IOT = tlh see oop en nyc tae ha arse lees hen tory ca eer | 51, 562, 586 ica. —————— Africa: . Egyit, TIpOli...oweceaes Oottons, ronware, iron, Machines .......... n.<..0nr 5.05! 2, 467, 215 Tunis, Algiers, and Mv- | Cottons, tea, rifles.........--.2...--2 02-2 - eee eee eee Bissssned 658, 134 Tocco. West Coast ........-.---- Cottons, beer, iron goods, tobacco, cigarettes, liquors 9, 004, 899 British South Africa. ....| Cottons, machines pianos, furniture, iron goods...... 28 10, 098, 447 East African Islands. Cottons, POOP csc wacwrenvnaeegisisesscnee seme cise aremmye ne ned 864 East Coast...-.. «| Cottons; beer, sugar. «:-ss20ce..405 eso-eeas oeeeeaceees extins 4,395, 629 TO tal ACTOR csc atc,ciai|esajaie saris grsisisfa daydaiaieisiaiaieiane o@logieds faide cates wie Hel seicwas cemacciree 26, 763, 688 Asia: oe ee Asiatic Turkey .......-.-- Trot, cottons, iron goods, machines, sugar .......-......- 1, 826,112 British East India....... Woolens, cottons, iron goods, locomotives, locomobiles . 10, 808, 587 Singapore .....- --| Iron goods, hosiery, cottons .........------+-0--2--2+-2-+- 1} 916, 585 Siam .........-- .-| Cottons, railroad cars..-......-.-..--.-- es 748, 115 Dutch East India : Cottons, woolens, glassware, ironware ....... ni ‘Ly 635, 105 Philippines. ..--.- .-| Iron goods, sewing machines, glassware, cottons......... , 413, CBING sosescisccevecenst Cottons, woolens, sugar, paper, iron goods, cartridges, 11, 675, 952 aniline colors. JAPAN .. 20-22-22 cence eee Sugar, wool, woolens, woolen yarns, paper.....--...-..-- 8, 449, 750 H. Doe. 481, 58-3——11 162 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. EXPORTS FROM HAMBURG IN 1903—Continued. en, Whither exported. Principal articles exported to each country. Value. Asia—Continued. Russian in Asia ......... Tron goods, machines, iron ...-.-.--- wists $2, 232, 480 Other Asia ....._. ies 360, 951 Total to Asia saps ores Sy 5) Skene Ssh gb 51 uw faus SesSin lens Sts Sea psiO cs ales S/S BISStRIE meet Phaneistay ley 41, 067, 143 Australia and Polynesia: : Australasia....-...-.-.-- Paper, iron goods, machines, pianos, toys...--.....-----+ 5, 589, 685 New Zealand .--| Pianos, ironware, woodware, machines .......--.-.....-- 1, 304, 826 Polynesia ..............- Abraum salts, ironware, beer. cottons, pianos.......-.... Potel $0 AUSraE ONG. |ancevynscneks bree edeens mes eoed ag oye eve ceverlouracey>anuunaes 7,531, 015 Polynesia: ——_—— Re itulation: ee Cie ates Se Baayataara selene ai caer Matin trier Meenas inion ad, Seaman name: 227, 766, 100 North America.....-..-.-.-.-2.-2----- 69, 924, 604 Central America and West Indies..... 6, 151, 181 South America 51, 562, 586 Africa ............ 26, 762, 688 ASl oles oie an cteraceass 41, 067, 143 Australia and Polynesia. 7, 531, 015 TU sachsische eciclns eclentneelsin slats pices saleable cao 430,765, 317 LUMBER. Business in general was quite satisfactory. Sales were effected at favorable prices, but there is still ample room for improvement. Imports from the United States decreased considerably. Maple.—The imports and sales of maple logs were small, and prices remained unchanged. Occasional imports will, undoubtedly, be readily disposed of. Oak.—Business in American oak decreased considerably and the demand was comparatively small. German wood is preferred here to the American product. Cut woods were in constant demand, and favorable prices were paid. Almost no squares and parquet strips were imported. Ash.—The imports were larger than in the preceding years; sales were lively, and stocks on hand at the end of the year were small. flickory.—The imports of American hickory again showed an increase, and prices were favorable. Only small quantities remained unsold at the end of the year. TOBACCO. The imports of tobacco into Hambure in 1902 and 1903 were as follows: , : r JImported from—- | 1902. 1903. Imported from— | 1902. 1903. a | Packages. | Packages. Packages. silat 200 Habana ..........2.2...-. 17,000 20,000 || Paraguay ................ 00 Waleieccmniee sic aie aatt 5, 300 2,000 |] Mexico 0.27220 227 2722177 5,000 4, 600 CUDE ewcwse cia smconnesiane 400 41, 000 89, 000 Domingo ................. 96, 000 co aa ae] Sag MEER Wott) OLOMI DIR... 22sec cee ene 7 Cumana, ele....2-.2.... 2. "30 Gen aaa Broa sccisoce: « sy ween 268, 000 ! 49, 000 62, 000 EUROPE: GERMANY. 163 COTTON. On account of the rich East Indian crop, of which large quantities are always exported to Hamburg, the local market had the largest imports of cotton ever recorded, viz, 562,218 bales in comparison with 382,817 in 1902. Business was very lively throughout the year, aaah in the Indian product, which, on account of proportionately ow prices, seems to be preferred here to American cotton. The following quantities were imported in 1903: Whence imported. | - Bales. } Whence imported. Bales. it United States ......-...--2-22.2--222---- 185, 470 || Egyptian and Levantine -............-. 14, 465 RPA ZIAD soos oso orerernseirssar aicrne gerd niin Soca 2,069 |). Bast Indian 2.0002 occs2accese sco seas 245, 139 Venezuelan and West Indian.. eiaie 1,448 |) Miscellaneous............-..----.....-. 11, 444 POMVION ccc cecewessccs sews ss 1, 828- poeeanirtiatias ATTICA siirciccreidinta steals heteiciaralaretealsiclalzneieeessé 370 TOGA a eccicsajecencesseseegemeeerss 562, 218 LARD. The imports of American steam lard were 453,000 tierces in 1903, 410,000 in 1902, 485,000 in 1901, and 505,000 in 1900. NAVIGATION. The situation in the freight market continued visibly depressed throughout the year 1903, the slight improvement observable during the first months of the year being of short duration. The Hamburg- American Line did a good passenger business, particularly emigrants, with the Uniied States. Apparently, however, emigration is decreas- ing considerably since the immense rush of last year. On account of low freight rates, sailing vessels and tramp steamers—the number of which so considerably increased in the last few years—-were almost unable to sécure cargoes sufficient even to warrant the cost of voyage alone, much less to pay interest or yield a profit sufficient for the clearing of accounts. MERCHANT MARINE OF HAMBURG. Steamships, Total sail and steam. On January 1— Net regis- Net regi gis- Number. | tered tons, | Number. | tered tons. DOs i wrcencacimnn te toumasedadadeeirenedeldueuss Sans dad ances 436 637, 406 725 856,716 . 486 748, 435 793 988, 854. 531 843, 921 864 1, 086, 686 567 918, 940 914 1,174,113 598 | 984,075 972} 1, 245, 685 164 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. ENTRANCES AND CLEARANCES AT HAMBURG. The traffic in the port of Hamburg in 1903 again shows an increase, the largest this port has ever seen: Steamships. Total sail and steam. Years. Registered tons. Registered Trips. tons. Trips. ENTRANCES, 13,312 | 7,765, 950 13}102 | 8, 087, 514 13,386 | 7,779,707 13,109 | 8,050,159 12,893 | 8,351,817 13,296 | 8,704’ 869 14,073 | 9,221 MAINZ. [From ConsuL WALTER SCHUMANN, MAINZ, GERMANY, AUGUST 9, 1904.] RIVER TRANSPORTATION. The total freight arriving in the harbor of Mainz and cee therefrom during the year 1903 was as follows: Arriving from an departing for the sea and lower Rhine ports—arriving, 247,652 tons; departing, 58,587 tons. Arriving from and departing for the upper Rhine ports—arriving, 49,570 tons; departing, 5,363 tons. WINE GROWING AND WINE TRADE, The vintage of 1903 was satisfactory, for although the quality may not range above a ‘‘ good middle,” the quantity harvested was over half a crop in all places and a full crop in some. The following table shows the value of the declared exports of wine from this consular district to the United States: 1904, first Classes. 1902. 1903. fg months. tH WANG 3 we ceeaxcteasiacie. aeveansin's nae tia bs RY Bis isacstainsiRmemeteane jan eee tee $747, 634 | $828,716 | $391, 285 Sparkling wine. :ajicaci9 326 tasnsemetiainsies nee emmerh eee eecwians manent cle t.| 38, 616 40, 105 19, 536 otal cick aqacesieins tacts as 2a! sceetlscliad Sica belislongs saenene za ce 786,250 | 868,821 | 410,821 HOP TRADE. The market remained firm throughout the year 1903. For the first six months the ie averaged $30 per 110 pounds for best quality, and in July and August this price was increased by about $7.50, at which price the entire stocks on hand were bought up. The new Ger- man crop was satisfactory in quality and quantity, about 517,000 hun- dredweight having been harvested. At the beginning of September EUROPE: GERMANY. 165 prices averaged about $35 per 110 pounds, but rapidly advanced to $45 and $47. By the end of October, Tomerer. prices had again dropped toabout $40. Germany’sexports of hops from September 1 to Decem- ber 31, 1903, amounted to 134,037 hundredweight. MANNHEIM. [From ConsuL H. W. Harris, MANNHEIM, GERMANY, JANUARY 6, 1905.] e INDUSTRIAL CONDITIONS. A recently published summary of local business conditions for the year 1904, as reported by the Chamber of Commerce of Mannheim, has received considerable notice through the press of other localities, the Mannheim chamber being widely known as one of the best organized commercial bodies in south Germany. Reference is made to Germany’s increased foreign trade; to the larger railway earnings by the railways of Baden; to the reduction in the number of business failures during the year; to the improved con- dition of the labor market, and to the very marked tendency toward the forming of syndicates and other combinations. Uncertainty is expressed as to the ultimate result of this tendency upon the welfare of the industrial classes as a whole. Comparison of trade conditions in 1904 with those of the preceding year in most cases show improvement. In a few cases the reverse 18 true. The summary shows, in the main, a somewhat unsatisfactory condition of manufacturing, owing to several causes, among which are low prices of products due to overproduction and excessive com- petition, unsettled commercial relations with other nations, high prices of raw materials, and the somewhat disturbing influence of the war in the East. General depression is noted in nearly all branches of the tool and machine trade, including railway supplies, electrical machinery, and steel castings. The builders of steam and electric cranes, freight loading and conveying machinery, report considerable demand for this class of machines, but at low prices. The same is noted of agri- cultural implements. Builders of small portable engines and steam thrashers report a fairly satisfactory year with a falling off of the export trade to Russia, due to the war. In plate-glass manufacture improvement is noted in both demand and price. Wood-pulp manufacturers report a busy year, with in- creased export trade, especially to the United States. A like condi- tion is noted of the large rag and paper material industry centered at Mannheim. The American and English demand for this class of goods is referred to as difficult to supply. Wall-paper production has been large, but at low prices. ; Leather manufacture has suffered a considerable period of depres- sion, due in part to the increased price of hides without a correspond- ing increase in the price of leather. The textile industry, of somewhat minor importance in this locality, reports a decided improvement. 166 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. In gas engines and automobile manufacture a large volume of busi- ness is reported, but at unsatisfactory prices. The Benz automobile factory report their product sold for several months in advance. Cigar and tobacco manufacture, of which Mannheim is the most important inland center in Germany, shows some improvement after several years of depression. Prices remain somewhat unstable and overproduction is noted. Improvement is noted in the Portland cement industry, due in part to trade agreements between the factories and an increased domestic trade. Exports of cement to the United States show a falling off owing to the development of the industry in that country. The milling industry is noted as somewhat unsatisfactaqry, due to fluctuations in the price of grain during the year and to other causes. The chemical industry, as a whole, reports a fairly favorable year, with considerable complaint as to prices. In some branches of this manufacture, of which Mannheim is one of the most important, if not the most important center of Germany, the influences of severe com- petition have been felt. The increased cost of raw material has increased the cost of manufacture. Several factories have had an added trade, due to furnishing materials required in the war. The brewing industry, including that of malt manufacture and the manufacture of brewing appliances, is reported as unfavorable. The high price of barley, fuel, and other supplies is cited as one of the causes. Overproduction is cited as another. The trade in lumber and other building materials has been affected by the considerable falling off in the number of buildings under con- struction during the year. INDUSTRIAL COMBINATIONS. During no period in the history of German manufacturing has there been more careful study of business conditions at large and more effort to meet these conditions than during the past twelve months. Combinations of capital and trade agreements between heretofore com- peting concerns have been formed with much publicity and frank admissions as to the necessity of such combinations and the part they seem destined to play in the future of manufactures and cormmerce. The recently formed trade agreement between the three great aniline color works of Germany—the Badische Anilin and Soda Fabrik of Ludwigshafen in the Mannheim district, the Aktiengesellschaft fir Anilinfabrikation in Berlin, and the Elberfelder Fabriken vormals Friedrich Bayer & Co., of Elberfeld—may be viewed as a marked illus- tration of such combination of interests among great concerns, each of which has been eminently successful, and with no apparent danger of injurious competition or overproduction, as in the case of the Port- land cement and other industries. This agreement among the color works is said to be but a forerunner of similar agreements in other branches of the chemical industry. Like influences in banking have brought about several consolida-, tions and mutual agreements which will doubtless tend to give added stability to a branch of business notably well managed in most parts of Germany. ‘ Department stores are rapidly increasing in the principal cities, and area tendency toward consolidation and expansion that is unmis- takable. EUROPE: GERMANY. 167 TECHNICAL AND COMMERCIAL SCHOOLS. The interest in technical and commercial schools for the training of both sexes in practically every branch of skilled labor shows a con- stant tendency to increase. The demand for such schools comes from all classes, especially from large employers of labor. Besides the well-known technical high school at Carlsruhe, with an enrollment of from 1,300 to 1,500 pupils, and the chemical and other scientific departments of the university at Heidelberg, there are in this dis- trict engineering schools, commercial schools, a school for sailors, for iocomotive and stationary engine firemen, and for tree culture. COMMERCIAL AND TRADE STATISTICS. Reports of chambers of commerce and trade publications show a continuation of that intelligent study of foreign markets and their demands in which Germany stands preeminent among continental nations. No other nation has at easy reach such a mass of valuable information about the trade requirements of other parts of the world. AMERICAN MACHINERY FOR GERMAN INDUSTRIES. To improve and to advance may be taken as the watchwords of Ger- man manufacturing. The Mannheim district is noted for its varied industries, its foreign trade, and the up-to-date equipment of manufac- turing plants. If in some cases the manufacturer seems conservative and slow to abandon old machinery and processes, it is seldom due to the fact that he does not know the advantage of improved machinery. He may find that with lower wages he is justified in retaining machinery that would not suffice in an American factory. There are notable instances in the district where wholly new machinery has been installed at large expense. One of the largest Portland cement factories in ’ Germany is near Mannheim, and is fitted throughout with rotary fur- naces of the American pattern. Modern milling machinery is found in the large flouring mills in this locality. Modern steam and electric cranes are found along all the harbors of the city. The German manufacturer, with the advantage of lower wages, a fairly well trained body of workmen, and a discriminating knowledge - of the markets of the world, will continue to be a more and more important factor in the world’s manufacturing. He will be more and more a customer for labor-saving machinery in which durability, simplicity, and effectiveness are ‘characteristics. Machinery for this market should be adapted to local conditions and requirements. An American machine for making matches from soft pine succeeds in the United States, where such pine is abundant, but it would be unsuited to Germany, where such pine is wanting. The German engine builder, boiler maker, etc., doubtless constructs with more reference to a sav- ing of fuel than does his American competitor. That peasants and some classes of mechanics use out-of-date tools and implements argues rather tardiness in adopting improvements than want of skill on the part of the manufacturer, as witness, for example, the fact that a single factory of Mannheim has recently turned out its ten-thousandth steam-thrasher outfit. The same concern manufactures cream sepa- rators and a long list of entirely modern appliances. 168 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. OTHER AMERICAN MANUFACTURED GOODS IN MANNHEIM. American mowers and reapers, typewriters, cash registers, and a large array of novelties continue to find a fairly ready market in this district. Office furniture, sectional bookcases, sewing machines, pianolas, wood and iron working machinery, and some forms of hard- ware share the market with the native product, with a tendency for the latter to gain at the expense of the imported article, sometimes on account of price, terms of credit, ease of securing repairs, and patriotic considerations, which enters more or less into German trade. EXPORTS TO THE UNITED STATES. The exports to the United States for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1904, show some changes over the preceding year. There was a con- siderable falling off in colors and dyestuffs, leather, wood pulp, Port- land cement, and steel beams. On the other hand, there were distinct gains in several items. Good shipments of calfskins and potatoes were made in the latter year, but are wanting in the former. These changes were due to several causes—as fluctuations in the cost of raw materials, harvests, and increased domestic demands. RAILWAYS. Extensive improvements have been made in the steam railways of this district during the past year, involving large expenditures of money in extending lines, building bridges, etc. A $6,000,000 rail- way station at Heidelburg is one of the projected improvements soon to bestarted. Long-distance telephone connections have been greatly extended. In face of this improvement in steam railway lines there is a singular backwardness in electric railway building, especially in suburban and interurban lines. State railway ownership and the difficulty in securing charters for private railways have in part caused this backwardness in electric-railway construction. The city lines now in operation are well built and are reported to be yielding fair incomes. The future will doubtless see a new impulse given to elec- tric-railway building in the thickly settled portions of this part of Germany. HARBOR TRAFFIC. The river traffic at Mannheim far exceeds in importance that of any other Rhine city. For the year 1903 the total was 7,003,335 metric tons. For the first six months of 1904 the total was 3,284,444 tons, as against 3,139,365 tons for the corresponding six months of 1903. This tonnage is made up of a vast variety of merchandise from all parts of the earth. ; Adding to this tonnage that of the Bavarian city of Ludwigshafen, separated from Mannheim by the Rhine, which in 1903 amounted to 1,915,595, the net total is nearly 9,000,000 metric tons. Shipments of grain by river to the two cities in 1903 were as fol- lows: Wheat, 669,189 tons; corn, 64,936 tons; oats, 49,548 tons; harley, 41,184 tons. The shipment of foreign wheat to the two cities amounted in 1903 to a trifle more than one-third of the entire importation of this grain into Germany for that year. Petroleum shipments to the two cities in 1903 amounted to 114,867 tons. EUROPE: GERMANY. 169 MARKNEUKIRCHEN. [FRom ConsuL HuGo MUENCH, PLAUEN, SAXONY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1904.] The consular agency at Markneukirchen, with its chief interest centering in musical articles, displays but little change from the status of the previous year. A general increase of nearly $100,000 is dis- tributable almost ratably to the various articles of export, but while the manufacturers located in that mountainous region have so far been able to compete with the rest of the world, yet an attempted advance in the price of finished products (justified by heavy advances . in the prices and the scarcity of raw materials) has led to the loss of many orders from America. In brass instruments the export is steadily declining. Under special tariff rebates on goods partially finished in other countries these manufacturers have heretofore made some use of the still cheaper labor of closely adjacent Bohemia in perfecting those parts of musical instruments calling for less expert skill. This species of international exchange, known here as ‘‘ veredlungs-verkehr,” has not escaped severe criticism, and is likely to become regulated by law. In general, the industries located within the agency register the same oe as those in the main district, to wit, the rise and uncertainty in the cost of raw material, to which the price of finished products could not readily be adjusted, and the cost and inadequacy of skilled labor. The following comparative table of exports to the United States for the past two years will furnish the desired details: Articles. 1903. 1904. Articles. 1903. 1904. Accordeons and concertinas. .| $132,771 | $155, 966 || Spinning gut................. $4, 042 $2, 799 BOWS <.oe'0e wos soe vicenenaicicniene 66, 338 76, 383 || Strings..........-..-- ieeeneee 59, 714 63, 578 Brass instruments --| 27,857 46, 032 || Surgical catgut .......-.. sf 4,664 5, 460 Cotton stuffs...... cl kaneis sscicie 2,954 |) Violins and violoncellos..... 187,616 180, 148 Covers and carpets ay. sontere"eere 107 || Wood instruments (wind)... 7,725 15,711 Double basses 341 6,354 || Wood for manufacture of Embroidered cotton articles. . 8, 425 3,133 musical instruments. .....-. 75 1, 041 Embroidered linen articles -. 2,900: Yeinesiecmaak ZAG OPS a s.ccdcicese wie dancin a 604 Wlutes ss. cceceuesscesscesscees 1,561. sees esjece% Harmonicas.... --| 199,471 | 185,181 TOA oicnicte sc wosrrceree rains 723, 286 823, 104 Miscellaneous .- --| 47,179 43,100 || Net increase for the current Ocarinas ....... stall aigtiemicia sie: 825 PISCBL YOAV ic. ois ss eeie sess ps Ree seem 99, 818 Shell goods...........--.----- 26,948 | 38,491 ~ NUREMBERG. [From ConsuL G. E, BALDWIN, NUREMBERG, GERMANY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1904.] TRADE WITH THE UNITED STATES. Articles and products of American origin increase in number every day, although Nuremberg tradesmen do not make direct purchases in the United States, as the city is too far inland for that purpose. The figures of exports from this consular district to the United States have not risen; on the contrary, there has been a falling off in exports from this district to the United States, the aggregate for the year ended June 30, 1904, being $1,012,822, which is $23,723 less than in the previous year. German shippers, especially in the lead-pencil, glass-plate, and lithograph lines, complain that their exports to the United States are decreasing from year to year. 170 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. NUREMBERG MANUFACTURES. Metal toys.—Business shows again an improvement over that of last year. The general revival of trade and industries influenced this branch of business favorably, and the outlook for coming business in fall and winter is very satisfactory. This industry hopes that the new com- mercial treaties which Germany is at present preparing will be made of long duration, which would be of great advantage for the further development of this trade. The demand from the United States was satisfactory, Great Britain and its colonies took the same quantity of goods as last year, and the future business with those countries prom- ises to be favorable. The Argentine Republic bought as in former years in spite of the increased tariff rates Trade with east Asia suffered greatly through the war between Russia and Japan. Bronze powder.—The export of bronze powder to the United States has decreased from $929,341 in 1902 to $746,025 in 1904. Metal leaf.—The outlook in this trade is depressing, especially as regards business with the United States. The establishment of metal- beating industries in the United States has made this business decline. Leonic ware.—A brisk demand for articles of this line for hat and dress trimmings was experienced for a short period. The wire manu- facturers were kept quite busy, and stocks of wires as well as of gold ‘threads were quickly taken up by the trade in Germany and abroad. Competition was keen, however, and some speculative manufacturers, who anticipated a repetition of the 100 per cent rise of 1900, disposed of their holdings at a loss. The demand soon fell off, as a good many of the trimming manufacturers in the respective centers now make the threads required for theirown use. For American account, scarcely any fashion goods were bought in Germany. The regular business to the United States remained within ordinary limits. The war between Russia and Japan affects business with China unfavorably; business with India and the Orient is rather slack. Prices of raw materials have been firm and steady. The cotton boom taxed the profits of the trade, the advance not affecting the cost of the manufactured article sufficiently to allow of a corresponding advance of the selling price. Most of the factories had to reduce working hours at some time during the year. The prospects are for a moderate business in the year 1904. Decalcomania.—Home business showed a slight improvement over last year, although inland competition is so great that in many instances orders were accepted at ridiculously low prices. Belgium, Holland, and Austria bought as usual, Sweden and Norway even a little more, while exportation to France and Russia is continually decreasing, owing to the excessive import duty in those countries. Business with Eng- land showed but little profit, as prices were too much cut on account of competition. Trade with the oriental countries showed a slight improvement. North America bought as last year, but many orders had to be accepted at prices which left very little profit. Metal paper.—Business with the United States is not very favorable at present. Importers are slow to buy on account of the large stock in the United States. Trade with England is not satisfactory and there is no outlook at present for any improvement. Home business suffered a little through the Russo-Japanese war, yet it was more satisfactory than the export business. EUROPE! GERMANY. 171 Lithographic prints. —Like last: year, both home and export busi- ness are the subject of complaint, and there are no prospects of any change for the better at present. Hair pencils.—The prediction of last year that business would con- tinue to increase was fully realized. ‘Trade both in the home and export business was satisfactory. Llectric carbons.—The largest factory in this line in the world is located here, that of C. Conradty, which combines three plants, for- merly independent, and employs about 1,200 workmen. Home and export business is on a steady increase, but the prices are not so prof- itable as in former years, when factories had longer working hours and needed more electric carbons. Drawing instruments.—Not only the largest factory of drawing instruments in the world, namely, that of George Schoenner, but all the numerous smaller’ manufacturers here, were fully employed, although the latter complain about depressed prices. Glass plates.—Through the creation of an international syndicate, prices for plate glass underwent a considerable rise, which induced American factories to raise their prices accordingly. Prospects for future business in plate glass are therefore not unfavorable. The sale of German plates (polished cylinder glass), however, was very bad this year. Until June prices paid by American buyers became worse and worse, so that the manufacturers here had to sell at aloss. The great drought during this sumer created a scarcity in water, and as nearly all factories are run with water power the produc- tion was reduced nearly 50 per cent, which, in turn, necessitated a rise in price in the European market, and this rise is likely to continue. It is true that American buyers pay now a little more, yet the prevail- ing German market values can not be obtained by American customers. PLAUEN. [From ConsuL HuGoO MUENCH, PLAUEN, GERMANY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1904.] INDUSTRIAL CONDITIONS. As a whole, the past fiscal year has been one of steady progress for most branches of industry located in this consular district. The dom- inant factor in its industrial life is still the production of lace by the use of machinery. Plauen is the center of this industry. During the past year the city’s population has passed the 100,000 mark, and an enormous amount of building has been done. There are not wanting those who say that a time is near at hand when there will be a halt in boom conditions. The city government, though ably organized, is unable to cope with all the varied problems of this abnor- mal growth, so that the streets, lighting, bridges, and more especially - public water supply are quite unable to meet demands. Despite the uncertainty under which all branches dependent upon cot- ton as raw material have labored during the past twelve months, the increase in factories for the manufacture of laces has gone on apace, and it is observable that this growth has tended rather more in the direction of outlying towns, where labor is cheaper. 172 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. EXPORTS TO THE UNITED STATES. This district has again increased the value of its exports to the United States, as is shown by the following table: Articles. 1908. 1904. Articles. 1903. 1904. Carpets and covers...| $10,241.27 $14,741.35 || Laces: Cotton stuffs.......... , 792. 75 29, 986.18 Linen............ $24, 505. 86 $20, 159.12 Curtains.............. 20, 812. 50 24, 389. 82 Woolen .....-2.--).-0----eneeeee 930. 77 Dress goods........-.- 126, 737. 51 163, 724. 07 SUK onectexiececase 169, 765, 83 215, 559.17 Elastic stockings .....|.............- 2,071.14 Silk and cotton .. 82, 650. 54 7,894. 03 Gloves.........-....+- 17, 940. 83 9,278.99 |) Machinery .........-. 1, 435. 28 4,521.59 Hosiery............-.- 118, 824. 04 104, 576. 64 || Shawls and mufflers . 4, 513. 44 6, 248. 80 Incandescent mantles| 10,517. 90 18, 738, 30 || Miscellaneous.......- 3,074. 37 7, 210.19 Laces and embroid- GTIES praustteduancewss 2, 980, 682.61 | 3,151, 513.27 Total oee-exiue 8, 645, 444.73 | 3,776, 538, 43 Net imcrease .........].-----------5- 231, 093. 70 The dress-goods manufacturers of the district, by bending their energies to the creation of specially attractive novelties, have succeeded in partially regaining some of the hold which they formerly had upon the American market. Whether such advanced position can be held - by them or not will depend upon a number of factors, not the least of which will be the future cost of raw material and the skill and fore- sight of our American manufacturers. The usual quantity of shawls, carpets, and other woolen goods was sent to the United States. Manufacturers of hosiery still hold considerable trade in America, but the difficulty of competing with an American product of equal price and at least equal quality is so great that a continued decrease in that exportis confidently predicted. The manufacture of lace, madras, and other curtains has likewise progressed satisfactorily to the inter- ests employed therein, but the annual export to the United States has grown but slightly and remains insignificant. The iron and steel trade, and hence the machinery industries, has suffered but slight and occasional setbacks during the twelve months under review. Especially have all plants devoted to the construction of textile machinery and machines used in the manufacture of tin oods and musical instruments been well employed at remunerative gures. LACE INDUSTRY AND TRADE. While the total value of the Plauen lace goods exported to the United States during the fiscal year 1904 has not greatly exceeded that of the previous year, the bulk was heavily in excess. The cause of this may be found in the sudden change of the world’s fashions to articles of net-top lace instead of plain guipure, thus bringing out an article much cheaper in proportion, less ornate, and running to great quantities. To this district and its trade this was no distinct advan- tage. While in the ‘‘ burned-out” lace, but little of the productive cost is expended upon foreign-bought material, the quality of net © demanded by the average article of net top can not be found in this country but is derived: from England. True, there are a few plants in this and adjoining districts in which a serviceable quality of net is produced, but their capacity for meeting a suddenly increased demand is limited, and even then it is claimed that the German manufacturer EUROPE: GERMANY. 178 has not yet fully acquired the art of singeing and finishing these goods in the English style. Many of our local lace-makers were sore pressed when endeavoring to execute American orders without having first made sure of a sufficient supply of this necessary underlying material. It still remains true that fully one-third of the entire output of Plauen laces reaches the United States. No material change in the mode of conducting the export trade in laces can be noted except in a few directions. The great bulk of orders given is still placed through the agency of local commission houses, whose effectiveness in that direction has been greatly enlarged by the continued growth in the number of manufacturing plants, mainly in outside towns and villages, where lower rates of living and wages offer some extra inducements. In the summer and fall of 1903 orders from English and American buyers fell far short of the usual and expected number. This is demon- strated by the recorded decrease in exports during the first three quar- ters of the fiscal year. After it was discovered what designs and styles were demanded by the American market, repeat orders became so heavy that the excess of the fourth quarter (April, May, and June, 1904) more than made up the deficiency of the preceding nine months. Thus the work of the entire year was much more evenly distributed than ever before. In view of the present status of the industry here, and of the facility with which American importers can procure renewed stupas of specially happy designs or patterns, it is not likely that the methods now inaugurated will again be changed. A notable fact in regard to the intercourse between this district and the United States is that the large western houses are gradually emanci- pating themselves from dependence upon the importers of our eastern cities. Many of the former have established local agencies in these industrial regions, through whom they purchase directly what they need for the western trade, and others are to follow. Both in cambric embroideries and in handmade torchons (especially silk torchons) there was a perceptible increase of output, and the United States received its share of it. AMERICAN-MADE LACE. It may not be without interest to note the shipment from this dis- trict to America of an increased number of machines for the manufac- ture of Plauen lace. What has heretofore been regarded as a practical monopoly in this article may thus become seriously menaced by the springing up of the same industry in our own country. A noticeable foothold does not seem to have been secured there in cotton machine- made laces, but recently a number of silk-lace patterns made in the United States by American operatives have been shown here, which have disturbed the local manufacturers not a little. With the United States so well abreast of Europe in the prices and quality of all silk articles, and under the shield of a high duty, it appears inevitable that the trade of the United States in silk laces should in the end be chiefly supplied at home. COTTON AND FLAX. Flax has continued high in price and unsatisfactory in both quantity and quality. Cotton, the sine qua non of the textile industries, con- tinued its oscillating career, to the distraction of all those who are 174 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. compelled to fix in advance the prices of finished prodacts. Last, but not least, the uncertainty that has surrounded the trade relations between this country and all other civilized nations, owing to the non- completion of tariff treaties between them, has continued to vex both manufacturer and dealer. The recently held cotton congress at the city of Zurich, Switzerland, may not have evolved an altogether feasible programme for the correc- tion of present ills connected with traffic in raw cotton, but the very fact of its existence, visited, as it was, by cotton consumers of various countries, argues a deep seated discontent with present conditions which it would be unwise to ignore. Strong influences are now at work to test the suitability of African and Asiatic regions for the cul- tivation of this staple, and our own country will not retain its present practical monopoly of the world’s raw-cotton markets if the ingenuity of man, experimenting with the gifts of nature, can prevent it. . FINANCIAL CONDITIONS. Rates of interest experienced a slight rise beyond those ruling in 1902-8. To that extent industrial establishments operating in part with borrowed funds have been disadvantaged, a loss largely made up by a further diminution in the cost of fuel. Rates of interest allowed to depositors by banks have ranged between 24 and 38 per cent, being now at the latter point. Banking interest or discount has varied from 44 to 5 per cent, which latter is the present ruling figure. According to official returns for the calendar year 1903 incomes within this commercial district have increased 3.49 per cent during the year, as against 5.03 per cent during the year 190%. The number of savings-bank depositors in the district has grown from 384,318 to 398,536, and the deposits have increased to $46,779,188, a gain of $2,367,234 on 1909. Exact financial statistics concerning the earnings of industrial plants in this commercial district are obtainable only in cases of joint-stock companies. The 58 companies located here declared and paid divi- dends averaging 8.33 per cent upon a total capitalization of 66,949,380 marks ($15,933,952), but only after ‘writing off” still larger sums for supposed depreciation, improvements, etc. LABOR CONDITIONS. The condition of the labor market was satisfactory. In certain departments of the lace and musical-instrument trade the supply of labor continues to be inadequate, and other industries have hae diffi- culty in retaining their operatives because of the higher wages prom- ised for lace making. No labor disturbances or material wage reductions have occurred during the current year; but how far the enforced idleness in those lines of industry whose operations were either wholly interrupted or at least seriously impaired in consequence of the unprecedented drought of this summer may affect conditions it is as yet too early to judge. : CROP CONDITIONS. The hopes of a record-breaking crop entertained during the early seasons of this year have become sadly blighted by the drought of recent months. Rarely has this part of Germany enjoyed a spring and early EUROPE: GERMANY. 175 summer of such exceptional warmth and mildness. All manner of grain and fruit thus developed far in advance of the ordinary season, and much thereof, such as the first cuts of hay and rye, barley, and the berry fruits, were almost beyond the point of danger when the heat and drought set in. Because of the natural aridity of this region, where but a thin layer of sandy soil covers the underlying strata of slate or diorite, frequent and copious rains are required to sustain vegetable life. The long absence of any material rainfall has therefore not only affected injuriously all later varieties of grain and the all- important potato crop, but even fruit and shade trees are turning sere and have suffered incalculable injury. ~ The local crop of 1903 was so exceptionally abundant that importa- tion of breadstuffs was less than in ordinary years. Any surplus remaining from last year has, however, been pretty well exhausted, and with the ae il of a minimum crop of cereals in the Austrian Empire and the likelihood that the former surplus production in Rus- sian provinces will be required at home, it is manifest that Germany will again be called upon to supply the extra demands growing out of a predominance of industrial population from the granaries of America and India. The loss of practically the entire late potato crop, how- ever, can not be made good, and much suffering among the poorer classes is anticipated for the want of this article of food. AMERICAN GOODS IN GERMANY. The leading articles of American manufactures here are still Ameri- can shoes and fruits. To these should he added hard-wood lumber, which is much sought in the manufacture of furniture, musical instru- ments, and cabinetwork, especially in those regions where the cheap- ness of water transportation places its cost within the reach of the average consumer. In regard to iron, predictions ventured last year seem to have turned into facts; the former heavy exports from Ger- many to the United States having ceased, they are about to be fol- lowed by a counter movement of this staple from the United States to Europe. 3 The hold which American fruit, both fresh and dried, has acquired upon the market was heretofore commented upon in ae reports called for by the State Department. It may now be added with satis- faction that, realizing the importance of the trade in these articles, the dealers therein, and through them the various chambers of commerce in Saxony, succeeded during the past year in securing from the Saxon government a very material amelioration of the inimical regulations that heretofore hampered this trade. Even the presence of sulphurous acid (alleged to be developed in the act of bleaching and preserving), when not exceeding one-eighth of 1 per cent, seems no longer to be considered objectionable. The time for placing larger quantities of modern American farming machinery in this territory does not seem to have arrived. During recent extensive travels through many of the farming regions of southern Germany, a number of reapers were found in operation, but all were of the ancient styles of ‘‘droppers” and ‘‘self-rakes” used in the United States some forty years ago, or else machines manufactured in Germany as _ imitations thereof. Not a modern self-binder was encountered. Evidently German agriculture has not generally arrived 176 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. at a point where expensive modern implements can be made to pay, and our American dealers wisely dispose of articles here which have ceased to command acceptable prices at home. The status will be more readily understood when it is stated on the authority of statistics that of the estimated 5,500,000 independent farms or agricultural tracts in Germany, 4,000,000 have an area of less than 20 acres each. Then, too, no other element of Germany’s population is quite so con- servative in its views and habits as the agrarian, whom nothing short of conclusive proof will induce to abandon the time-honored imple- ments of his forefathers for the tools of the present day. There is no indication of a diminished purchasing power on the part of the German people, and the volume of our future trade with this country will, in the main, be determined by the provisions of the tariff conventions that must soon be formed between the two nations. SOLINGEN. {From Consul J. J. LANGER, SOLINGEN, GERMANY, OCTOBER, 13, 1904.] The year 1903 was one of general improvement for the various industries carried on in the Solingen consular district. Work and orders were so plentiful that the workingman was kept fully employed. Owing to the widespread competition in the cutlery branch the profits for the manufacturer did not increase at the same ratio as the business. Exports also show a decided increase. This was the main factor in the prosperity of the year, and much stress is laid upon avoiding anything that will reduce its present volume. The customs tariffs are closely watched in the negotiations for the new commercial treaties, it being feared that if these are not kept on a normal basis they may greatly decrease the export. IRON AND STEEL. The condition of the iron and steel industry, so unsatisfactory the first part of the year, improved greatly in the spring, and the demand for machinery, which had nearly ceased since the middle of 1900, was such that the orders received were sufficient to keep all hands employed. Prices were not entirely satisfactory, especially in iron-foundry products. : Castings.—Machinery and shipbuilding castings, band iron, iron bars, girders, etc., were in fair demand. The export of. band iron bas decreased during the last quarter, due to the fear of purchasers that North America will export rolled manufactures at low prices and on a large scale. CUTLERY. The export of cutlery, exclusive of surgical instruments, from the Solingen consular district to the United States for 1903 was $1,210,983; 1904, $1,815,349, an increase of $104,366. The exports of all goods from Solingen to the United States in 1904. amounted to $1,858,322, an increase of $236,608 over the year 1903. EUROPE: GERMANY. 177 The exports of cutlery from Germany to vari tries during the years 1902 and 1903 was as follows: aE E Nga nee or ge Couniries. | 1902. 1908. Countries. | 1902. 1903. — \ a. Cuts. | Cwts.a "Cuts. | Cuts. Russia .........- uteie eal Mew 24, 060 25,372 || Switzerland.................. 4,136 4,736 18, 646 16,428 || German West Africa United States..... 9, 248 12,410 || India .....- 2,800 2 Austria-Hungary - 9,110] ‘9,422 || British India........ Tl aye 2 902 Netherlands . . . % 7,326 7,776 || Mexico ....... ; 3,214 8, 572 FIGNOS oscceeesesnces rae 5,148 7,740 || Great Britain -...... apie 2,994 3, 150 Spain....22202222222 :---| 8,918 | 5,560 |] Italy. ............... cl 23080 3, 088 ae aa F : ae b, 2 pene Malaey Baeane 1,944 2,510 Mo satesie sissandi tee . OTCUS Al we sccccee see Resend ‘Argentine .......-.-- | 2110 4,830 . a a sca aCwts. of 110 pounds. Razors.—Business in razors was quite active. The introduction of machinery for grinding enables the local razor manufacturers to export to all countries in large quantities, being in a position to meet all com- petition, particularly in the lower and middle grades, there being no doubt but that the German razor has replaced the English to a very great extent. The local close competition, however, tends to keep the prices down, in fact a lowering of prices is complained of. The export to the United States was satisfactory to the exporters, but indications are that American production is gaining ground at the expense of Germany. The export to Canada shows a decided decrease, and it is feared that on account of the differences in customs duties the English and American industry will steadily make greater headway. Scissors.—The condition of this industry was more unsatisfactory than in 1902. A steady decline is noticeable, particularly in exports. The amount of unfinished scissors and shears sent to foreign countries where they can be finished so cheaply that Solingen can not compete is steadily increasing. The export to Austria-Hungary has been active, but that country is making a great effort to bring its own industry to perfection. Pocket knives.—The local industry places the largest assortment on the markets of the world, and it can safely be said that Solingen stands unsurpassed as to varieties, both as to quality and styles. Factories were kept well employed, and large quantities were exported. Some better qualities go to the United States, but on the whole only cheaper grades are exported. Table cutlery.—In table knives and butcher and bread knives no improvement has been evident, though there was no complaint as to lack of orders. Strong competition keeps selling prices low. Competition of Thuringia manufacturers is greatly felt, owing to the fact that large quantities of half-finished goods are sold there by local firms, finished at low prices, and then sold so cheaply that Solingen firms can not compete. In northern Germany Sweden has been successful in intro- ducing its carving and kitchen knives, to the detriment of the Solingen industry. Foreign competitors are greatly aided, because rough blades are furnished them by German firms which the former are able to finish more cheaply, and because they are protected by high rates of duty on finished goods. ; Aaes.—There was a slight increase in the ax business, although the anticipated improvement in the export to South America is not evident, H. Doc. 481, 58-3——12 178 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. Swords.—The demand of the home market for officers’ and special swords was about the same as for the previous year. All efforts to obtain large orders from the German Government were in vain, only smaller orders for side arms being received. During the first half of the year orders were also scarce from foreign governments, but during the second half a large order for side arms was received at a compara- tively low price. Saws.—The saw trade is improving slowly. Foreign countries—the more important ones particularly—are protected by customs tariffs, so , that a profitable export business can be done only by special efforts. OTHER MANUFACTURES. Umbrella frames.—The demand for umbrella frames was heavy in the fall, but on account of the increased sharp competition prices were low. On the whole there was a decrease with no signs for improve- ment at present. Bicycles.—-Bicycles suffered a continued decline while the cost of production increased, making it difficult for the better grades to com- pete with cheap competitive offers and still leave a profit. The slight improvement of the preceding year was due to the increased demand. Without a greater consumption and closer manipulation in manufac- turing there will be severe losses in the future. BANKING. The expectation in banking circles that business weuld show an increased activity and more profitable results was, on the whole, con- firmed in the larger demand for nearly all industrial products. A better demand for money also increased interest rates, the average discount having increased from 3.32 to 3.84 per cent, and private dis- count from 2.18 to 3 per cent. STETTIN. [From Consur J. E. KEuL, STETTIN, GERMANY, JULY 9, 1904.] The imports and exports of Stettin show an increase. The effects of the disastrous commercial and financial year 1900-1901 are slowly being overcome, and by the end of 1904 Germany will again be back to her normal financial and commercial condition. The annual report of the local chamber of commerce again dwells upon the necessity of a deep waterway between Stettin and Berlin. Since the completion of the Elbe-Trave Canal the export trade from Saxony has been prac- tically withdrawn from Stettin. The new train connections between Germany and Denmark, via Warnemiinde-Gjedser, have also had the effect of drawing considerable freight from this city. Add to these disadvantages the fact that the port dues of Stettin are higher than any other German port, and that the Prussian Government is not inclined to lend its assistance to any means of transportation that will compete with her railways, and we have a picture of the Jocal maritime shipping conditions. ; EUROPE: GERMANY. 179 NAVIGATION. Stettin is the home port of 210 vessels, measuring 57,888 net registerd tons, representing more than half of the entire tonnage of the Prussian merchant fleet. The entries and clearances in 1903 were as follows: [Cubic meter=35.316 cubic feet; 2.88 cubic meters=1 gross ton.] Entered. Cleared. Nationalities y Measure- Measurc- Number. ment. Number. ment. 4 - Cu. meters. Cu. meters. SWEdISH so: dese caeameuieedecumdentemeeege mibuLe eect 581 512,610 533 515, 764 DR UGI OY oe sic ot esthetics ned in iare weed wotica Be ldeas een ia SVM heel 340 575, 064 337 563, 060 English .... 2 290 667, 034 292 680, 585 Norwegian. 176 359, 201 176 357, 532 Dutch...... a7 78,130 49 79, 202 Russian .... 37 , O41 38 61, 775 oe 5 oe 11 37, 468 11 37, 468 TONCD -. ewsscavenieecawig aries weenie wee ecw 7 26, 840 7 26, 840 Bel IAN. caw. ecrcnanmseaca weed caiceeamains mse eeeeeee ees 1 2, 149 1 2,149 Ota TOTCLEM ios cc ecinn an Mee teenies se dete 1,440 | 2,319, 037 1, 444 2, 324, 395 GETMAIN go ceae nancies ce soassensieee Whden weasiciamenecseceuetcts 2,045 | 2,122, 812 1,994} 2,148, 699 GYAN HOtall oo seins ctdn accdied duceesmiousvataienaness 8,485 | 4,441, 849 3, 438 4, 478, 094 Of the foreign vessels it will be noticed that England holds the first place in regards to tonnage. Over half of the English arrivals brought cargoes of coal and herrings. One hundred and fifteen of the vessels left in ballast. The United States ranks third in the amount of tonnage brought to Stettin; England comes first, Sweden second. ABSENCE OF AMERICAN SHIPPING. The nonarrival of an American bottom is looked upon as a matter of fact. The sole right to carry 90 per cent of our own exports seems to be deeded over to foreign shipowners for a consideration. That sums up the worst business method of the United States—that of pay- ing foreign shipowners a subsidy in the form of freight charges of $100,000,000 a year. The marine freight paid on United States exports, together with passage money paid by traveling Americans, will reach 50 per cent of the gross earnings of all ocean-going vessels. SHIPBUILDING. The Vulcan Shipbuilding Company of this city enjoys the reputation of having built nearly all of the fast liners plying between New York and European ports. The Deutschland, Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse, Kronprinz Wilhelm, and Kaiser Wilhelm IT are the most prominent of these vessels, every one of which has a speed of more than 22 knots per hour. The Vulcan Company, employing close on to 6,000 people, delivered one first-class battle ship, d/ecklenburg, one gunboat, ber, and one small cruiser, Hamburg, all three for the German navy, in addition to five merchant vessels, during the year 1903. Uncompleted are two war vessels for the German Government and one freight and passenger steamer for the North German Lloyd. Since the first of this year the company has booked two new merchant orders, and expects at the close of the Russian-Japanese war to get orders from both Governments. In view of this possibility the stock of the com- any took a jump from 230 to 252. The other two shipyards, the Docewonks and Niiske & Co., have been fairly busy. 180 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. SUGAR. Raw sugar was exported from this consular district to the United States during the year 1903 to a value of $8,883, as compared with $763,922 in 1902. The first six months of 1904 witnessed no export whatever of raw sugar from this district. The doing away of the export bounty, through Germany becoming a party to the Brussels sugar convention, has already shown its effect in an increase in home consumption, a decrease in the price of refined sugar, and a decrease in the export of raw sugar. Of the 61,513 tons of raw sugar exported from Stettin, 33,079 tons went to England and 26,921 tons to German free ports. Unless the situation materially changes Germany will at the close of this year find herself in possession of an immense surplus of this article. As a whole, the sugar business, both raw and refined, had a very poor year, and the chances are that 1904 will place them in a still worse condition. KRAFT IRON WORKS. The Kraft Iron Works report a good year in face of the fact that the export of pig iron to the United States ceased during the last quarter of the year. A slight overproduction in England, with many offers to Germany customers, had the tendency of lowering the prices. This company imported 431,765 tons of raw material during the year 1908, an increase of 54,000 tons over 1902. The present home demand is satisfactory and gives every prospect for a good year. \ EXPORTS FROM STETTIN. The total exports for the year 1903 amounted to 963,244 against 885,344 tons in 1902, an increase of 77,900 tons. EXPORTS BY COUNTRIES. Whither exported. | 1902. 1903. Whither exported. | 1902. | 1903. | Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. British East Indies ........... 19 576: || NOYWAY ‘sassies vexscceaceosaes 44,290 48, 973 Denmark...... 32 59, 096 72,741 || Netherlands . 17, 525 21, 405 Finland . 24, 694 28, 937 || Russia - 45, 279 46, 437 France . 297 2,841 || Sweden 140, 903 182, 825 Great B 194,975 | 221,018 |) Spain - 4 641 Italy .... te 270 » 276 ee harb -| 277,052 337, 690 VAP OT ccayste ioe Grands elo pines aelsiels 80 1,005 || United States .... 61, 286 37, 096 The decrease in exports to the United States was principally in glue stock, old iron, pig iron, cement, dextrin, potato flour, and raw sugar. EXPORTS BY ARTICLES AND QUANTITIES. Articles. 1902. 1903. Articles. 1902. 19038. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Barley 10, 224 25,780 |) Potatoes ...... -.cescsececees 67, 684 27,075 Cement 89, 192 89,985 |} Potato flour and dextrin. . 62, 304 55, 838 Fireproof 15, 169 15,093 |) Rye... 5, 989 65, 636 Herrin 10,175 18,379 39, 013 51, 180 Iron and iron ware. a 25, 634 28; 606 || Raw suga Lead and lead ware.. 8, 786 10, 889 || Refined sugar... 70, 065 62, 684 Lumber 27,370 42,167 || Superphosphate . 18, 982 18, 815 Malt ccecsriscrcceiot 9,470 18, 088 || Spirits and brandy. 18, 397 12,475 Pig iron 47, 032 42,078 Vheat ...........-. bey 8, 572 12, 474 Paper and paper ware........ 18, 155 21,186 || Zine and zine ware.......... 48, 633 43,718 EUROPE: GERMANY, 181 IMPORTS INTO STETTIN. The total imports for the calendar year 1903 amounted to 329,657 tons, against 318,333 tons in 1902, an increase of 11,324 tons. Whence imported. 1902. 1903. Whence imported. _ 1902. 1908. ‘ Tons. Tons. E Tons. Argentine Republic .......-.. 2,043 1,304 || Netherlands ................. 88, 045 Algiers and Tunis ............ 31, 628 88,111 |} Norway................. A 39, 709 Belgiu ccc secuineecasess 280 a8 16, 291 26,417 || RUSSIA... 2. ececssess ee ; 120, 749 British East Indies ........... ! 7,549 18,819 || Finland............... 4,581 7,020 BTA ZA cose ats sisicte ecm ee-arantsembesne 8,515 18,561 |} Portugal ............-. 28, 163 British West Indies. .......... 4, 352 4,294 || British Australia 8, 7: 21, 104 Denmark.......-....--.-- -. 88,156 87,885 || British Malacca.......-. i 10,080 ° FRANCO 05.02 seeesaxeeaes 20, 483 26,169 || Sweden ..........-.... 52, 556, 094 Great Britain.......-.-..--- ' 671,066 | 600,381 || Spain ...............-. = 132, 640 THA Y eco 55,5)e.0:cisicicspeerisins cAbiacisioe ' 3,474 2,089 || United States ........--.....- 210, 681 | Excepting Sweden, the imports from the United States show the greatest increase, and from a value view rank first. Of the total imports from Sweden, 465,000 tons consisted of iron ore and granite paving blocks; of those from Great Britain, 532,000 tons consisted solely of coals. IMPORTS FROM THE UNITED STATES.« Articles. 1896. | 1897. | 1898. | 1899, | 1900. | 1901. } 1902. | 1903. Metric | Metric | Metric | Metric | Metric | Metric | Metric | Metric tons. tons. tons. tons. tons. tons. tons. tons. ASDOBIL fi ieee cur ataceeneny sees aeeeces 729'| 1,926) 1,285] 2,809 |.2s..sec|ecsseee0 102 Barley .. 35298 |) 45240: [oe ccces| secaceas|cssexeer 170) ls. ceevsercije cieecen BOM CFG ie cinsecs eicierciese tees a teisisipng Sate) Hoisicie OEY Seem 184? scents BOB, | sinisin nia sie fetsine niece 95 Bran sponsssas nee nations ac Gervenintarsicieaeees: 2,570 |.....-.- 199 fp oceeseies 565 71 2, 726 Buckwheat ..........-----.---+----- 161 215 BOSH ciacsiatats| eiersimsisial Gels Gadarnie ed cisdie wel a Recseae Cloverseed) sxccccanpesccuiceesetades’ te dat opel tewee, 648 Linseed . ccwewsseccexeenesccscescnclosesesesleswemtss|eeececicalececeees| WOT) | ccccacese|eoneeeriafcincscene Lubricating oils .........-..---....- : 279 243 341 485 214 798 958 900 GUM DE! 2 5). cic sjecaeneeeeetacass Meee [teesie's remy [are aersie-a | Sorecersers 1,238) cece 794 132 129 Machinery...-.....--..-.--.2+--.0-5 | 195 204 181 692 861 567 900 611 Meat SEE een beef) ....-.-..-.... | 665 123 34 7 6 20 106 25 2 OM MeL NSC 6 a2 ociacie snes ererenidiesince ruceteiete 1,914 | 1,820 100! 1,268] 1,896 1, 098 Oleomargarine. . a5 32 8 11 ‘1 6 322 463 POtrOlCUME oie cesesisrceoweis swine iA2, 67, 964 Phosphate of lime “ 1 24 472 212 292 26D Iie ziccicien Phosphate rock .....-.......-.+-2+-+ | 65,384 | 67,241 | 65,609 | 85,114 | 70,740 | 70,341 | 89,831 | 86,737 PIS ION «20.0 <-cscn= assests Sseeseeet ‘Gavenvalasseeece 671 220 91] 1,523 65 252 Raw Coppel ....--------------+e eee | 329 234 246 |....-... 98 78 220 129 Rooffing slate ....-...--.---------++- eeeeeeee 1,399 720 288 117 ROSIN ws cece waniciscserecienestevecneler RY C2 paccimrais icici steprnesiceomianduen te cee se emis Se BAIS POte Rs acscreforcresecrcisec esters ceceicternd Marciaicraieisie SteGViNe ws ce cer cs soundest ccimticrctenersoss TeMOW:snevewedes eeeracaene wemerneeied ' Timothy seed .......-.--.--.--.--+-- Turpentine Oi] ......------------- ee eleeeeeeee Wheai Wheat fours. cccccscozsseseaeessenka Total imports from the United States .......... ePagsisieeerinas 162,448 |245, 084 |253,970 |245, 354 |208, 949 |236,547 |194, 869 | 210, 682 Total exports to the United States ..| 44,742 | 62,877 | 28,528 | 43, 248 | 78,435 | 53,851 | 61,286 | 37,096 aThis list does not include transshipments from Copenhagen, Denmark; Hull, England, or Hamburg and Bremen, Germany. 182 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904, WEIMAR. {From ConsuL T. E. Moors, WEIMAR, GERMANY, AUGUST 6, 1904.] INDUSTRIAL CONDITIONS. The slow improvement in the general economic situation, which began in 1902, continued throughout 1903. There was increased activity in the factories, and commerce, too, can look back upon a gen- erally livelier business, due largely to the good crops. It must be said, however, that the depression continued to show its effects in unfavorable conditions of payment and sharp competition. Several lines did not take part at all in the bettered situation. Seeds and plants.—The trade in seeds and plants was excellent. Weather conditions favored a good crop, and flower seeds especially showed a good profit. The sale of plants, grasses, and palms suffered somewhat under the cut-rate competition of one or two firms in this district, who had an enormous success in their sales throughout Ger- many, Austria, and Russia, owing to their low prices, combined with big ‘‘reclaime,” formerly unknown in this line. Dried and artificial plants also profited by the good condition of the market. Sugar.—Owing to the richness of the beet roots, sugar saw much lower prices. The increase of the production of sugar on the ground of this higher percentage has been estimated, for Europe, at 268,000 tons. The consumption, though increasing under such conditions, could not keep pace with the increasing production. Textiles.—The textile industry had to reckon with rising prices for the raw material. The wholesale trade in yarns was active, and the manufacture of woolen fancy goods and hose was also profitable. Ladies’ cloaks, a specialty of Erfurt, had to face, after a favorable summer of large shipments, an utterly unfavorable winter season, besides suffering through a change of fashion in the height of the sie Purchasers rather kept back owing to the unsteadiness of the market. Shoes.—The manufacture of shoes, which is conducted by about a dozen large firms at Erfurt, had, as a whole, a good year. ‘The price of leather went so high that it could not be offset by the higher prices obtained for the manufactured article. One reason for this may have been the higher price for the tanning material, quebracho rising 25 per cent, owing to the American exporters restricting their shipments so as to obtain higher prices. The manufacturers of shoes had much difficulty in finding markets outside the Empire in consequence of the customs carriers in most countries, and it is generally hoped that the new commercial treaties will facilitate this export. Knitting muchines.—More knitting machines went from this con- sular district to the United States than during the preceding year. It has been observed that trained workmen in the knitting industry occasionally emigrate to America with their machines. Steam eng/nes.—The construction of steam engines was but little more prosperous than in 1902; the prices are still calculated upon a too low basis which, combined with the long credit demanded by pur- chasers, is far from making this line a very profitable one. Here, too, an improvement is expected from the new treaties. Fertilizers.—Kainite, for fertilizing purposes, was shipped to the United States in increasing quantities. 4 EUROPE: GREECE. 183 Chinaware.—The china industry was well occupied the year round. The export to the United States, Holland, and France increased; that to England decreased. The German China Manufacturers’ Union suc- ceeded in making higher prices (10 per cent higher) for the home market, especially household china. Toys.—The manufacture and export of toys shows nearly the same situation as heretofore. While there was a lack of orders in the spring, the last months of the year brought a large demand for both the cheap article and the better qualities; the latter seemed to be more favored than has hitherto been the case. EXPORTS TO THE UNITED STATES. The trade of the Weimar consular district with the United States, so far as its exports are concerned, continues steadily toincrease. The value of goods exported in 1903 was $1,449,991, against $1,186,934 in 1902, an increase of $263,057. The exports for the first six months, 1904, were $625,603.93, against $520,706.04, an increase of $104,897.89, the most noticeable being china, minerals, and optical goods, GREECE. [From ConsuL D. E. MCGINLEY, ATHENS, GREECE, OCTOBER 27, 1904.] BUSINESS ACTIVITY. The generally prosperous condition in the commerce and industries of this consular Matrict which began six years ago, and the marked increase in industrial activity reported last year, continue. Two years ago many of the old inhabitants, alarmed at the rapid increase in the number of stores that line the business streets, at the founding of numerous manufacturing plants, and at the large number of busi- ness blocks and private residences in course of construction, prophe- sied an early and disastrous financial crash in Athens and Pireus, claiming that the business of these two cities could not support such extravagance, but up to date the activity in commercial and industrial circles is unbroken. The building boom is in full blast, and few American cities of like population can count more edifices in course of construction than can Athens at the present time. It is certain that Athens will soon have, if it has not already, more handsome public buildings, residences, and hotels than any other city in southern Europe or the Levant. Where the money comes from to pay for all these improvements is a mystery to most of the residents; but the costly structures erected of late years show that there is plenty of capital. LOCAL IMPROVEMENTS. The work on the new breakwater, which is to double the size of the harbor at Pireeus, is progressing slowly. It was to have been finished by this time, but the date of its completion still seems quite distant. Neither does the erection of the two large dry docks make much headway. They were to have been completed in 1903, but there were serious delays, caused by trouble with the contractor, and now the. date of their completion is not known. 184 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYs. Progress in the construction of the Pireus-Larissa railroad is also slow. The first section, Pireus to Livadia, with a branch from Schismatarion to Chalkis, has been completed and in operation some months. It is not definitely known when the line will be finished to Larissa. It is said that the contractors would like to push its com- pletion clear to the Turkish boundary, but a lack of funds prevents them from doing so. The distance from Pirzus to Larissa is esti- mated at about 135 miles. 5 The wide-gauge railway between Athens and Pireus, via Phalerum, with a length of 54 miles, is now running new trains of cars by elec- tric power, for which change the company has been preparing the line during the last three years. They built a large power house, ele- vated all the crossings, and put in a third rail on which to transmit the current. The electric trains were to have been running several months ago, but were not started until a few weeks since and as yet do not run regularly. The line does a heavy passenger traffic in the warm months, and a good one all the year. There have been no extensions or alterations in the tramway lines of Athens and Pirzus during the year; and there are no indications that the steam line between the two cities will adopt electric power very soon, although it is said its charter calls for such a power in the near future. With the exception of this steam line, all the tramways of the two cities use horses as motive power. FOREIGN TRADE. The statistical reports of imports, exports, revenues, etc., published by the Greek Government continue to show discrepancies-—errors of either the compiler or the printer—and are therefore not very reliable; but they are the only publications giving such statistics in any shape, and the figures in this report were compiled from them. The imports ($26,110,598) and exports ($18,878,882) have increased slightly in value in 1903, the imports being $124,158 and the exports $3,501,701 in excess of those of 1902. The value of the imports exceeded that of the exports $7,231,716 in 1903 and $10,609,259 ip 1902. IMPORTS BY ARTICLES. Articles. 1901. 1902. 1908. Corea racersssmazanad aucctnasmusisean an oausaae toad ciaeeelidhe $6,485,537 | $6, 825, 900 $7, 981, 628 Collen nnd WOOLEN BO0US ii. ns. sncavrcnnncswere spac eeouners 3, 760, 114 3, 657, 504 3,608, 220 Coal and other crude mi: 38, 550, 825 2,720, 012 2,784, 857 Lumber and wood .. 1, 703, 118 2,707, 456 1, 862, 269 Metals............... 1,481, 452 1, 436, 866 1, 415, 987 Druggists’ materials and 879, 936 834, 228 1,393, 050 Coa and other cured fish Seis 1, 418, 900 1, 187, 391 1,147, 263 Live animals.....-....... to oioihS aclerncalten ON wei 801, 489 759, 070 1,152, 357 Green hides ... sisiote 717, 900 709, 911 997, 376 Sugar......... 608, 600 580, 833 464,414 Paper..... pwenccannseass 537, 909 580, 981 503, 322 Oils and oil products. . (a a 568, 868 oo (a a Glass, crystals, crockery ....--.....-.0 ---- 222-20 feces eee eee 462, 720 30, 915 366, 826 Musical and scientific instrument : a) ‘ay’ i Leather and worked bone.. 227, 457 248, 229 209, 499 Wines, liquors, bottled wate: 59, 880 94, 958 40, 516 Tanning materials ...... 3 a) a 180, 174 Furniture .......-----. i a) ( 38,979 OtheartiCles ces inicearetuianatociwiae eles haeiedsedaenimabaine 3, 477, 839 3, 589, 865 705, 964 PROUAL -ccssaciceweteiesaam tere nee Pec aad mie diesceiele ts fogiaeiai 27,149,404 | 25, 986, 440 26, 114, 598 «Not reported. EUROPE; GREECE. 185 EXPORTS BY ARTICLES. Articles. 1901. 1902. 1903. Currants and other agricultural products. .................. $9, 956, 015 $4, 458, 035 $7, 339, 972 CTU rTM OPIS aos arsi ciate craic rari enerain neers tao segansee aeemict 3, 654, 890 38, 503, 114 3, 561, 937 Wine and other drinks. . spe Seismadatia seen seieret 364, 712 806, 973 2, 217, 463 Olives and olive oil...... sic Sieh eseniene sealeas: 898, 318 1,417, 347 952, 111 Animal products ....-- ofeisie iar vasa SiS Smee, (a) a 798, 285 Metal products ........ “aa a scaee ia apndayataraialaissatten a) a 260, 769 Drugs and chemicals e a a 177, 420 Fish products ......- a (a) 163, 970 Sweets and pastries. .-. a a) 79, 564 Leather and worked bo: 102, 468 63, 147 68, 185 Live animals ............ 60, 939 44, 297 62, 5138 Cotton and woolen goods ee a {a} 46, 821 Pottery and glassware. .. sie Seeeeceseaaeeececs (a 5, 669 sees 2 aie 214,180 (3 588, 640 @ 278, 930 a 178, 457 a 3, 849, 061 3, 164, 203 TOPE ates aiden ie aaidsg, 2s baie ScleeuenG ar eaaeneteeee Sekeaous 19,977, 030 15, 377,181 18, 878, 882 a Not reported. IMPORTS AND EXPORTS BY COUNTRIES. 1901. 1902. Countries. Imports. | Exports. | Imports. } Exports. Great Britain. .. oc ..sccsceerenecsmeevesyeemegseceeeesess $6, 014,140 | $5, 568,144 | $5,548,441 ) $3, 860, 662 RUBSSIB s cevicc ceca SeRiNeaiisha uaa staseeeeeeness 6,010, 191 140,944 | 5, 950, 990 368, 997 Austria-Hungary - HeRGASE SEE EEE ESwEds Ese Sees 3,318,331 | 1,694,088 | 4,094,173 1, 802, 616 France .....-..-- ---| 2,746,304 | 1,778,817 | 2,189,429 1, 523, 132 Turkey -| 2,243,355 | 1,057,380 | 2,296,913] 1,238,346 German. 2,365, 281 ae 399, 738 | 2,182,243 1, 065, 809 Italy ... -| 1,088, 165 814,180 | 1,068, 234 914, 880 Belgium ae 673, 032 | 1, 293, 857 975, 076 1, 078, 259 United States . oa 561,004 | 1,098,190 612, 832 788, 227 Roumania .....- iets assitars Hpctalbeermaaeetsiats: 440, 986 294, 095 332, 802 341, 481 Holland......... bie? sihateve.cisieiaroreiestigine sie 221,661 | 1,839,314 158, 474 1, 416, 307 Ep yDtisicwavecssiengaae veces vest wenes areeoucnicen ee 83, 327 718, 349 80, 254 778, 960 TRADE WITH THE UNITED STATES. The most reliable information obtainable indicates that the trade between Greece and the United States is steadily increasing, yet the Greek statistics indicate that the increase in 1902, if any, was very slight, and that the United States had dropped in that year from the eighth to the ninth place in the list of countries trading with Greece, Belgium forging ahead of her. In 1901 France passed Germany and took the fourth place in the list; and the statistics for 1902 show that Germany dropped to sixth place in that year, Turkey passing her. Either the statistics are incorrect or the boasts of some German newspapers that the products of Germany are the most popular in Greece, and that her trade here is rapidly increasing, are empty ones. As repeatedly stated in my reports, the United States is never credited with one-half of her products that reach this market, as the bulk of them are imported through European countries, and credited to such countries. Up to March, 1902, when a direct line of steam- ships began regular trips between New York and the principal ports in the Levant, including Piraeus and Patras, Greece, all the products of the United States that reached this market had to be brought through other countries of Europe, causing long and annoying delays, and a consequent impediment to the trade between Greece and the ) 186 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. United States. Now, in order to compete with the direct line, com- panies transporting goods from America to Greece through other countries are more prompt in their delivery. As the direct line of steamships has now been in operation two and one-half years, I hope for a better showing in future reports of the trade between this country and the United States. , There are two serious obstacles to a rapid increase in the trade between Greece and the United States, which my reports and letters have repeatedly brought to the attention of our exporters, and they are the ‘‘cash payments” insisted upon, and the incompetent, unrelia- ble resident agents employed. Unless American exporters adopt the plan long followed by their European competitors in this market, and send here competent, reliable men to look after their interests, and give acceptable credits, they can not expect to work up a large and profitable trade. American products are very popular in this market, and have the preference of the masses, when prices and terms compete with those of other countries. American exporters answer that their business in this market can not pay expenses of sending representatives here. My reply has been, and is, if they can not afford to send agents individually, let them club together and do so collectively, as many of the European exporters do. In a country where there is no law under which a firm or an indi- vidual that receives goods or money under false pretenses can be pun- ished, as 1 am informed is the case in Greece, foreign exporters will lose unless they have reliable agents on the ground. The exports to the United States invoiced in Athens and Piraeus during the year ended, June 30, 1904, amounted in value to $211,855, an increase of $5,755 over their value in the previous year. Besides these exports, shipments to the United States have been made from Voto, Syra, Naxos, and other ports in this consular district at which there are no American consular agents, and consequently I have no record of the amount of such shipments. AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY. - My annual report for 1902 contained a list of the principal imports to Greece from the United States in that year. A similar list might be given for the present year, there being omitted, however, some of the agricultural machines or implements then listed. As stated last year, the reasons for the falling off in the importation of farming implements are a decrease in the demand for such implements and the difficulty experienced by local agents in collecting payments for those sold here in the two previous years. The whole trouble was caused by some of the American exporters employing incompetent and unreliable agents to introduce and sell their machines to peasants who had never seen such mechanisms before. Asa result, the machines were sometimes improperly set up or put together by the agents, and either broke down at once or failed to do good work. In many cases the purchaser was not properly instructed in the use and care of the machine. He ran it without sufficient oil and let the bearings become clogged with dirt. Perhaps he let it stand in the field in all seasons with little or no shelter, and the next year tried to start and operate it without removing the accumulations of rust and dirt, or before properly oiling it. Of course, a machine so treated either refuses to do good work or will not work at all, and the peasant, not knowing where the fault EUROPE :- GREECH. 187 lies, thinks the machine is either a swindle or of inferior pattern and construction. He abandons any further efforts to use it, curses the man who sold it to him, and when the agent comes around to collect the price agreed upon, indignantly refuses to pay. He tells his neigh- bors how he has been deceived by the machine and its agent, and it soon gets a very bad name in that part of the country, and no more can be sold there. So long as American manufacturers follow such a course they will not succeed in countries like this. The best means of introducing goods and increasing trade in Greece is to employ only reliable and competent agents. *FREIGHT RATES. The changes in freight rates-between Greece and the United States during the last year have been unimportant. Rates on merchandise in general are trom $7.14 to $9.65 per ton, according to route and rapidity of transit. Rates on coal from the United States continue at from $3.85 to $4.25, and from Great Britain at from $1.25 to $1.85 per ton. The only reason given for such a discriminating difference in rates is the fact that the United States is without a sufficient fleet of merchant steamers and has to depend on vessels from foreign countries, while Great Britain has a large fleet at her command. GREEK MERCHANT MARINE. The only publication available which gives any information relative to the condition of the Greek merchant marine in 1903, is 2 pamphlet issued from the ministry of marine containing a list of the vessels, with their tonnage, description, and ports, of the fleets of the years 1901, 1902, and 1903. Vessels. i901. | 1902. | 1903. GS besa etches etait paste ta Ne Tascam kel ete het a Pitch tec eC Ga Te eek 161} 177 190 GSU ge eA ecto ese ys otser a sie nko Rts eens caa areca ead yds ttre mere oh mee , 1,054] 995 | 1,004 Steam- | Sailing ne ae ships vessels. ships. | vessels. Tonnage, 1903. 25 694 || 1,500 to 2,000 tons 23 293 || 2,000 to 2,500 tons 40 * 17 || Over 2,500 tons...........---. BL soetectes NAVIGATION AT GREEK PORTS. 1902. , 1903. Flag. Entered. Cleared. Entered. Cleared. Number.; Tons. |.Number.| Tons. |Number.| Tons. |Number.| Tons. 209 | 101,953 816 | 143, 158 260 | 118,146 261 119, 259 166 | 226, 678 156 | 201, 403 207 | 283,191 219 352, 655 163 | 241, 882 177 | 256, 480 190 | 288, 474 190 288, 474 147 | 195, 952 147 | 195, 952 159 | 248,316 159 243, 316 97 | 162,707 112 | 181, 408 152 | 241,761 152 241, 761 79 | 162,033 79 | 162,033 114 | 222, 642 114 222, 642 66 | 102, 664 65 | 100,561 65 | 111,744 66 116, 524 17 17,217 25 24,217 30 25, 280 30 25, 280 5 5 7 416 7 416 6 9,122 6 9,122 5 6, 962 5 6, 962 7 4,944 7 4, 944 4 4, 250 4 4, 250 4 109 10 633 4 113 6 215 sistices ties en Gik isteiad (Glue temeletereseltenes 1 1, 363 1 1, 363 188 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. NAVIGATION AT GREEK PORTS—Continued. 1902. 1908. Flag. Entered. Cleared. Entered. Cleared. Number. Tons. Number. Tons. |Number.} Tons. | Number. Tons. bak erty Malena Danish Spanish - . ae Patras: British . Italian ... Austrian Spanish Roumanian 2, 051 1,499 19, 728 2,051 1,499 ) 256 | 278,725 256 | 278,725 182 | 146,121 181 144, 184 167 59, 537 167 59, 537 15 22, 260 19 26, 999 3 4,325 3 4, 3! 296 40, 533 290 36, 134 143 66, 023 141 62, 330 75 | 119,978 72 113, 960 73 | 101,355 71 97, 290 29 63, 608 27 61, 228 19 28, 076 19 28, 076 16| 29,511 16 29, 511 13 907 138 907 11 23, 688 11 23, 688 41 3,573 15 3,573 8 15, 927 8 15, 927 2 0 2 8, 064 1 1, 308 1 1, 308 MANUFACTORIES IN ATHENS AND PIRAEUS IN 1904. Industries. oo * Industries. ae Distilleries (mostly cognac) ......... ..-- 80 || Paint factories ............. 0... ee eee eee 4 Furniture factories ........-.-.-..- 29 || Gunpowder factories. ............-- 3 Marble-working yards............- 28 || Rope factories..............-------- 3 Shoe factories. .............--.2-2-- 28 || Nail factories...............22-..- 3 Steam flourmills................... 16 || Ice factories.............22-2-.... 3 Cotton mills ..............--------- 15 || Paper factories................... 3 Macaroni factories_..............-- 15 || Looking-glass factories........... 3 Pottery and tile works............. 165 || Umbrella factories ... 2 Machine shops and foundries. . 9 || Olive-oil factories .............. 2 Dyeing works............-... 9 || Cartridge, ball, and shot factor: 2 Confectionery factories 9 || Shipyards ............-....2.245 2 Tanneries...........----- 7 || Electric plants ............... 2 Carriage factories. ........-...----- 7 || Gas works ..............020005 2 Breweries........---- G || Mosaic factories.............. 2 Dynamite factories 6 || Salt blocks ....... 2 Flannel and hose factories ........ 6 || Silk factories 2 Sawinills ssc asceaecsacsatocesees 5 Leat-pine factories... 2 Soap factories...........-++-+--+- 5 || Match factory .............. 1 Artificial marbie factories ....-.- 5 Chemical-preduats factories . 2 Perfumery factories ........--.-- 4 || Hat factory................. 1 Glass factories ........-..-......eee eee eee 4 | Rug and curtain factory 1 EUROPE: ITALY. 189 RECEIPTS OF GREEK GOVERNMENT FROM MONOPOLIES, TAXES, ETC. Sources. 1901. 1902. 1903. Customs tariff .... $3, 373, 800 $2, 345, 100 $2, 724, 872 Stamps ........... 1,327, 610 1,194, 243 1, 681, 012 Tobacco wrappers.....--. 1, 831, 210 1, 235, 287 1, 513, 700 Cutting tobacco and snuff 1,073, 180 1, 258, 749 1, 475, 741 Stamped paper . seas 1, 934, 140 1,121, 349 1, 367, 401 Petroleum...... 796, 290 807, 611 969, 079 Cigarette PAPER. ic c.cs sce eceicewsasieewcisin salem sce 534, 710 09, 440, 069 ONG s cicic oo seisisisisiainie session ime cece eae ores 350, 380 345, 490 411, 731 Mate sos cevsececsec ceceesesertereesicenesanes . 172, 640 185, 921 230,790 NBRUS OMIETY SON ncccnyas sv eerssar eee cryeely “ 120, 370 62, 509 84, 984 Playing) Cards <3 sees secaee te sous a nissleceuw sesame eReees oeecic 40, 020 38, 660 50, 739 TOWN ee dck rind as igidechvemwsnbsced man aoudatacend caseda 11, 554, 300 8, 949, 171 10, 900, 118 ITALY. [From ConsuL F. B. KEENE, FLORENCE, ITALY, OCTOBER 17, 1904.] Neither the chamber of commerce at Florence, which ranks rather conspicuously among Italian corporations of the kind, nor the custom- house, which is only a delivery office in comparison with any of the fifteen leading Italian ports of entry, furnishes information as to the native and foreign trade. The only reliable source of official data relating to exports from and imports into Italy is the volume just published by the Italian ministry of finance, ‘‘ Movimento commer- ciale, 1903.” The classification therein is by foreign countries, whence imported and whither exported, not by Italian provinces or districts. From it are compiled the figures here given regarding the trade of Italy with foreign countries. TRADE WITH UNITED STATES. | Years. i Imports. Exports. $23, 616, 000 1900 . 24, 282, 000 1901 -- 27, 969, 000 1902 | - 35, 404, 000 QOS icaceenacsceeiemeuea seam ekecctantecssateacaneacuneitemaaeacncastmawances 42,455,000 | 33,259) 000 The $42,455,000 of goods imported from the United States into Italy during the year 1903 was distributed as follows: i f Articles. i Value. Articles. Value.. \ OMS 5 os sisic eudees kee ecaeeeeseeeeatee | $2,694,000 | “Timber -s..seccccee see caeeessceeece ses $1, 871, 000 aisis.neiesieeneatcess -| 4,254,000 | Paper... 0 70, 000 -' 1,481,000 | Skins ............-00..----- 341, 000 | 109,000 | Metals and machinery .... 2, 391, 000 3 60,000 | Coal, mineral phosphates . 1,012, 000 .| 24,362,000 |; Cereals ..............----.- 1, 160, 000 58,000 || Animals and fish.......... 2, 369, 000 eee ne reese eset 7,000 || Sundries..........002.2c00sscseeeeeeee| 216,000 { 190 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. EXPORTS FROM UNITED STATES TO ITALY.a Articles, 1893. 1897. 1901. 1902. 1908. Dollars. Dollars. Dollars. || Dollars. Dollars. Agricultural implements...............--- 26, 440 36, 755 178, 195 225, 257 1938, 062 Books, maps, engravings, etchings, etc ... 9, 153 7,975 14, 934 19, 844 26, 808 Breadstuffs: . CORN. cnardacizdigrieiieieeei anise cemented 209, 426 299,518 19, 600 675, 801 OBtS -a..ceeneexeescaie cacexpeneeuiceeeees|stuseeesemeslededereeesad 8, 800 | cece cence 45, 379 Wheat... 6005.20 226, 659 675, 478 356, 643 196, 352 All other ; , 755 18, 623 15, 715 25, 600 Cars, carriages, other vehicles, and parts of: Cycles, and parts of..........-.------+-|------------ 162, 877 45, 016 67, 542 48, 221 All other, and parts of sists 2, 762 7, 80: 20, 749 10, 718 18, 397 Chemicals, drugs, dyes, and medicines: Copper, sulphate of 1, 336, 715 579, 700 291, 267 All other ........... ‘ 122, 103 395, 027 f 387, 605 188, 831 Coa) oa ccccncsecesaciscnsscasvencec = 750 16, 955 507, 847 418, 817 139, 148 Copper: Ingots, bars, plates, and old 46, 500 389, 352 894, 833 819,413 | 1,038, 925 Cotton, unmanufactured 11, 958, 274 | 16,849,163 | 18,524,113 | 19, 821, 681 Fertilizers ...........-.. , 579 222, 550 524, 72 600, 53 676, 642 Grease, grease scraps, and all soap stock. . 1, 635 24, 094 110, 703 19, 664 35, 022 Hides and skins, other than furs 93, 021 65, 611 950 10, 528 40, 684. India rubber, manufactures of. 25, 593 39, 436 87,416 73,228 96, 201 Tustruments, etc., for scientific ; 5, 019 86, 281 536, 610 42,737 26, 519 Tron and steel, and manufactures of: Pig iron 258, 573 . 8538, 598 S276) lessiscse eae Scrap and old ...... 158, 481 256) SND. |ecctievseianisac! 250 Rails for railways..........--.. suheirGmiiemeaet 94, 896 BY; FOO) | are piarersciciarss all siciterciarsyerciete Builders’ hardware, saws, and tvols... 10, 924 31, 287 96, 846 76,524 91, 958 Machinery, machines, and parts of 49, 410 118, 558 390, 323 389, 811 465, 192 AMPOtHCL io ccacccccnceeecis onan e 18, 148 31,189 84, 798 97, 504 97, 0938 Leather, and manufactures of ... 35, 808 152, 943 146, 155 158, 265 135, 419 Naval stores: ‘ Rosin, tar, turpentine, and pitch...... 126, 231 168, 737 142, 922 187, 656 200, 272 Turpentine, spirits of ae 61, 850 118, 580 312, 761 146, 687 251,573 oa Oxide and matte .....-.....--.---|-e-eeeeee eee 45, 000 80, 903 62, 580 89, 241 ils: SADIE) ccc sna ccuceenennesie seanecnida 830 1,845 90, 483 72, 787 11, 898 Mineral, refined.........-....----.--+- 1,446,556 | 1,974,750 | 1,469,927 | 1,489,444 | 1,710,248 Vegetable— . Cottonseed icciciireccciciccccctcensss 166, 490 209, 748 |. 1,356, 911 465, 332 811, 384 All other ......... ee 5, 047 17, 922 12, 226 3, 250 2,110 Paraffin and paraffin wax oes 89,111 209, 060 402, 002 663, 107 693, 275 Provisions, comprising meat and dairy products: Tallow 65, 524 188, 425 83, 047 21,820 52, 303 BECO D cio cress niacin speicinic mb cid aidinneunice thea a2 [leas ecu arse 10, 106 370, 096 146, 199 179, 106 Pork, salted or pickled. 399 955 90, 034 104, 954 314, 737 LOT oo nto oc siecicreicteseysicie 180, 258 100, 960 287, 272 222, 845 351, 265 All other ........... 7,378 14,565 125, 965 247,337 225, 7938 Seeds....-.. gemaeaeececadnies 851 19, 444 2,476 5, 280 65, 290 Tobacco, unmanufactured . 2,236,141 | 2,628,730 | 4,457,976 | 3,118,123-| 3,767,394 Varnish 2, 15, 066 14, 589 10, 634 14, 4 Wood, and manufactures of: Timber and unmanufactured wood— s Sawed 116, 5038 122, 890 300, 396 174, 496 376, 337 All other 15, 460 26, 561 18, 480 9,613 ' Lumber— Boards, deals, and Lat Seay Siih 114, 255 112,116 212, 842 218, 053 181, 222 Shooks, staves, and headings wie 207,109 443, 467 527,690 330, 573 347,794 HN OCH STS. is arewcccrelsiemacrsaraiadie Mota 523 8, 013 4,059 3, 168 7, 487 Manufactures of— WoOeU PUD i ansuncsciousercumrians paaseubdapual emas ccmmes 52, 615 52, 254 19, 500 All other é 38,970 65, 623 40, 434 40, 918 66, 811 All other articles 70,773 186, 032 302, 650 574, 444 620, 132 Total domestic exports.......-...... 12, 792,059 | 21,377,761 | 84,277,491 | 30, 888, 508 | 34, 692, 263 Total foreign exports..... 227, 480 124, 6 195, 698 499, 632 340, 41 Total exports of merchandise....... 18, 019, 589 } 21, 502, 423 | 34, 478,189 | 31,388,135 | 35, 032, 680 a¥From data of Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor. HOW TO INCREASE AMERICAN TRADE. American manufacturers have long been in the habit of applying to consuls for lists of wholesale or retail dealers in machinery, and, upon receiving them, of sending catalogues, illustrations, and price lists, EUROPE: ITALY. 191 which have proved to be almost useless, at least su far as hardware is concerned. American agencies to exploit American goods are estab- lished in England, Germany, France, and Austria, but none are found in Italy, nor is there any indication of an attempt by these European agents to extend the shipment of American goods to Italy. Energetic and practical American mechanics or engineers are wanted here to explain how to move and to use engines fit for different pur- poses, so as to impress upon the Italian mind the superiority of the genuine American machinery over the counterfeit productions. That result can easily be attained by the cooperation of several manufac- turers of the same city or State, or producers of the same line of goods. Italians are very slow, especially the agricultural class, to adopt any costly engine and to abandon the unwieldy machinery of their fathers and grandfathers. They want the test, the evidence, pe More results could be had through a few months of activity ere by two competent Americans than through a dozen general Euro- pean agents or ten years of advertising. The local comniission agents, who may represent several firms of different nationalities, do not: seem to exert themselves much in advancing the interests of the firms they represent. TRADE WITH UNITED KINGDOM. Total Imports of imports. coal. $28, 828, 000 38, 691, 000 27, 858, 000 25, 399, 000 26, 761, 000 Theaggregate exports from Italy to England in 1903 were $26,333,200. Might not the large number of our barks, brigs, and schooners, formerly engaged in oil transportation around the world, find a remu- nerative business in carrying coal to Italy?, There are four railway companies, the Adriatic, Mediterranean, Sicilian, and Sardinian, all of which are constant consumers of coal. TRADE WITH RUSSIA. Total Imports of Years. _ Imports. cereals. $19, 231, 000 $17, 121, 000 27, 102, 000 24,017, 000 30, 001, 000 27, 956, 000 36, 352, 000 31, 072, 000 42,059, 000 36, 043, 000 The aggregate exports from Italy to Russia in 1903 were $2,842,000. Milwaukee, Chicago, and Minneapolis merchants have here an illus- tration of the need of wheat and corn in Italy. Is the difference of distance and cost of transportation so great as to shut us out from a larger share in this market? In 1903 we sent only $1,160,000 worth of cereals to Italy. 192 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. TRADE WITH GERMANY. Imports of Total ial imports. | metalsand $38,812,000 | $14, 348, 000 40,685,000] 18,573,000 44) 341, 000 ” 138, 47,215,000 | — 19, 286, 000 The aggregate exports from Italy to Germany in 1903 were $45,279,000. Italian importers say that the imports of German machinery and metals represent the cost of goods of an inferior grade and cheaper in price. The United States in 1903 shipped to Italy only $2,391,000 worth of machinery and metals. TRADE WITH FRANCE. The imports from France in 1903 were $38,654,000, compared with $36,785,000 in 1902, $35,846,000 in 1901, $33,471,000 in 1900, and $32,459,000 in 1899. In 1908 silks and fabrics constituted $9,334,000 of the imports from France; wool and fabrics, $7,024,000, and metals and machinery, $4,204,000. The aggregate of exports from Italy to France in 1903 was $34,174,000. TRADE WITH AUSTRIA-HUNGARY. Jn 1903 Italy imported from Austria-Hungary goods valued at $35,212,000, $10,000 worth more than in 1902. Of the imports, $4,011,000 worth was in cocoons and silks, $10,907,000 in timber, and $4,703,000 in horses, the number of the latter being 38,657. The value of exports from Italy to Austria-Hungary in 1903 was $30,767,000. CASTELLAMARE DI STABIA. [From ComMERoraL AGENT C. 8. CROWNINSHIELD, CASTELLAMARE DI STABIA, ITALY, OCTOBER Of first importance here is the manufacture of macaroni. This is a large and growing business, seventeen times as much, in value, bemg exported to the United States as any other article produced in this district. IMPORTS AND EXPORTS AT CASTELLAMARE DI STABIA, 1903. Imports. Quantity.) Value. Exports. Quantity.) Value. Tons, oa Tons. COal 6 cscees veyeesewess oeeeey 174, 000 £174,000 || Building and paving stones 4, 060 £2,030 Weil osasscacadesrases eee 184,348 | 1,343,480 || Macaroni.................. 21, 621 432, 420 Old rails and scrap iron....| 18,404 78,616 || Green fruit ................ , 906 99, 060 BIG ONCE caicenwicce tne axcieenn 430 860 |) Dry fruit... 587 71,740 Pipe clay........... : 300 240 || Potatoes .... 9, 156 18, 312 Timber and shooks. 7,624 15, 248 ||. Olive oil .... 210 8, 400 Cheese............+- 636 2,644 || Wine........ 2 145 1,160 Cheese ....... BA eet: 40 1,600 Total ¢ cewees denies see 335,742 | 1,609,988 || Preserved fruit ............ 1,350 10, 800 PROTA) cet omtanaumeeilis 50, 075 645, 522 EUROPE: ITALY. 1938 SHIPPING AT CASTELLAMARE DI STABIA, 1903. Sail. Steam. Total. Nationalities, Number. Tons. Number. Tons. Number. Tons. ENTERED. s 136, 194 96 136, 194 180, 723 ” 186, 640 432, 888 390 438, 999 CLEARED, 138, 305 95 138, 305 180,728 194 186, 101 70, 316 54 70, 316 29; 286 26 29, 286 6,331 8 6,331 Wopeee 3,634 [7727/8684 ines 6,399 | 9 | "6,598 Totalccveccusescecocsnsscene 10 5,877 378 | ~429,994 388 435, 571 CATANTA. [FRoM CONSUL ALEXANDER HEINGARTNER, CATANIA, ITALY, NOVEMBER 1, 1904.] FOREIGN TRADE. The trade of this consular district for the year 1903 shows an increase of $601,354 in the value of imports and an increase of $479,933 in the value of exports, as compared with 1902. The exports to the United States increased $499, and the value of imports therefrom decreased $14,928. Exports of sulphur amounted to 476,013 tons in 1908, as against 466,500 tons in 1902. The asphalt exports amounted to 61,557 tons, an increase of 6,651 tons over 1902. Exports of almonds have increased considerably the last few years, The total exports for the six years ending June 30 were: 1899, $66,978; 1900, $58,264; 1901, $35,458; 1902, $180,097; 1903, $155,802; 1904. $136,363, JMPORTS AND EXPORTS, BY ARTICLES, 1903, Articles, Imports, | Exports. Articles, Imports, | Exports, irits, beverages, oils....| $209, 887 $482, 564 || Paper and books.....,... $17,691 $1, 354 Colonial goods, groceries, Hidesand leather....., a 328, 652 73, 202 tobaccO,...------.+----+ 84, 010 140, 786 || Minerals, metals, manu- Chemicals, medicines, factures of .........-..- 195, 055 8,192 rosins, perfumes....- ene 207, 351 231, 967 || Stone, earthen, glass, and Dyestuffs, tanning prod- erystal wares........--- 546, 078 2,749, 010 WCtS ...---ecerncerceres 58, 135 14, 357 || Cereals, flour, etc.......- 2, 556, 123 8, 710, 894 Hemp, jute, cordage...... 13, 083 1, 085 Animal products........- 100, 721 46, 848 Cotton, manufactures of.. 26, 358 | 38, 830 || Other articles 27,496 88, 611 Wool, manufactures of ... 106, 812 6, 796 Silk, manufactures of..... 5, 218 1,153 Totals. .........- eee 4, 884, 100 7, 564, 458 Wood and straw...------- 451, 885 53, 809 ‘ H. Doc. 481, 58-3-——13 194 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. IMPORTS AND EXPORTS, BY COUNTRIES, 1903. Countries. Imports. | Exports. Countries. Imports Exports. Austria-Hungary - $592, 318 | $1,731,606 || Turkey ....-.-----------+ $97, 411 $192, 009. France ..- 125, 690 140,749 || Spain ....-..----------++- 78, 685 96, 2 Germany ..... 135,998 | 1,192,588 || Russia -....-.-.---------- 2,475,119 396, 009 Great Britain. ..-.. 717, 694 758, 288 || Other countries. ......--- 74, 008 1, 495, 585 Greece and Malta 130, 783 436, 769 United States. .... 115, 962 421, 190 Total occ cccccanes 4, 884, 502 7, 564, 458 Holland .......---...----- 40, 834 703, 466 . 7 EXPORTS OF ASPHALT FROM CATANIA. Mazzarelli. Syracuse. Catania. Destination. 1903, | 1904 (10 | 1903 (10 | 1904 (10 | 1908 (10 | 1904 (10 * |months).} months).| months). months).| months). Tons. Tons. Tons Tons. Alexandria .. 2.254 2-scee08 feneccesereecc|ececeszcss| FOO) L000 |-voceel | et jesccnsceas Amsterdam ....-. Antwerp ....-.-.--- Fiume ..........- Genoa.......-.--- Galatz........-..- Glasgow ..-....-- Hamburg ......---- Liverpool ....-... mdon .....-...-. Marseille......... New York.....-.- New Orleans ..... Pescara ...--.-- Rotterdam -.--. Rouen .....-. Stettin ..... Trieste ..... Venice ......... All other ports . otal alam eaceeas nee eteaedae es 34,565 | 27,361] 23,688 | 29,195| 3,309 3,187 EXPORTS OF SULPHUR FROM CATANIA. Catania. Sicily. Destination. 1904 (10 1904 (10 e 1908. | mont Ss). 1908; months). Ditto eda Ve leg esa bea alts Teese | ese | deo gs0 | asag7 BN BIANG p30 os ancoe ceawecer ean deanaee aeun'oaduce 7,694 | 6,177| 19,167| 13,138 Belgium _.........s.c2scssscsceceeeeeseeeeeeeneeey 6,823 | 6,762 | 14,024] 11,008 Netherlands .........0.-2..csssssesseesseeeelee 4.558 | 6,234| 5,158 6,932 Germanys cs ccacsenae cc on camedcas shesccete venmeus 21,925 | 13,964 | 33,015} 24,415 Sweden, Norway, and Denmark..220020000000000011 13,921 | 8201] 22,949} 13,959 Huiseia hatast gjicanceeee es veces easier et res elas 3,037 | 2,656 | 19,344] 15,970 pall iasakthootem te when do a neta yess groan Coes 4045} 4)016| 4,595 4,316 Portugal svcscun sansceuse dageenewer acueeeeuweae 7,689 | 5,567 | 14,066 8,098 MUSE Giaccceese Gnas: ce cresagecceneaucuarnecs 10,707 | 113277] 17,856] 18,190 PEEAT CG sy oidicis/sinvtasclgcisiorald aie Hshioeucice ania Vesa eisaielnowinan ” 454 1481 | 75,577 71, 626 GiCOCe isa hlbie cia hehe nec eae tehmnasencamanias 17/041 | 16,408 | 17,314] 16,408 MUTE Ova ecinimcn cnn iccatenccehaavalvacnaaiecm acai "132 | 8)647| 7,889 8,967 Tn diane cnae soaggnaeacaancn sucsneenosesneusames arenes 3,246 | 2029] 3,246 2,029 All other countries... 8,711 | 6,786 | 16,643) 11,818 Italian ports ......... 28, 933 43, 582 44, 890 66, 695 Total..... 150,202 | 145,321 | 476,013 386, 986 Stock On Han ie...) ccc Fences danse bea esses 57,150 39, 350 347, 300 346, 400 @Tons of 13 comtars=2,275 pounds, EUROPE: ITALY. 195 TRADE OF CATANIA WITH UNITED STATES, 1903. Articles. Imports. | Exports. Articles, Imports. | Exports. Spirits, beverages, oils. ... $79, 619 $64,312 || Hides and leather ....... BUG | svicic ciate ctoiex Colonial goods, groce: Minerals, metals, manu- tobacco. -- a 17 32, 633 factures of ...........-.| 469 |............ Chemicals, Stone, coal, ete $18, 116 perfumes ....... 150 10, 227 || Fruit and nuts. ‘ 273, 634 Hemp, jute, corda, 3 aS and the: prod. Cotton, manufactures of... 1G fosrecre sradicical|). — NICUS:,n2cccjcis asieciceictecie's 32, 478 21, 906 Oe and manufactures Other articles .......-.--- 81 362 Paeisinee es eaeoeemeeeeies 3 Wood and straw. 509 |. TLOtAl cciecsicaee seins 115, 961 421,190 Paper and books 28 | NAVIGATION. ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES OF VESSELS AT CATANIA IN 1903. Steamers. Sailing vessels. Total. Nationalities. Number.| Tonnage. |Number.| Tonnage. | Number.| Tonnage. ARRIVALS. Tilia ooccc cccnesceceeccs ceeetess 1,040 881, 878 2,007 71,170 3, 047 948, 048 Austro-Hungarian ...............-- 200 171, 033 1 838 201 171,121 Danish oscacsinsedesegieicisigescineed Qh B08 Ts | ssiscisinisicss| ateiciersis apieieeiel 4 37941 GROOK orc onion sias cemmeneeeeeealeeeied 40 101 62, 204 French... 3 3 2,944 German .. 115 115 133, 043 British ... 153 153 196, 886 Montenegrin. 2 459 Norwegian... 29 23, 632 Dutch...... 32 20, 680 Turkish ...... 17 , 883 Roumanian .. 1 286 Russian ...... 3 2,000 Greek Islands 1 141 Spanish ....-..-. 2 1, 630 Swedish... 5 4, 060 TOte) oe svewsmsesessecseniccgess! 1,625 | 1,493,136 2,091 86, 322 3, 716 1, 569, 458 Italian 881, 433 2,006 71, 733 8, 044 953, 166 Austro-Hungarian . 171, 033 201 171,121 Danish............- Od: sareratcrenaiece s | acerereraieis aferens 5 7 Greek. .cceseses cence 50, 165 66 12, 417 105 62, 582 French..........- 2) 944o |. coserecan eawceneasees 3 2, 944 German.......... 1335992 Ul cc capil owenemm cheese 116 183, 992 British........... 196 908-4 cicie cunt oinenisienteniecis 153 196, 968 Montenegrin.......-.-.-. 22.222 eee [eee eee eee [eee eee eee ee 4 908 4 908 Norwegian.......---- 24 DTG aia ews mf scredrcrieiieu ae 3 24,576 WICH, oi - acces eee 20680 | sci ictcicin nao] ane seerccaicce 3! 20, 680 Turkish 2 ose gsesneecessee ed jean vee |e vemciasintel| sictece temic Roumanian Russian ...... Greek Islands Spanish .... Swedish........... --.- DOta lee sa ptedeueahseseatenecn 1,625 | 1,494, 669 2, 096 88,763 3, 721 1, 583, 482 SHIPPING OF THE PORT OF RIPOSTO IN 1903. Sailing vessels. Steamers. Total. Nationalities. n Number.|} Tonnage. | Number.| Tonnage. | Number.| Tonnage. ENTERED. fc 379 233, 820 528 236, 605 82 36, 301 32 36, 301 1 780 1 780 11 18, 383 11 18, 383 423 284, 284 572 287, 069 Italian .. 379 233, 820 529 236, 657 Austrian 32 36,301 32 36,301 German. 1 780 1 780 British. 2cescisccaiemeesvadcecnameans te BT 13, 383 11 13, 383 Total 423 284, 284 | 573 287, 121 196 : COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. FLORENCE. (FRom ConsuL F, B. KEENE, FLORENCE, ITALY, OCTOBER 17, 1904.] FLOUR AND BREAD. The cooperative associations of the Province of Florence, convinced that the starting of a cooperative mill would promote their interests, are working to ascertain the quantity of flour consumed by each and all of the bakers, in order to form a detailed and concrete scheme for such a mill. Meanwhile, a milling company proposes to bake 110,230 pounds of bread aday. The total daily consumption of bread averages a little more than 176,368 pounds, so that this company could supply bread to five-eighths of the population (208,624 inhabitants). Hygien- ically considered, everything would be most desirable, but it is likely that there would be no reduction in price. Bread now costs from 2.6 to 5.2 cents a pound. CATTLE. To lessen the frequent and often unjust contests relating to the pur- chase and sale of domestic cattle, the agrarian committee of Florence at a recent meeting resolved as follows: First. To do away with the lex loci and ancient customs, and be guided only by article 1498 of the Italian Civil Code, as follows: “The vendor is bound to warrant the thing sold from hidden defects which render it unfit to the uses for which it is intended, or which: restrict its use in such a man- ner that had the purchaser known them he would not have bought, or would have offered a lower price,’’ which, without detailing diseases, declares that restitution is called for when the disease is serious, hidden, or preexistent to the bargain. Second. To have reduced by law to three days the warrant for any hidden defect. Third. To adopt ready cash payment as the best means of preventing contests. Fourth. To fix brokerage fee, taking necessary steps for an official recognition. Fifth. To establish arbitration colleges as the most prompt, easy, and efficacious manner of settling questions relating to the cattle traffic. EXPORTS TO THE UNITED STATES. The value of exports from Florence to the United States during the last six fiscal years was as follows: 1899, $941,111; 1900, $1,333,602; 1901, $1,305,986; 1902, $1,419,944; 1903, $1,760,447; 1904, $1,338,821. For the last five fiscal years the average is $1,352,218 as compared with $1,338,821 for the last fiscal year, showing a decrease of $13,397. This small difference finds easy explanation in the fact that the St. Louis oe absorbed invoices of goods valued at over $100,000, shipped there by Florence exhibitors, on board the Italian Government vessel under the control of the local chamber of commerce. The decrease of exports during the last fiscal year, in comparison with the preceding one, is largely due to the falling off of straw goods, the value of which was $927,828 in 1904 and $1,210,962 in 1903, or a decrease of $283,134. Japan, China, and Switzerland are strong ‘competitors of the Tuscan trade. The time is past—only fashion can recall it—when fine and large hats made only of Tuscan straw, and formerly called Leghorn hats, were shipped by thousand dozens. Nowadays the market requires chip hats and cheap prices, chip fane hats plaited with silk, variegated, very light, in which line of goods the Japanese have the best, even at an inferior price, both for material and workmanship combined, EUROPE: ITALY. 197 Works of art are now really articles of luxury. While many small pieces of art can be had at a very low figure, any imitation or copy of masterpieces commands a comparatively large price. The trouble with Florentine artists is that there is overproduction—many admir- ers and few buyers. A fiourishing department just now is the deco- rative art, ceramics and terra cotta. Dry skins and moist hides are another item of decrease. South America and East Africa have furnished a new and advantageous field. This kind of trade is limited to a few hands, and it is stated that the goods disinfected in this district are often transferred to Bel-. gian and English merchants, who send them to the United States. Shipments of antiquities have decreased, and at present there are: more imitations than genuine objects. Tuscany has been thoroughly ransacked. Unless excavations disclose new sources of treasure, the churches may be almost divested of their ancient ornaments and the palaces of the nobles be stripped even of their miniatures. GENOA. (From Consu. W. H. BisHop, GENOA, ITaLy, AuGusT 1, 1904.] IMPROVEMENTS IN GENOA. The past year has been one of active building in Genoa. The costly arcaded section of the grand new street of the XX Settembre, from -the Piazza de Ferrari to the Monumental Bridge, is nearing comple- tion. At the Piazza de Ferrari itself, the ancient landmark ‘‘Sant Andrea,” an old castle, lony a prison, with a group of convent build- ings annexed, has been torn down to make room for the immediate erection of a modern post-office. This demolition opens a view from the improved modern quarter into the midst of the most thickly built and obscure old Genoa. Spectators are continually seen there lost in wonderment at the contrast. The plan for the remodeling of the east- ward suburb of San Francesco d’Albaro is advancing toward a definite solution. Broad streets and fine squares are to be cut through that district, where the thoroughfares are now so narrow that a vehicle often scrapes the walls on either side. It is evident that the high and ample building locations offered there must give the quarter a most important position in the development of the new Genoa. on the other side of the town the enlarged Principe railroad station: is to be thrown open August 15. The vast wall between Genoa and. Sampierdarena is being quarried away, and spacious avenues are to be: cut through it. A union of the two cities has been voted. One result of this quarrying is of interest to Americans: It has caused the enforced’ abolition of the old English cemetery of San Benigno, in which had rested since 1829 the body of James Smithson, the founder of the Smithsonian Institution. The body was taken up in the early days of the present year, and conveyed to Washington for reburial at the Smithsonian. The population of Genoa on December 31, 1903, reached 256,804, of which 22,560 came under the head of floating. The population of Sampierdarena would add to this about 44,000, making a total of over 300,000. There should also properly be included the dozen or more: 198 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. small towns eastward as far as Nervi and westward as far as Voltri. Though having different names, these are united by an almost con- tinuous, solidly built street. The real Genoa, then, with which com- merce and industry have to count is a city of about 350,000 people. Sampierdarena is a great manufacturing suburb, spoken of as “the Manchester of Italy.” It has been definitely settled that a great basin of the new harbor works will be extended in that direction with an entrance from the east, thus making the port common to the two com- munities, and obviating jealousies on this score that have long existed. During the year the recently instituted consorzio or board of auton- omous control of all harbor works has perfected its important organi- zation. Besides deciding upon the plan to be followed, which is to involve a first expenditure of $12,000,000, it has done very efficient service in the better organization of all the commercial operations of the port, its security, and in appeasing friction among the unusual complication of labor interests. It has opened a bureau of nautical information, to be supplied gratuitously, and the United States Hydro- graphic Office, at the request of this consulate, has consented to forward, for filing at the headquarters, in the old Palace of St. George, copies of its Pilot Charts and other documents. These are received with much appreciation and will be of benefit. General Canzio, the presi- dent of the consorzio, is a son-in-law of Garibaldi, and his personal standing and merit have helped the work in which he is engaged. He is, in his functions, a kind of marine prefect. His precise rank has not yet been fixed by the Italian Parliament. This has given rise to some temporary complications from the ceremonial point of view. The admiral of the American fleet last calling here, for instance, did not feel warranted in paying him an official visit until this point should have been determined. It is announced that the King of Italy will come in person, in the month of October next, to place the first stone of the new harbor improvements. HOW TO INCREASE AMERICAN TRADE. Together with numerous requests for reports on special subjects from private persons, this consulate continues to receive large numbers of applications with reference to aid in introducing American goods. These are usually accompanied by catalogues in English, and a desire is expressed that suitable agents should be found. The catalogues are handed as far as possible to reputable dealers, and many efforts have been made to obtain agents. It does not appear in most instances that these affairs have been followed up with much success. Active effort of a personal sort and not mere correspondence would be neces- sary to capture any considerable market here.. I find my esteemed colleague, Count de Clerq, the consul-general of France, using toward his own compatriots, in a recent report, the following language: It is necessary for our people to stir themselves as their German competitors do. The producer or dealer who can not come in person should send active, intelligent, commercial travelers, speaking the language of the country. Of many such agents who have visited my office, there was not one who had reason to complain of his journey or who had to go away with empty hands. If the above is true of France, which is close by, how much more so of our own distant country? I myself have been much interested in one example of the real American salesman of the best sort, who has appeared in this district a number of times within the past few EUROPE: ITALY. 199 months. He is the general European agent of an American manu- factured article. Finding that sales were not procured by correspond- ence, he came out here from his headquarters at London, got a fairly good interpreter, and conducted an almost house-to-house canvass. For instance, he went into almost every office in the Via Venti Settembre. He says that the manners of the people in consenting to look at goods, or even in refusing them, are much more polite than those met with in the United States. The result of his tour was that he left his mar- ket in an excellent condition. He says that it is very difficult to get good agents here, and that in his travels in Italy he saw very few Amer- ican agents at work. One feature which would much facilitate trade would be a parcels- post system such as most European countries enjoy. Samples are sent in this way for a mere trifle, whereas from and to the United States there is nothing but the expensive express system, and the hardships of this system are an almost universal subject of complaint on both sides of the ocean among those compelled to use it. A usual practice here in Genoa, the leading port of the Kingdon, is for a forwarding agency to bring over a great number of packages inclosed in a single crate, pay a moderate duty on the whole in a lump sum, and then Sen to the consignee of each package a good, round sum at its own volition. Another example of the evil of a lack of a parcels post has been strongly brought to my attention in the last few days. The city post- office complains that packages in large numbers arriving by post and then committed perforce to express agencies, for America, are, the consignees not being found, returned here loosely, as opened at the American custom-house and never closed up again. Sometimes a couple of them will come back roughly tied together. There is no security for the contents in this way; damage and loss result, and the responsibility can not be fixed anywhere. The post-office states that it has been informed that it is not the practice of the American custom- house to take upon itself the resealing or otherwise securing of such packages. FOREIGN COMMERCE AND NAVIGATION. EXPORTS TO THE UNITED STATES. The total exports declared at this consulate for the fiscal year end- ing June 30, 1903, was $1,064,294.62, show a decline of $233,096.93 from the year preceding, which, however, was noted as a phenomenal year and the high-water mark of exportation from Genoa. The decrease, however, is partly offset by an increase of $94,108.76 at the consular agency of San Remo; so that the total exports from the district reached $1,158,402. In examining the returns it is seen that there was a moderate increase in all the most characteristic arti- cles of Italian export, such as olive oil, wine, macaroni, chestnuts, sweets, condiments, as well as in gloves and sheepskins. Raw cotton to the amount of $25,040 was reexported. There was also a shipment from the district of manufactured cotton goods to the amount of $4,749. There was a gain of $30,606 by some 12 miscellaneous articles which were not on the list of the preceding year. On the other hand some 24 articles which had been on that list and are not on the present one account for a decline of $128,514—more than half in the items of 200 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. old copper, and pewter and tin ingots. These are hardly to be counted as staple products of this market, but appear casually in it from time to time. The same is to be said of tin sheets, a considerable item of decline, which arrive here at intervals from India. The two main features of the decrease, apart from the above, were cotton waste to the amount of $72,519, accounted for by the lessened activity in cotton manufacturing, due to the inflated American market, and $51,503 in glycerin. ENTRIES OF SHIPS AND MERCHANDISE. Merchan- Vessels 7 Years. dise entered. entered. Tons. 1902 acco -chataisiate cyclase die saeiaismivineaciaw late tawiesnmieeiateristereee Cee cewemeeaced sauceseaeasnes. 6, 609 5, 579, 738 POOD eaccrceic crete crs ctsa ciel aicrad raladta slecinh ge Per massinteae area rege R EB RLR RCRA eee nem ae eaaauncen 6,335 | 5,652, 158 Wirst'6 MONths Of 1904 2 soce.cacsemacten noe esc toesaneseesnecuhag seEeAReesaaRaRboet 2,986 | 2,958, 640 COAL, GRAIN, AND COTTON IMPORTS. Years, Coal. Grain. | Cotton. Tons. Tons. Bales. TQ02 wc occ cesun sh anbleescausienk Ives ee emig ew ata smear eden ee eEneone 2,424,040 | 619,582 | 585, 305. RQOS. jc crajsicis. cists seaisiace FinisG ae Sees Barta seua Meas arate ne ai Sea are St 2,493,970 | 716,986 634, 116 First 6 months of 1904 .... 2.2.2.2. 1-22 ee een ee ee eet een ee 1,199,290 | 222,581 878, 480 American coal arrived in 1903 to the amount of 26,058 tons, and for the first six months of 1904, 23,248 tons. CUSTOMS RECEIPTS. The customs receipts for 1903 were $14,716,139.60, a small decrease as compared with 1902. The considerable decline in customs receipts since 1901 is chiefly due to the diminished importation of sugar conse- quent upon the flourishing home production. EMIGRATION VIA GENOA. The number of emigrants registered as departing from Genoa for the calendar year 1903 was 62,308, as against 62,237 for 1902. The reater number, viz, 41,358, were carried on steamers under the talian flag, the remainder on those under the German, Spanish, and English flags, except 8,564 persons, who, leaving here by rail, took slipping under the French flag at Havre. ix important steamship lines convey emigrants to the United States from this port. From the record made at this consulate it appears that for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1904, there were embarked 15,556 passengers, of which 3,180 were first class and 12,376 steerage. The numbers for the preceding year were 2,551 and 12,788, respec- tively, or total 15,289. Some 38 transoceanic steamships sail from Genoa in an average month. A new line for the Philippine Islands (the Compafiia Trans- atlantica of Barcelona) has recently been put on, sailing each fourth Monday of the month. + BUROPE: ITALY. 201 LEGHORN. [FRom ConsuL J. A. SMITH, LE@HORN, ITALY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1904.] FOREIGN COMMERCE. The combined value of imports and exports at Leghorn during the year 1903 was $25,088,937. These figures show a decrease from 1902 of $3,776,556. The falling off was entirely in imports, a small gain being made in exports. Much of the decline, too, in imports was due to a fall in prices rather than quantity. IMPORTS. Articles. 1902. 1908. Articles, 1902. 1903. Carbonate of soda....-.-- $89, 003 $86, 311 Coal .......------ --| 2,144,029 | 1,928, 151 $449, 143 $258, 958 Coffee ....... std 151, 970 138, 456 2, 861, 272 1, 972, 849 Cotton, raw.. 148, 755 126, 875 2, 958, 821 1, 539, 074 Cotton yarn and 12, 832 “10,540 || Wool, washed and un- Cotton tissues - 68, 719 58, 531 washed .. x 140, 237 177, 067 Fish, dried and “1,470,719 | 1,303,691 || Wool yarn . 12, 832 30, 834 Hides, raw..... 887, 157 894, 661 || Wool tissues . 66,115 34, 352 Iron, pig and scrap . 119, 613 118, 586 || All other artic: 6, 158, 689 6, 079, 340 Jute, raw .... z 2138, 040 196, 368 Mineral oil 143, 128 180, 646 APO ball sna rciccieue aici 18, 098, 809 | 15, 084,574 UPAE Ss scien 12, 740 9, 284 EXPORTS. Articles. 1902. 1903. Articles. 1902. 1903. Boracic acid.........--.-- $119, 905 $57, 764 || Pumice stone and earths. $8, 542 $4, 340 BOTA ca'c.2,s)mssie.s)eisicigclivesscinisie 953 355 || Rags, mixed ............. 153, 946 127, 459 Candied fruits ie 575, 575 425, 389 || Sienna earth, ochers, and ae 545, 485 bi 26, 687 25, 611 ges... 35, 388 72,642 290, 961 Hemp 1, 530, 869 58, 353 64, 733 Hides aye --| 1,248,223 | 1,206,911 |] Wine: te: In casks and barrels . 41, 780 21, 704 Rough and blocks.... 368, 977 455, 917 In bottles and flasks . 270, 265 282,310 Worked 652, 656 655,900 || All other articles......... 2,496, 968 38, 278, 268 Mercury.... 233, 058 190, 708 Olive oll.......-.-..00---- 865, 825 773,174 PDO UAL Seraraia sssziciais Sia 9,301,097 | 10, 004, 363 EXPORTS TO THE UNITED STATES. The declared value of exports from the Leghorn district to the United States during the year 1903 shows a gain over the previous year of $135,672 and a total of $1,849,622. These figures, of course, can not be taken as indicating the total value of the shipments to the United States from this port. A large percentage of exportations from Tuscany and from other sections of central Italy is shipped from here, but their value is declared at other consular offices. There was but little change in value in any of the principal articles of export, with the exception of cheese, which nearly doubled. -Olive oil, as usual, heads the list in amount. IMPORTS FROM THE UNITED STATES. Imports from the United States amounted to $3,302,984, and show a decrease of $1,080,948 from the previous year. This decline was 202 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. due mainly to decreased imports of but two articles, tobacco and wheat, which were abnormally small as compared with other years. 1902. 1903. Articles. 7 Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value. Kilograms.a Kilograms.a Bicycles BAB LOG Uh is ciate seatciarsztas/elssivinauicin sie afeishe'e Cotton-seed oil........... 280, 318 37, 870. 96 344, 272 $46, 508, 17 Cotton, manufactured ..... 157, 460 . 25, 975. 62 22, 984 3, 469. 47 Copper, brass, and bronze - 1, 616, 765 421, 246.77 1, 592, 396 417, 906. 51 COR cc isinccmisiersiite asennad i 08, 000 2,549.15 25, 000 125. 45 COMM cos csiosmaenesiadacon nitllinoee Pawineniemee| aaetsidinaytes eaierene 3, 256, 380 87,977.12 Fish, cured .. 25, 103 3, 633. 66 168, 928 28, 065. 61 Greases.......-..-.----- 42, 645 5, 761. 34 138, 564 18, 745.51 Gum and. resins snc cco2 cocwstes wens sienianssene| ans edercaczns| esenieeaemeeem ses 104, 139 2,512, 28 PUIG OS rece cmcaieiviziats. sexta one 43, 860 17, 786. 46 100, 115 42,506.51 Iron and steel, worked... 103, 733 18, 280. 09 56, 778 , 526.0 CAD cn aseccaiva exsteewsee 2,417,474 115, 200.30 § 2, 110, 548 108, 263, 93 Medicines...........-...- 4,7 1, 591, 66 38, 415 1, 331. 50 Mineral phosphates....-. 10, 158, 962 83, 260. 10 5, 587, 793 58, 914.55 Mineral oil...........--.... 109, 168 18, 461. 71 48, 599 5, 078. 38 Machinery .........--..-..- 215, 149 46,702. 15 366, 980 62, 049, 84 OVE O11 on ccecieseeenesoe 794 157. 72 2, 406 478, 25 Oxide Of lead nips ycinededermsese ese tecews |seemmant epices eecascape ene’ 57, 980 6, 714. 08 Optical instruments. ....... 564 3, 269. 42 94 181. 92 BTS. oc cineca croininmrsieicica Hames 141, 584 4,699; 02! |ocesees ce sccsn|ssescirceaae ice Petroleum 1, 379, 103 58, 154. 73 975, 707 37, 662, 21 Paraffin . 1, 091, 365 120, 161. 16 1,185, 178 130, 400. 64 Sulphate 865, 884 80, 215. 49 229, 820 41 Sponges.... 1,902 AB bra garae.s ctn eis Hl Tobacco 10, 729, 163 7, 560, 655 MN ss sereiohearg ae niin wd sae sasgcenws veel acca (aeseewmonece 126, 515 Varnishe! sass 1, 322 2, 106 Wood in the log......---...-.---. 4 300,000} = 1,158.00 |....--........ Wood squared and sawed.......- i 2, 781, 546 é 5, 436, 992 OO ccsatasavainrnrieletrarsiaistaretain ileaaeois 2 20, 425 9,460.86 |.....-.-....-. Wheat: icwrsectianteaarneneccses 15, 924, 209 505, 343. 48 3, 916, 526 103, 918. 92 Miscellaneous. 349, 787 Gelderland .....-....... 589, 286 || Groningen... a 309, 222 South Holland U21G GOL || Drenthe! an ns2caex 3. 2 :ciswicicinindg snlbdinsnteicte 156, 330 North Holland 1,020,120 || Limburg. .........2.....0..2 02.2 eee 297, 605 Zealand......-- ---| 221,957 : ; ! —_——___ Utrecht ............-. 263, 760 POL 2. son ee snineewnesieiiineass 5,347, 182 Friesland: .cccasscannindsss ios nr eewcnex 347, 966 EUROPE: NETHERLANDS. 223 Of the population 2,647,445 were men and 2,699,737 women. The number of inhabitants of the 24 communes of the Netherlands each having a population of more than 20,000 was: Communes. £ nas Communes. vOut Amsterdant 2202222: neeneuguaceaeeeceee 588, 815 || Leeuwarden....-....----------.+-e- eee 33, 584 Rotterdam «5 sesecc22esessscessacesseee 348, 474 || Boisle Duc...........-..--.----0- eee eee 82, 345 TNS LR BUG 26.5) ncieinisinie ie jsiaier staging sien 222.477 |) Delft. ..oscseceseees se6 eeseie ies oe 32, 084 Utrecht ...--. ---| 108,505 || Zwolle. ...- ss ie 31, 809 Groningen .-. 69, 479 || Apeldoorn. 28, 499 Haarlem ...- 68,121 || Enschede. . 27, 581 Arnhem ...- ---| 59,029 |} Schiedam ... 23 27, 494 Leiden ..... 22... .2.0eeeeeeceeeer ence eeee 55,117 || Deventer. ....0-sccceeeseeness oe 26, 988 Rimegen ee ---| 46,445 || Breda ....-. in 26, 570 Tilburg ..... ---| 48,516 |! Helder .... ae 25, 850 Dordrecht. . ---| 89,524 |} Gouda..... ia 28,107 Maastricht: .60.cco05-- ees ceeeeeeseats 85,209: |) Laan any oc sce scew dieses civsiocesecaue 22, 574 AGRICULTURE. The crops already harvested and those still in the field promise to be very satisfactory. Hay has been harvested in sufficient quantities and the quality is extraordinarily good. Early seed and grain crops, as rape seed, caraway seed, barley, and rye proved to be in good con- dition, and though some parcels were affected by the drought the color and natural weight were generally good. Invigorating rains fell just in time to give the final touch to wheat and to help roots for feeding purposes, while they also benefited the pastures which had suffered from the recent drought. While wheat is rather thin in several sec- tions, the grain is expected to be of aheavy weight. Hopes for a good harvest of beans have revived since the rains, but it is feared that weevils will do harm to all legumes. Flax had been gathered before the rains had fallen and the crop is of very good quality. Fruits have given promise of good crops. Strawberries and nuts were abundant. Peaches and apples are yielding large quantities, and although pears do not promise much there are some districts where the crop will be good. The cherry crop was a great disappointment. The acreage sown to sugar beets is reported to be only two-thirds of that on which beets were cultivated last year. Owing to the drought the yield is not expected to be large. - IMPORTS FROM THE UNITED STATES. TOBACCO. Messrs. P. Meerkamp van Embden & Sons wrote me under date of July 15 with reference to American tobacco in 1904: During the first half of the year business in American tobacco in the Netherlands was smaller than usual. This was owing to various causes. Toward the end of April the American Tobacco Company bought up the greater part of the Burley crop, with the result that prices about doubled. Several lots were shipped back from here to America, a good profit being realized by the Dutch exporter, and imports into the Netherlands ceased entirely. Imports of Maryland tobacco are always much smaller during the first half of the year than they are during the second half. In comparison with other kinds of eut- ting tobacco, prices of Maryland tobacco remain high. This, to some extent, inter- feres with the consumption, though Dutch manufacturers can not dispense with it. “As prices for *‘sunburnt’’ have been very high, very little of it found its way into the Netherlands, Prices of Virginia and Kentucky have been somewhat stiffer again, 224 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. but as these kinds are used only to a limited extent in the Netherlands, the lighter tobaccos being preferred here, the imports are always, comparatively speaking, small. Of seedleaf imports have almost entirely ceased since prices in America for good qualities have been so much enhanced. Only small lots of inferior tobacco of this kind came to the market from time to time, but as Java and Sumatra tobacco, of which there are very large stocks at low prices, are much cheaper now than seedleaf, these kinds have taken its place entirely. _ LUMBER. Importations for consumption and transit increase from year to year. The growing population of the Netherlands, requiring the construc- tion of many new dwellings; the extension of lumber-consuming indus- tries, such as box factories and cooperies, and the flourishing condi- tion of agriculture and horticulture, for which also much lumber is required, bring about a steadily growing demand for lumber. Prices, which continually rose during the last few years, reached the highest figures in the spring of 1908, but since then have steadily declined again, especially Norwegian fir prices. The pitch-pine market was very steady. During the winter season, when deck cargoes are not allowed to enter England, some of these were disposed of here at low prices. The lumber arriving at Rotterdam, in transit, is chiefly des- tined for the German Rhine districts. Messrs. Rueb & Gleichman, commission merchants of this city, ae me, under date of July 15, 1904, with reference to American umber: The last two years several importers here, after having bought and paid for lumber against documents, have found that the goods were not exactly according to specifi- cation. In such cases the purchaser has as a rule been the loser. For this reason it is now difficult to introduce new lumber concerns here. Asa rule your countrymen in the lumber line want to sell on specification, c, i. f., against documents, thereby placing all risks on the side of the Dutch merchants, instead of sending the import- ers here their stock notes and prices, and making the latter as low as possible in order to induce the Hollander to place an order with them. Some concerns have sent con- signments and made a success of it, but of course you will understand that they did not continue with this. It was done only to enable the people here to form an idea of the quality of the goods. In our opinion, in exporting lumber the risk ought to be run by the exporter, not by the purchaser. WHITE-OAK STAVES. Messrs. Verberg & Son, commission merchants of this city, wrote me under date of August 12, 1904: Trade in rough white-oak staves has not, been very lively during the first six months of the year, owing to the general slackness of business. Arrivals were fairly well up to the demand, and ruling prices, though satisfactory, were by no means so high as during the same period of the year 1903. Some shipments could not find ready sale ‘‘ex quay,’’ and consequently were stored in anticipation of a more lively market. Stocks on hand are not very heavy, and, as the demand is sure to revive toward the end of the year, there is every indication that these goods will find buyers at good prices later on. Dressed staves, such as circle-sawn herring-barrel staves, have not arrived in very large quantities, and some American shippers, who have contracted for large sup- plies, have not seen their way clear to live up to their contracts owing to the activity in all cooperage lines in America, which enabled them to sell their output at better prices right at the mill. This has caused many complaints on the part of foreign buyers, and we must advise such shippers to be more careful in contracting in the future, as they might in this way lose their good name in this market and get themselves or their agents into no end of trouble. EUROPE: NETHERLANDS. 225 MISCELLANEOUS MANUFACTURED GOODS. The demand for American manufactured articles, such as hardware, wooden ware, glassware, leather ware, machinery, electrical appli- ances, etc., has slackened during the last two years. The main cause is that almost every American article is now being manufactured in Germany at lower cost and nearly or quite as good, and that German manufacturers grant Holland merchants better terms of payment and quicker supplying and replacing of parts. The ‘‘cash against docu- ments system” is not what is desired by the average Dutch merchant, as he is accustomed to get from thirty to ninety days credit from German, British, and Belgian manufacturers, and wishes the same facilities from Americans. Still the great majority of our exporters adhere to the cash against documents system, thus placing a great obstacle in the way of the sale of American manufactured goods here. When it is considered that certain goods can be obtained from Ger- many within a couple of days (small hardware and machine parts, for instance), whereas it takes weeks to get them from America, even if they are sent as early as practicable; and that for American goods cash has to be paid, while the German goods may be inspected by the purchaser before he has to pay for them, it becomes plain why the majority of merchants prefer to deal with Germany. The fact that the German commercial traveler visits the Netherlands also contributes . to the growing of German sales. It is to be regretted that the manufacturers’ agents, who have been pushing American goods for years and have been instrumental in creating a market here for many American goods, have not received the proper cooperation from American manufacturers. Long credits are not granted even to long-established firms; high freight is to be paid by the purchasers; parts of machinery can not always be readily sup- plied, while there is a lack of liberality with samples and advertising costs. Is it a wonder that manufacturers’ agents handle American goods only until they have established a good business and have made a record for themselves as good workers and capable salesmen, and no longer? For then European manufacturers find out their worth, and from that time the American articles will be gradually dropped, and European articles, said to be ‘‘as good, or nearly as good,” will be sold the regular customers. Some years ago Rotterdam could pride itself on some large showrooms where nothing but American goods were pele but to-day the same showrooms contain European goods as well. SHOES. The demand for American shoes is good, but the shoe dealer does not find it to his interest to get large shipments from the United States and pay cash for them. He prefers to buy for cash as small a stock of American shoes as he can get along with, to supply in case of abso- lute necessity, and to draw customers for the French and Dutch shoes he handles. And it must be admitted that the ‘‘ American” shoe made in Holland by what is claimed to be an American machine seems quite a success. It resembles the American man’s shoe and can be bought for $3, while for the common genuine article from $3.50 to $4 has to be paid. The average price for Dutch shoes (not workingman’s shoes, H. Doc. 481, 58-3——15 226 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. which are cheaper) is about $2.30. Holland as a market for American shoes has, I fear, been greatly neglected. If our manufacturers desire to retain their hold here they must be prepared to fill orders of any size for shoes of all kinds and prices immediately after receiving them, and be willing to grant established firms’a credit of from thirty to ninety days. HARDWARE AND OFFICE FIXTURES, Certain American articles, such as scales, pumps, typewriting machines, cash registers, and organs, are and probably will always be in demand, owing to their superiority. American machine tools also enjoy a preference here. But the Netherlands would be an excellent market for all kinds of American manufactures of iron, steel, wood, glass, and leather if manufacturers were liberal with terms of payment and advertising costs, instead of with catalogues and price lists which are of no purpose tothe average dealer here. Whenour manufacturers desire to have and keep a market for their products in the Netherlands they will have to grant all facilities which the manufacturers of the countries bordering on this country are willing to provide, and they should be prepared to sacrifice some profits at the start. Messrs. Van der Laan & Co., formerly importers exclusively of American manufactures, wrote me under date of July 14 last with reference to American hardware, wooden ware, and glassware: In our branches trade with America has been slower for the last year. The main cause is the sharp competition of German factories, whose prices are now below American quotations, while the quality is as good. Moreover, Germany has the facility of quicker deliveries. While it takes about six weeks to import goods from America we can get it in a week’s time from Germany. This permits us to keep a smaller stock and involves less loss of interest. Another objection to America is that we have to pay for goods on delivery at New York, thereby incurring the expense of banking commissions or the commission of some import house, while in many cases the goods on arrival at Rotterdam turn out to be different from what was bought. All these reasons combine to give Germany the preference at even terms. In vehicles, cycles, and parts there is little to do. There might be a good market here for first-class automobiles at reasonable prices, but manufacturers should be prepared to make large sacrifices to introduce their makes, because automobiles are among the most difficult articles to sell. GENERAL TRADE. A trade review for 1903 has already been given in my supplement to last year’s report, and there is added thereto only such statistical information as it did not contain, besides some data for the first six months of 1904. : CEREALS, Messrs. M. & R. de Monchy wrote me, under date of September 8, with reference to cereals in 1904: ie have been 6 per cent larger during the first six months of the present year than they were for the same period last year. Odessa, Nicolajeff, and Novorssossisk were again the principal shipping places, but the quantities received from the Plata River were also very considerable. The latter kinds were mostly imported in the place of American wheat, of which arrivals were slight. The Plata River shipments all arrived in good condition; fewer complaints were heard about the irregular way of loading, which last year at times made it difficult for receivers to get hold of the lots destined for them,’ The better kinds of wheat from the Plata River and southern Russia are not handled regularly in the Netherlands, and we can EUROPE: NETHERLANDS. 297 therefore not give detailed prices for this superior wheat, mostly imported for German account. Rye.—About 20 per cent less than last year was imported. From St. Petersburg DE quantities were imported; also from the Danubian provinces and from southern ussia. Barley.—Imports were about the same as last year; there was but a small increase. Odessa was the principal place whence barley was imported, but it was also shipped to some extent from Braila and other places on the Danube. The latter places ship principally finer kinds for brewing purposes; Odessa grades are more suitable for feeding purposes. Corn.—Imports were about half those of last year. Braila and southern Russian ports were the principal sources from which the product was received. Arrivals this year from the United States were in pretty bad condition; the majority of the ship- ments were heated and could not be delivered to customers as sound corn. Several cargoes were totally spoiled. Prices for sound corn were generally on a high level when compared with former years. (General imports were much less than last year during the same period. The quantities received from the United States were, com- paratively speaking, very small, the greater amount of corn being imported from southern Russia and Danube ports. Plata River shipments were also of less impor- tance than usual, but the condition in which corn was received was good. COAL. General For con- General For con- Years. imports. sumption. Years. imports. | sumption. Metric tons. | Metric tons. || Metric tons. | Metric tons. 1900 ve wes scrcrenctslalsocaeauteignas 7,714,966 | 5,964,581 |) 1902........--.-.-..-2-.--- 8, 257, 639 5, 610, 847 IQ0L eis jasaracieeineticiesiciesreniecie 7,040,667 | 5,282,269 |) 1903...........--.-------- 8, 741, 093 6, 332, 268 Metric ton=2,204.6 pounds. In 1903 the total arrivals at Rotterdam of Westphalian coal were estimated at 1,168,000 tons; of North Country coal at 134,809 tons; of Yorkshire coal at 84,357 tons; of Scotch coal at 64,385 tons; of anthra- cite coal at 23,473 tons, and of cokes at 60,000 tons. The production of the coal mines of the Netherlands, situated in the province of Limburg, was as follows: e i 2 ¢ . Amount Produc- | Quantity Fi Years. tion. sold, nae by Tons. 101, 727 | $223, 380. 80 182,258 | 214, 373. 80 145,640 | 244,274.40 147,236 | 258, 075. 20 201,544 | 389, 381. 60 308,442 | 769, 556. 00 286,256 | 725,924. 40 348,024 | 737,952.00 By adding the amount of the total production of the Netherlands mines to the amount of the quantity of coal imported for consumption in 1902, the conclusion is reached that the Netherlands coal mines in ae produced about one-sixteenth of the coal consumed in the Nether- ands. FLAX. The flax trade was very lively in 1903. Prices low at the beginning of the year soon enhanced and continued rising until the end of the year. The weekly arrivals on the Rotterdam flax market, which as a rule were not large, were soon disposed of. Owing thereto little of 228 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. the 1902 crop was left at the end of the season, and when the 1903-4 season commenced it appeared that the arrivals on the market were not sufficient to cover the strong demand on account of which prices rose. The results of the flax trade for 1903 may therefore be considered pretty favorable and will undoubtedly result in a more extensive flax cultivation in the Netherlands in 1904. LINSEED FOR SOWING. The 1903 crop was pretty large and of fairly good quality. The mar- Ket opened at $1.08 per bushel with good arrivals and lively demand. For a while the demand kept up at enhancing prices until as much as $1.34 per bushel was paid. A satisfactory season with large exports was expected, when foreign buyers seemed to lose confidence in the Dutch article. Prices gradually declined to the figure at which the year had started; the trade became dragging and part of the crop even remained unsold. The exports to Ireland amounted to 17,636 bales. SUPPLEMENTARY REPORT. The following review of the import trade of the Netherlands is taken from a supplementary report from Vice and Deputy Consul-General Voorwinden, Rotterdam, Netherlands, February 22, 1905: COFFEE. Six auctions of Java coffee were held in 1904 by the Netherlands Trading Company, comprising 163,113 bales and 892 cases. Other first-hand sales amounted to 249,729 bales and 1,249 cases. The sales of Santos and African coffees are not included in the above. Arrivals of coffee on the Netherlands market were very small in 1904, partly owing to the failure of the Java crop and partly to the fact that imports fromeSantos have of late years generally resulted in losses. Imports from other countries are not very important. The Netherlands Trading Company imported 10,500 bales less than the year before, while private parties imported 48,900 bales less from Dutch India and 472,700 bales less from Santos. From Africa 6,300 bales more were imported than in 1908. The production of Liberian coffee on the island of Java decreased somewhat in 1904. In 1904, 57,300 bales of Java coffee arrived and were disposed of in the Netherlands, against 85,200 bales in 1903 and 114,300 bales in 1902. The total imports by private parties of all kinds of coffee amounted to 872,200 bales in 1904; 1,360,200 in 1908; 1,814,300 in 1902; 1,593,700 in 1901; 1,431,800 in 1900; 1,466,000 in 1899, and 1,240,000 in 1898. With the exception of those for the finer qualities of Java, coffee quotations depended, to a great extent, on the speculative movements of the terminal market. A quick rise in prices of Java coffee, said to ~ be brought about by American speculation, was followed by a reaction in February. In August, owing to increased demand from the United States, prices rose to the January level again. After remaining on this level for some time they slightly rose at the end of the year. The prices realized at the auctions of Government coffee held at Batavia, especially for the ‘‘ good ordinary” kinds, were very much higher than the market values of these kinds inthe Netherlands. Owing EUROPE: NETHERLANDS. 229 thereto most of this coffee was purchased for foreign account and but little of it reached the Netherlands. Santos coffee also commanded a pretty stiff market in 1904, princi- , pally owing to the reduced production of Brazilian coffee. The year opened at 8.3 cents per one-half kilogram (1.1 pounds) for ‘‘ good aver- age,” while quotations rose about 0.4 cent in January. After the reaction came, prices receded and reached 7.4 cents in May. Since then, however, owing to unfavorable reports with reference to the size of the new and also of the growing crop, they slowly enhanced again and closed the year at 10 cents for immediate delivery. The world’s coffee supply on December 31, 1904, was somewhat ae than the year before, viz, 18,800,000 bales against 18,969,000 ales. The following table shows the imports into the Netherlands in 1903 and 1904: Private parties. Netherlands Trading Co. Kinds. 1904, 1903, 1904. 1903. bales. bales. Bales. | Cases. | Bales. | Cases. 272, 100 326,300 | 182,200 |.......... 193, 200 |......---. 17, 900 15, 000 1, 900 560) |ocrciccccee 988 6, 000 5,500 |... 5, 300 55,100 -| 445, 000 4,000 66, 800 Total sc snacee psa ehontivetnbinndidcier 872,200 | 1,360,200 | 184,100 560 | 194,200 988 TOBACCO. Nineteen hundred and four was an eventful year for the tobacco trade. The arrivals of the principal kinds adapted to the Dutch mar- ket were large; the average quality of the Sumatra crop was good, while the demand for the popular grades was good, as well for Java as for Sumatra tobacco. Fancy prices were paid for the best qualities of ‘‘ Vorstenlanden.” Sumatra.—The importations of Sumatra tobacco amounted to 254,- 168 bales, or 12,000 more than in 1903. This increase was brought about principally by a larger yielding of the old fields. Notwith- standing the undesirable increase in arrivals, the crop brought, on an average, 0.2 cent more per half kilogram (1.1 pounds) than the year before. This was due to the fancy tobaccos among the arrivals and to the higher ae i paid by American purchasers for the better, grades. Owing to the demand for wrapper tobacco in the United States, the number of bales imported there, viz, 40,000, was considerably larger than what was imported some years ago. The quality of the new crop is, owing to unfavorable weather, not expected to be so very fine, and the quantity will be smaller. In late reports the crop is estimated at about 223,000 bales. Jawa.—The crop was again very large—fully 337,000 bales—there- fore a couple of hundred bales more than last year and 100,000 bales more than three years ago. The proportion between the leaf and scrub tobacco was, however, different from other years, namely, 40,000 bales less of leaf tobacco and 40,000 bales more of scrub. Owing to 230 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. the better prices, $2,400,000 more than last year was realized for the crop. The demand for Java tobacco was lively and, in spite of large offers, it was eusily disposed of, which proves that the consumption is steadily increasing. British Borneo.—Imports amounted to 16,603 bales, 3,600 more than last year. The quality was fairly satisfactory. Owing to good demand and superior qualities the average prices realized for most of the lots were good. Still the medium and inferior qualities had some- times to be disposed of at a sacrifice, owing to the competition from the medium and inferior grades of Sumatra tobacco. The average price realized per half kilogram (1.1 pounds) for the crop was 3.24 cents, against 2.92 cents in 1903. Dutch Borneo.—The production has decreased from 1,854 to 592 bales. While the quality of the best tobacco produced was good, the proportion between the better and inferior kinds was too untavorable to realize a fair average price. As it was, the amount realized for the crop, $821,600, did not cover the cost of cultivation. Other brands.—W hile the price realized for the Deli product retro- graded somewhat, the price for Asahan tobacco advanced from about 2.4 to 4 cents. The crop from the Asahan district was quite a success and consisted of full leaves and many light shades. The Langkat tobacco also turned out very fine, and for this kind of tobacco, too, the prices were higher, owing to the very fine sand leaf. Padang, Serdang, and Batoe Bahroe kinds also advanced in price, owing to good qualities. The following table summarizes the tobacco market in 1904: Whence imported. Arrivals.| Sales. SUI CED) rz nctecarcteccicnsne cic ee ibee tea cforssta isis cio iaieiaieveiechle sie trem otaiciaieig ate scasled Peteqinietrs wielnin ote bales..| 246, 867 246, 867 BO PILEO wrscne acaicensinsiersais ewe Ste syste ctarcaig ain nes nbs utrergh oadeeie cremate so sreelentaian loaner do....| 17,364 17, 864 DOVE e vecereeszdeecennevecee sessment herve goede eesebeedsdemss senkueeeeeer do...-| 389, 744 395, 476 Habana ........ packages 98 212 PATAPUBY sche oesiscesceecietee cca ciware yeceereeeeeeit atoms cietee meee esee baies. 1,916 1,916 Grecian, Turkish, and Trebizonde...-...---2..2.2 2.22 ees e eee ee eee eee eee do....|" 9,678 9, 382 MAT VLAD ein oiccniciaia ajaiesntincs cigs see diniein niainianb m bapinihs ies Rieilalais bjnainGim AS sieiais hogsheads. . 8, 369 8, 288 Virginia, Kentucky, and Mason County .........2...2..2 22-2222 2 ee eee eee eee do.... 1,197 1, 212 The first hand supply of Java tobacco, crop 1904, December 381, 1904, at Rotterdam was 3,842 bales; at Amsterdam, 13,727 bales. SUGAR. Prices were rising practically all the year. The causes therefor are claimed to be (1) the unexpected large increase in the consumption of the producing countries, (2) the smaller sugar production of, Cuba, said to be 100,000 less than the year before (owing to which deéreased roduction the United States purchased on the Harecean markets), 3) the unfavorable reports of the growing beet-root crops, which had suffered by the long period of dry weather. When it became known subsequently that the world’s sugar production of 1904 would not be sufficient to provide the world’s needs, every one interested desired to purchase an pee rose more rapidly. Beet sugar quoted at the beginning of the year at $3.25 was quoted in December at $6.80 per 100 kilograms (220 pounds), a price which had not been reached for years. » EUROPE: NETHERLANDS. 231 The exports of refined sugar from the Netherlands were considerably larger than in 1903, and amounted during the first eleven months of the year to 138,900 metric tons, against 111,800 tons during the first eleven months of 1903. The prospects for the sugar trade are bright and it is expected that 1905 will be a favorable year for producers. TEA. At Amsterdam were imported, direct from Java, in 1904, 127,327 cases, against 101,012 in 1903. Delivered to purchasers were 116,781 cases, against 106,064 in 1903, 87,268 in 1902, 85,219 in 1901, and 73,667 in 1900. The year opened with good prices and the demand remained lively during the first half of 1904, then, however, it slackened for ordinary kinds of leaves and especially for dust, of which arrivals were very large. The prices realized for the fine qualities remained good. or good flowery pekoes, 1904 was a favorable year. At Hotteedicn were sold by inscription 914 cases of Tjipajoeng, against 999 in 1908 and 875 in 1902. RICE, Prices fluctuated in an upward direction the whole year, notwith- standing the fact that the part of the Burma crop to be exported was estimated as high as 2,750,000 tons. The price of $1.50 per 110 pounds, at which the year opened for Burma rice, may be considered the minimum price at which purchases could be made. The war between Japan and Russia and the dry summer in Europe, which caused a fear for short cereal crops, contributed much to the rising tendency of quotations. Japan had a good rice crop, but as part of it had already been sold and shipped at the outbreak of the war, that country evidently deemed it wise to make large purchases of Burma rice during the year. Although the coming Japan crop is estimated at even 20 per cent larger than the average crop of the last few years, the purchases of Burma rice for Japan keep on. Reports regarding the coming Burma crop are very favorable and the part of the crop destined for export is estimated at 2,293,000 tons, against 2,750,000 in 1904, 1,960,000 in 1903, and 2,200,000 tons in 1902, but in spite of these reports quotations remain steady and $1.75 per 110 pounds is asked. On the island of Java, where the crop, owing to unfavorable weather, was short in 1903, a large crop was harvested in 1904, and the lively demand for the article here proved profitable for the Java planters. Most of the Java lots offered found buyers, and with the exception of a few subbrands the whole crop has been sold. : At the end of the year the market for unshelled Java kinds was stiff, while of Japan rice but little was offered at a price of about $2.80 ‘per 110 pounds. The market for Burma rice was also very stiff. The first sales to Holland were only lately made at about $1.72 per 110 ounds: The arrivals of Burma rice were 2,200,000 bales, against 2,122,000 in 1903, 2,146,000 in 1902, and 1,814,000 bales in 1901. 232 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. SPICES. Nutmegs and mace.—The year opened far from favorable, and prices continued declining steadily. Deliveries to purchasers were very much larger in 1904 than in 1903. The imports of nutmegs were, however, smaller, those of mace larger, than in 1903. The coarse Banda nut- meg, with from 80 to 90 to the half kilogram (1.1 pounds), sold in March at 37.2 cents per 1.1 pounds, in September 35 cents, while in December, with few offers, it found purchasers again at 36 cents. Banda nuts, with from 110 to 120 to the 1.1 pounds, were quoted, on an average, at about 20 cents, and the smaller kinds, with from 140 to 150 to the half kilogram, at about 14.4 cents per 1.1 pounds. Nut- megs Nos. 3 and 4 were in good demand. Mace quotations declined considerably, and importers could only dispose of their supplies at very much lowered prices. Cloves.—Prices rose until the end of January, when they reached 19 cents per half kilogram (1.1 pounds), a figure which had not been reached for years. Then a reaction set in, and prices declined gradu- ally to 15.6 cents in the beginning of April, after which they rose, with strong fluctuations, to18.6centsin May. After this they declined steadily and closed the year at 10.9 cents. Terminal sales at Rotterdam and Amsterdam amounted to 116,100 mats, against 227,200 in 1903, 195,800 in 1902, 278,600 in 1901, and 571,900 mats in 1900. Scarcely any deals were made in Amboina cloves, and during the second half of the year quotations were generally only nominal. The total second-hand supply amounted at the end of the year to 500 bales. Pepper.—The arrivals of white Java amounted to 2,500 bales. The qualities varied very much, but were mostly ordinary. The prices ranged between 16 and 24 cents per half kilogram (1.1 pounds). The sales amounted to 2,800 bales, while the first-hand supply at the end of the year was 300 bales. : The arrivals of black Java amounted to 4,500 bales, which were sold by auction and inscription at prices ranging from 12 to 13.8 cents per 1.1 pounds. Terminal black Lampong prices were subject to heavy fluctuations in 1904. Quotations at the beginning of the year were about 12.4 cents per 1.1 pounds, in June they were 9.8 vents, while in October the old basis of 12.4 cents had again been reached.. Subsequently there were few or no fluctuations and the year closed at 12.4 cents. The deliveries in all the principal markets were very large. The total arrivals of black Lampong pepper in the Netherlands amounted to 66,000 bales, against 53,000 in 1903, 40,000 in 1902, 36,000 in 1901, and 30,000 in 1900. The deliveries during the first eleven months of 1904 amounted to about 61,500 bales, making the supply in the begin- ning of December somewhat smaller than at the beginning of the year. The supply of white and black Lampong pepper in London at the end of 1904 was 1,332 tons, against 1,600 tons in 1908, 2,800 tons in 1902, 4,000 tons in 1901, and 6,000 tons in 1900. Terminal deals in black Lampong pepper at Rotterdam amounted to 341,000 bales, against 286,000 in 1903 and 236,200 in 1902, and at Amsterdam to 76,600, against 100,400 in 1903 and 116,600 bales in 1902. EUROPE: NETHERLANDS. 933 Statistics of spice imports were as follows: Kinds, 1904. 1903. 1902. 1901. Nutmeg; .sceveteusoestueneecakiKce sine deveieeuse a 1,017 1,157 915 1, 058 MBO coreuns sens scinuas ERE IAKA Raa dap keen nemanaanrn do.... 205 232 295 Amboina cloves -. 3, 800 230 2, 800 275 POPDOR 2 2:5 aioe asec na nsese daiea'bicide siseharotienisiioactciss aie do....| 66,000 53, 000 40, 000 36, 000 First-hand sales: a INULMOERS: o.2ocec0 eoencaeee sen eennee peteemdoniar! --| 14,700 10, 800 18, 000 19, 000 MACO< sas ecmcadcemecetlaasndisrestoantaccneeaots arse do.... 4, 400 3, 000 4,000 5, 300 « INDIGO. Evidently, on account of the Russian-Japanese war, Japan was not a purchaser on the Samarang market, and on this account a great deal of indigo auctioned remained unsold. This was the cause of larger arrivals than usual in the Dutch markets. In the spring the estimated value of ‘‘fine quality, warm process of manufacture,” in the inscrip- tions, was 96 cents per half kilogram (1.1 pounds); but this price could not be realized, and as purchasers only bought what was abso- lutely necessary for direct consumption, the estimated value had to be reduced at every inscription. Owing to the steady decline of prices the blue kinds of indigo were eventually even quoted lower than indi- gorine (artificial indigo), of which latter article the price was raised 10 per cent by the manufacturers last fall. It is reported that the coming crop of Java indigo is estimated to be 1,000 cases less than the last one. Lately it has also been reported from Java that Japan has commenced to purchaseagain. These reports may eventually be conducive of ameliorating quotations. The quota- tions for ‘‘ fine quality, warm process of manufacture” have, however, remained from 80 to 90 cents, with offers surpassing the demand. Medium qualities of the red shades are sold easier, but they are seldom offered. From the first-hand supply a part has not yet been sampled, and it is therefore expected that inscriptions will soon take place. Some lots will, however, not be put on the market until the demand is improved. The second-hand supply is smaller than ever, as very little was purchased that was not directly required for consumption. The Bengal indigo crop for 1903-4 amounted to about 1,600,000 pounds. The trade was sluggish and of little importance for the Dutch market. The coming crop is estimated at about 38,000 maunds (3,126,856 pounds). RESIN. While there were fluctuations during the whole year, the high stand- ard of prices was easily maintained. The world’s consumption of resin has largely increased, and the higher prices are therefore entirely justi- fiable. Bids of $1.60 to $1.64 per 110 pounds for type G were often considered too low, and frequently lots had to be imported at higher rices. The supply here was often small, and for spot goods $1.76 to B80 was regularly paid. Inthe beginning of 1905 delivery was quoted from $1.64 to $1.66. TURPENTINE. Notwithstanding the fact that prices were already high at the end of 1903, they rose quickly in January from $10.60 to $11.80 per 110 234 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. pounds. As the new crop came early, the increasing arrivals affected the market in the United States to such an extent that quotations, in the spring, declined again to $10.20 and $10.50, while summer delivery was quoted at $10 to $10.10. The latter prices were maintained during the summer. In the fall prices declined slowly. Atthe end of Novem- ber quotations of $8.70 to $9.20 were reached, at which prices. but few deals were made. . Then, however, a rise set in and at the end of the year prices were for spot goods $9.30; for December delivery, $9.20; for January and February delivery, $9.30. For spring delivery very little was purchased and, as the supply is small, a stiff market can be expected as so8n as the article is needed for consumption. MADDER. The article was in good demand during the whole of 1904, owing whereto supplies have decreased considerably. As the crop is expected to be small, somewhat higher prices could be made in the fall. ‘*Ombro” kinds of madder were quoted at $7.60 to $8 at the end of the year, according to quality. : TIN. There was very little demand for tin at the beginning of the year 1904, and when shipments from the ‘‘Straits” increased, prices declined from $32.40 on January 1 to $29.60 per 110 pounds at the end of February. These low prices caused speculative purchases in the East Indies, on account of which the shipments to the West decreased. This brought about reports that the production of the ‘‘ Straits” was decreasing, which reports were conducive of a somewhat better mar- ket and arise in prices at the end of March to $31.20. Then, however, those that had speculated in the East Indies placed their goods on the market with the result that tin was freely offered during May and June. Prices declined to $28 when it became known that, instead of decreas- ing, the production of the ‘‘Straits” had increased by 6 per cent. The low prices brought about a lively demand for consumption and more demand for the United States, owing whereto they rose again during the months of July, August, September, and October and were quoted at $31.60 at the end of the latter month. Increased shipments from the ‘‘Straits,” estimated at 10,000 tons for November and December, caused many owners to put their tin on the market. The market stood these free offers fairly well, and prices fluctuated from $31.30 to $31.50 per 110 pounds, until it became apparent in the Novem- ber Banca auction that the trade required more tin than had been antici- pated. This caused a lively demand, which drove prices up to $32.30 in oS eee and to $32.60 at the end of November. The year closed at $32.70. CINCHONA BARK. Although the arrivals were very much larger during the past year than in 1903, most of the cinchona bark auctioned was disposed of at good prices. The average unit price was, however, considerably lower than in 1903. The year 1903 terminated with a unit value of 2.95 cents. In the first auction, January 28, prices declined, owing to the large offers, to 2.5 cents. In the March and April auctions, however, EUROPE: NETHERLANDS. 935 the average unit price became 8 cents, which was the highest price reached during the year. In the May auction the unit value declined to 2.76 cents, and the decline in prices continued in the following auc- tions until there was a small rise again in November. This, however, could not be maintained, for in the December auction the average unit price was 2.52 cents. In 1904, 5,508 packages arrived from the Government crop and 79,169 packages from the private crop, against 3,431 and 73,510 pack- ages, respectively, in 1903. The total sales in 1904 amounted to about 16,856,019 pounds, con- taining, according to published analysis, 814,392 pounds of sulphate of quinine. CACAO. Samana and St. Thomas cacao were in good demand at the beginning of 1904. Accrass was sold by small lots at reasonable prices. Bahia was sold regularly at low prices, as the quality was not very good, the crop having suffered from rain. Trinidad was in fair demand at the beginning of the year, and considerable was disposed of at good prices. Later in the year the market became quieter and, owing to large arrivals, prices declined somewhat. At the lower prices large lots were imported here. Late in the year there was a slight rise in prices on account of unfavorable crop reports, but this improve- ment did not last, for at the end prices were lower than at any time during the year. The Guayaquil kinds maintained their prices pretty well the whole year, especially superior summer Ariba was much in demand. Of the latter kind large lots were imported. Of Ceylon cacao large lots were disposed of at low prices. Of Venezuela, Caracas, and Puerto Cabello cacao the superior as well as the ordinary kinds were on the market. Arrivals of the latter were considerable and were always offered at low prices. For the superior kinds of Java there was little demand in the begin- ning of the year, because purchases made in the 1903 auctions were still available. The medium kinds were in good demand and brought good prices, especially in the beginning of the year. There was little attention for the ordinary kinds. Some cheap lots found buyers, how- ever. Toward the end of the year the demand for superior Java cacao became livelier owing to small arrivals. The visible first-hand supply of Java cacao in the Netherlands was at the end of the year about 2,600 bales. The price of superior Java cacao was then about 18.4 cents per 1.1 pounds. The imports of cacao at Rotterdam and Amsterdam were as follows: Years, Bales. Years. Bales. BOG: ceisressisisiernjareie chaieje’aiereia ein menevernse BOO DO La scr waited a-carummoe wet ¢darmmeuaniaibees 47, 482 DBO se. csescsercrivaisinisichaseiomaraisaeieci atatme 24, TAG: || 1902. oa cocci ic cee ceseme ds oes sesmmnsee eee 45, 651 1898 os seoacreniy eniccisemsiaacsirsiaearees eect “82, DOB ||) LO0B a ccerarcieca.cte sienors randiande nc Veacvomatciayecienion 61, 918 1899 ssteisinemervisvrajenteicisidcteitiaets tareiareivieg arate BU IDO |||) 1904. sisssiasicinss wsisicrsicreneaiesie Area creeceiiesegierpion 59, 676 KAPOK. At Rotterdam in 1904 there were imported 4,339 bales of cleaned kapok, and at Amsterdam 54,249 bales of cleaned and 1,084 bales of 236 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. uncleaned kapok. The sales at Rotterdam amounted to 3,801 bales of cleaned and 16 bales of uncleaned, and at Amsterdam to 44,714 bales of cleaned and 976 bales of uncleaned kapok. Thesupply January 1,1905, consisted of 600 bales of cleaned kapok at Rotterdam, and 15,951 bales cleaned and 111 bales uncleaned at Amsterdam. FATS AND OILS. Tallow.—Prices were not subject to large fluctuations in 1904 and remained pretty well on the 1903 basis. The trade in domestic sheep and cattle tallow was satisfactory. About 250 tons were on the market. Foreign kinds brought, according to color and quality, from $12 to $13.60 per 220 pounds. Of Borneo-Tengkawan tallow about 100 tons were marketed and brought an average price of $12.40. For future delivery $11.80 was paid. Palm oil.—Prices did not fluctuate much. For Congo kinds they ranged between $10.80 and $11.60 per 220 pounds. ‘The red kinds, for soap manufacturing purposes, brought an average price of $12. The market closed quietly at the end of the year with offers of Congo kinds, February and March delivery, at $10.90, and Lagos, spot goods, $11.70. Imported direct from the southwest coast of Africa, by the Rotterdam broker’s firm, Montaubah van Swyndrecht, were about 1,650,000 pounds against 2,156,000 pounds in 1903 and 1,830,400 pounds in 1902. Copra oil.—In the beginning of the year prices remained unchanged but later on they rose owing to higher copra quotations. These ranged between $12 and $15.60. At thé end of the year the trade was somewhat slacker. Cotton-seed oil.—There was but little demand for English oil, owing to the low linseed-oil quotations. Prices ranged between $9.40 and $7.20. The American quotations for ‘‘off yellow” were for a long time too high for this market, but have declined considerably during the last months of the year. The local supply of the inferior kinds is now considered very small and producers refuse to accept the low bids of consumers, but hope fora livelier demand from butterine manufac- turers and better linseed-oil prices. Prices declined from $9.20 to $7.60 and $7.40 per 220 pounds. Japanese fish oil.—There was little demand for this article in 1904, on account of the low linseed-oil prices. At the beginning of the year quotations were $6.20 and at the end $5.40 and $5.20 per 220 pounds. NUTS. Palm nuts.—The prices realized for this article were more satisfac- tory than they were in 1903. The arrivals were also larger. In the spring sales of Congo nuts were made at $5.40 per 220 pounds, but very soon $5.80 had to be paid, and quotations rose eventually, in spite of slight temporary declines, to $6.20, for which prices March and April delivery can now, January 19, 1905, probably be purchased. For Liberia nuts the prices rose from $5.40 to $5.80. Consumers are still desirous of buying at this latter price for spring delivery, but there are no sellers. ‘There were imported and sold in 1904 by the Rotterdam broker’s firm Montauban van Swyndrecht 4,840,000 pounds of Congo and 1,144,000 pounds of Liberia nuts, a total of 5,984,000 pounds, against 5,999,000 pounds in 1903 and 5,702,400 in 1902. EUROPE: NETHERLANDS. 9387 Sesame seed.—F or 83,600 pounds of seed a price of $4.80 per 220 pounds was realized. Ground nuts.—Imports from the Congo were of no importance, only 55,000 pounds came on the market, while 660,000 pounds arrived Se aes The prices ranged between $6 and $5.20 per 220 pounds. HIDES. Cattle hides.—There was a good demand the whole year. All the lots imported from the Dutch East Indies were readily sold at gradu- ally rising prices. Light-weight hides were especially in demand dur- ing the last months of the year. The rise in prices for the various kinds amounted to from 20 to 30 per cent. The causes for this great enhancement of prices are said to be the small stocks and the war between Russia and Japan. Buffalo hides.—The market was sluggish, and prices of most kinds declined. The best qualities suffered least. The demand at the end of the year has slightly improved, though for the heavy-weight hides it is still very limited. Goat and sheepskins.—Prices fluctuated but little. Prime skins found buyers pretty regularly the whole year, but owing to the high prices that had to be paid in the East Indies the importers enjoyed but meager profits. Of other kinds of hides imports were of little importance; some- times small lots arrived from Africa for which buyers were found at satisfactory prices. LUMBER. The year 1904 has, generally speaking, been unfavorable for the lumber trade. Prices, which were high at the beginning of the year, declined slowly, and could at the end be considered low. Owing to the low Baltic and White Sea lumber prices, it became difficult, if not impossible, for southern European timber to compete in the Dutch market. In December the general tendency of the market improved somewhat and prices commenced to rise a little. PETROLEUM. The consumption of the Netherlands was, in barrels of 150 kilograms (331 pounds), in 1900, 1,055,000; 1901, 1,127,000; 1902, 1,170,000; 1908, 1,188,000, while the consumption for 1904 is estimated at 1,160,000 barrels. ; The imports at Rotterdam (including Flushing) amounted to: In 1900, 1,855,000 barrels; 1901, 2,205,000; 1902, 1,955,000; 1903, 2,147- 000; 1904, 2,177,000 (of the last amount 29,000 barrels were imported at Flushing). The imports at Amsterdam amounted to: In 1900, 719,000 barrels; 1901, 818,000 barrels; 1902, 1,037,000 barrels; 1903, 984,000 barrels; 1904, 802,000 barrels. 238 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. IMPORTS BY COUNTRIES AND ARTICLES. Countries and Countries and a Head, articles. 1902: 1908. articles. 1902. 1903. From Belgium: Pounds. Pounds. From the United Bark . 3 18, 589, 400 18, 222, 600 Kingdom—Con. Pounds. Pounds. Barley.......... 183, 859, 000 189, 362, 800 Distilled liquors 1, 042, 800 1,192, 400 Beer and malt Drugs, dyestuffs, 422, 400 259, 600 and chemicals 45, 700, 600 56, 159, 400 46, 200 74, 800 Dry goods -:..-. 37, 763, 000 37, 419, 800 |e Ben Sara | $ge a8 sd ,566| @2,441 |) Fish oil_........ -| 1, 202, 889, 600 | 1, aah 138° 000 Flax and hemp. 87, * 023; 200 72, oe 000 16, 222, 800 666, 200 Flour........... : , 200 400 Cotton-seed oil . 4, 232, 800 217, 600 Bruits sccesnorees 2, 679, 600 2, 348 000 Crockery ware é Glass and glass- andporcelain.| 529, 458, 600 736, 854, 800 WATES sors areca 5,572, 600 7,779, 200 Distilledliquors 11, 772, 200 9, 413, 800 Groundnuts .... 9, 534, 600 11, 574, 200 Drugs, dye- Hides, skins, stuffs, chem- and leather .. 16, 988, 400 16, 462, 600 icals.......... 275, 642,400 | 283, 100, 400 Ward cc ejsocieeeis 734, 800 761, 200 Dry goods.....-. 15, 499, 000 15, 481, 400 Lumber— Flax and hemp. 10, 170, 600 9, 108, 000 Hardwood . 5, 828, 400 12, 421, 200 PlOUT sae scacwe ve 89, 469, 600 102, 953, 400 Dyewood... 706, 200 38, 280, 200 Fruit, fresh..... 27; 181, 000 27, 957, 600 Manure......-.. 52, 960, 600 41, 610, 800 Glass and glass- Margarine....-. 1, 650, 000 3,751,000 ware ...-..-.. 107, 223, 600 109, 505, 000 Meat ....-.-.... 1, 942, 600 1, 183, 000 Groundnuts .... 2, 921, 600 23, 603, 800 Mercery ware .. 4, 358, 800 4, 221, 800 Groundnut oil.. 143, 000 704, 000 Metals.......... 438, 574, 400 371, 635, 000 Hides, skins, Metal ware..... 30, 498, 600 52, 555, 800 wane leather... 26, 833, ae 33, 770, 000 Palm oil, ete.... 5, 043, 000 58, 236, 200 ogs @106. |ccceseccareces , 812, 000 10, 593, 000 Indian corn 23, 616, 560 444, 798, 200 19, 245, 600 2 Lard. 8,175, 200 8,780, 200 ek ee jumber— 1, 650, 000 Timber for 46, 523, 400 a one. 00 ships ..... 153, 681, 000 158, 017, 200 14, 478, 200 18, i 800 Dyewood 18, 348, 600 15, 567, 200 774, 400 400 Manure.. 512, 109, 400 358, 248, 000 2; 037, 200 2: 363° 800 Margari 14, 557, 400 5, 583, 000 Steam engines Meat ..... 3, 962, as 2,318, 800 and machin- Mercery wi 5 5, 988, 5, 580, 800 OLY sicciccsscies 38, 299, 800 41,522, 800 Metals.......... 491) 330, 400 688, 184, 200 Stone... 36 50, 193, 000 71, 852, 000 Metal ware - 132, 397, 600 134, 000, 200 Sugar, raw ..... 42, 548, 000 2, 457, 400 Oats ........ 69, 845, 600 85, 074 000 Sirup and mo- Palm oil, etc.. 89, 346, 400 97, 510, 600 lasses ......... 1, 328, 800 1, 095, 600 Palm nuts. . 2,752, 200 3, 458, 400 Tallow, suet, Paper....... 15, 287, 800 15, 855, 400 te 58, 684, 400 51, 488, 800 Petroleum. . 45, 524, 600 48, 989, 600 6, 670, 400 7,640, 600 Potash.......-.. 85, 815, 400 104, 830, 000 Potato flourand 38, 742, 200 38, 159, 200 products 13, 989, 800 17, 340, 400 1, 203, 400 1, 049, 400 aneeg 30, 188, ae 18, 667, 000 és 308 a eo 764, 000 Wilceaeel 2 GAD eau seme sess 68, 80 6 2 Rye 98, 311, 400 |” ” "57,191,200 nee Sesame oil 3,311, 000 3, 594, 800 668, 800 583, 000 Steam engines 81,602,400 | 70, 624, 400 and machin- Beer and malt ae ee OLY eccciciiaoee 19, 421, 600 24, 208, 800 extract ....... 34, 938, 200 ~ 88, 050, 600 oruae iS ieteaion cinestayecs 1,332, 034, 000 | 1, 484, 483, 600 ot il 4, 325, 200 611, ad = utter.... 171, 600 » RaW esccsess 181, 326, 800 64, 977, 000 Butterine. 268, 400 168 400 Allo other...) 19, 641, 600 27, 222, 800 Cattle 225 cgzcus|execesucics Bed "a2 Sulphur ........ 6, 595, 600 15, 320, 800 Coal .... 15, 337, 687, 200 |16, 417, 467, 000 Tallow, suct, Coffee .- “11796, 400 |” 16, 970, 80 Cte ssi ecaices 22, 957, 000 25, 051, 400 Cotton.... 44,213, 400 49, 616, 600 pe pe. 15, 760, 800 18, 701, 600 Crockery ware eRe obacco an andporcelain.| 175,593, 000 223, 863, 200 10,654,600 | 12, 227, 600 Distilled liquors} — 24;996,400 | 28,876, 400 1 247, 364, 800 1,194, re 909 Dyestufis, drugs, san 112, chemicals . 437, 151, 001 74,170, 400 38,453,800 | 48, 301; 000 Dry goods .. 94. 083 000 “98, Bed! 200 26,521,000 | 26, 144’ 800 Fish oil..... 2... 3,297) 400 2, 512, 400 From the United Flax and hemp. 5, 962, 000 5, 231, 600 Kingdom: Flour o2.sc00si002, 102 671, 800 153, 989, 000 Beer and malt Fruits .......... 4, 980, 200 16, 117; 200 a ee aivisisisioie 1, 148, aay 1, 324, 400 Glass and glass- utterine....... ‘ if WATC.......2.. 89, 32: Odbills siesseccece 1, 687, 848, 800 | 1, 418, 645, 800 Groundnuts .... Bo 400 a ae 400 Coffee .. ,446, 600 | ' 21,793, 200 Groundnut oil. "189; 200 ” 338, 800 Cotton.......-.. 19, 863, 800 20, 218, 000 Hides, skins, i : Cotton seed..... 24, 587, 200 18, 574, 600 and leather... 34, 456, 400 32, 612, 800 Crockery ware a1 "a9 and porcelain 82, 450, 800 36,275,800 ||» Lard........2... 442, 200 1, 058, 800 EUROPE: NETHERLANDS. IMPORTS BY COUNTRIES AND ARTICLES—Continued. 239 Countries and Countries and articles. 1902. 1903. articles, 1902. 1903. From Germany— From Italy—Con. , Pounds. Pounds. Continued. Stone. 18, 064, 200 15, 103, 000 Lumber— Pounds. Pounds. Sulphu: 15, 507, 800 10, 135, 400 Shiptimber.| 470;342, 400 421, 788,400 || From Austri Hardwood.. 3 297; 800 38, 407, 800 Barley 19, 804, 400 35, 954, 600 Dyewood ... 4, 008, 400 4,976, 400 Drugs, Margarine....-.. 4, 404, 000 3, 810, 400 stuffs, Meat ......-.--- 1, 030, 700 952, 600 ehennicals .... 1, 141, 800 1, 278, 200 Mercery ware. . 76, 764, 600 77, 200, 200 Fruits .......-.. 3, 249, 400 1, 324, 400 Metals..-.....-. 2,353, 685, 400 | 2, 366, 104; 400 |) From Russia: 1, 395, 070, 600 L 516, 059; 600 Barley.......... 542, 359, 400 750, 059, 200 56, 881) 000 14, 295, 600 Buckwheat..... 18, 079, 600 37, 901, 600 78, 859, 000 86, 178, 400 Flax and hemp. 1,392, 600 1, 740, 200 194, 396, 400 199, 159, 400 Indian corn ... 328, 242, 200 95, 431, 600 93, 200 0, 400 Lumber, timber 56, 467, 400 55, 492, 800 ae ships Svaksneys 1a ~~ an 1, 869, el A AUS ..---------- a , y 9 64, 660, 200 72, 391, 000 Petroleum...... 79, 424, 400 120, 848, 200 75, 372, 000 109, 441, 200 Potash.......--. 1,359, 600 3, 031, 600 157, 095, 400 185, 691, 400 Versascsecdande 959) 024° 000 992) 081, 200 40, 559, 200 46,151, 600 Shelled and Sesame and broken grain. 19, 597, 600 33, 237, 600 other edible Seeds ........... 68, 970, 000 41, 076, 200 18, 536, 600 13, Bs 800 Tar and pitch -. 5, 753, 000 6, 789, 200 258, 955 4,317 Heaticcscecase 1,815, 133, 600 | 1,580, 645, 600 Spices .... 941, 600 1, “205, 600 |] From san Steam engines UNIS wes seiseirsc 24, 939, 200 29, 392, 000 and machin- ens s 2, 508, 000 2 565, 200 OLY sscicce ance 117, 513, 000 118,945,200 || #$Wine........... 22, 490, 600 19, 399, 600 Stone..........- 2, 663, 238, 600 | 3, 189, 428, 000 || From Portugal: Sugar— Bruits: 0. ccn0e20e 4, 978, 600 6, 226, 000 aw 256, 799, 400 246, 615, 600 Palm.ol)) €t@iesslicescxernnccse. 19, 800 All other . 38, 555, 000 43, 945, 000 Wbe acai ccccce ce 88, 822, 800 102, 891, 800 Tal oe si er Fro Tey: 32, 780, 000 22, 477, 400 ‘allow, TUES o. wcceees 780, 477, EC pemeses: 8, 098, 200 5, 761, 800 || From Roumania: 822, 800 1, 058, 800 Barley ......---. 161, 042, 200 139,387, 600 Tobacco. and Indian corn 228, 784, 600 59, 644, 200 cigars ....--.- 28, 798, 000 25, 055, 800 Oats 2 84, 961, 800 228, 162, 000 Wheat. ..- 17, 360, 200 48,978, 600 181, 867, 400 206, 419, 400 Wine ..... 73, 332, 600 78, 808, 400 435, 571, 400 377, 227, 400 Wool... 9, 838, 400 8, 929, 800 Yarns o2ccceesss 23, 798, 000 21, 287, 200 16, 291, 000 18, 216, 000 From France: Fish oil.....-.-. 7,304, 000 5, 381, 200 Buckwheat..... 297,000: |= sc2cc0ccs sess Lumber, timber Coffee 25, 612, 600 27, 238, 200 for ships. ..... 159, 926, 800 133, 463, 000 Cottgn-sead oll 1000; i1a’400 || Cumber, tim Cotton-seed oil. umber, timber Crockery ware : : for ships...... 564,227,400 | 584, 388, 800 and porcelain 193, 600 349, 800 Metals........-. 40, 099, 400 36, 770, 800 Distilled liquors 5, 722, 200 4, 802, 600 Tar and pitch .. 2,081, 200 1, 529, 000 Drugs, dye- From British Jodi: stuffs, chem- ‘Cotton, Taw .0 Tortoise shell...... Free. Turflitter.......... 4 z -| $1 per ton. Vanilla beans oe .| Free. Vegetables ........ 9, 068. 08 19, 896. 73 28, 011. 95 5 518.35 | 40 per cent. seer: (CCUG) ecpaicnase. cals emtratarne erences heinicce sn wietieminc| seis Susie dein 3 475.99 | 15 per cent. Wo0hysccrssceeessxe|szeesckecstncs 2, 090. 83 34, 297. 94 76, 312.17 | Washed, 22 cents per pound; scoured, 33 cents per pound. Sundries..... eines 16, 611. 40 26, 828.75 11, 384. 88 19, 952. 46 Total ........ 9, 363, 303. 74 |12, 837, 784. 95 13, 938, 978.52 |16, 233, 337. 97 1 IMPORTS SHOWING AN INCREASE IN 1903. [Metric ton=2,204.6 pounds. | Articles. 1903. Articles. 1903. Metric tons. Metric tons. Rattan isis: cic ccccncins ve saws cedadeass 8, 3 3 , 62! ROR: cence ciexiw sion 8,793 11, 308 Spices... 4,647 || Beer and extract of malt 1, 889 Rye flour. 14,404 |) Potato flour .. 7,289 Coffee .. 27,646 || Metal works...... Sofa 83, 188 Seeds . 98,202 |} Glass and glasswa zai 9, 962 Dry g OB: cs cc sae seesuses 18,700 || Drugs, paints, and chem 4 53,140 mrescle. melado, and molass: 5,313 || Metal (unwrought) ...... ete 117, 098 Haberdashery miciereieiniaisaneneee A 6,008 |} Meat -...-.........- acts 435 Hides, skins, leather... 6,716 || Salt......---...... ais 10, 189 Paper’. ceeese cee dccocecacnsnnecsvewsnee 18,711 || Sugar (not raw) .........---2.2------- 3, 749 EXPORTS SHOWING A DECREASE IN 1903. TRGB siaisin'sialsccidisig bis atereitrsiatacdjsidie Maigte aicisisiseats 6, 744 || Factory, agricultural, Seam, and Tobacco and cigars .......... 34, 886 other machines....................-- 8, 143 Rattans oc os ce vecesasmus vena 4, 252 || Rye flour..........-........ 4,447 Beer and extract of malt... 8,111 |} Drugs, paints, and chemicals. 5 40, 533 Ri 36,521 || Metal (works of) ........-.- i 58, 650 PODED cee sp eraielscae memset 18, 272 26,525 || Earthenware and porcelain... f 74,698 || Metall cises sisvieniscsiceie dicate anes 74, 934 19, 625 || Glass and glassware...... 4,765 13,966 || Cotton (unspun) .............2...---- 2, 668 7, 215 IMPORTS OF GRAIN AND FLOUR AT AMSTERDAM. [Metric ton = 2,204.6 pounds.] Whence imported. 1901. * 1902. 1908. Wheat: Metric tons. | Metric tons. | Metric tons. Russia (Black Sea) > 18, 910 2, 660 Britishy (Nd tis nay ercen a sreasheecnnjek eet cre cesarean: ahaa] vam txanees Sere 1,531 Danube principalities 1,000 504 United States. ccccacceceesescovecena: varcedeaenexeeeemsaemies|| BR UBB: fesse daeiciwiace | ceretsed wahooe Great Britain....... 8, 46 133 Hamburg 1 ee 643 465 891 2, 871 Rio ae ria Plate ie woscccecaca se ukccesnnmsisceecale + cntmenmotios caldlbdieheinaatlepebaiaacawss 3 252 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. IMPORTS OF GRAIN AND FLOUR AT AMSTERDAM—Continued. Whence imported. 1901. 1902, 1903. Wheat—Continued. Metric tons. | Metrictons. | Metrictons. Sweden.... 2 DBT ATCS: evs arsincits odie sewareleta eis stern ysis ceaismiars ae least wise aizisivied ciareierem | Ble Heras ra Sates ctalfinaicieg eareewegy JON Be einencminaeeareeeeecaeckei Es ieeaeiserwecectcatepecasace:|, dy 070! |smecossetas|tesaceesgnas Rye: Russia— IBY PO) SS CM 225123 2s cays cciae wisinpeGinein nisi Ses melsi nine AAR 15, 475 25, 902 22,116 Baltic and White seas 23, 254 5, 897 10, 616 Danube principalities -..........--.--- 4, 859 6, 802 107 United States..... 2.2... 22ce eee cee nee B00 ieee cerarers anes 857 Prussia ... 200 467 1,474 France . T. ssemtenians.o| sees seemscci Turkey DD Wevsrirciachareretareig | oisrare Sra meters Barley: Russia: (Black S€a) sss ccccocessssneecceesscetoeseesceesesereses 19,161 27,827 Hamburg.....-- 210 1,076 Prussia ... 1,133 853 Great Britain... Bike | csecb. Simla aa teaiere Danube principalities . 2 3, 293 1, 292 "BULISCY' a.5 sis: sree sieseiaipcace vines teow aaa Go seine Rare vies SER Nee OE eee BO. |e eecisecrrsisise Maize: Danube principalities .......... 2220-22 e eee cece cece eee e ec eeeee 799 United States...... 38,779 Russia (Black Sea) 100 ~ Great Britain 11 Dutch India 1,447 Belgium.. = 12 British INU; ascc ose essasee tase d Fe csan seed caseocee aetna: loetuse tore langece ene * 355 Rio de la Plata .............--- : 26, 573 TURKEY eect ss sonoaecitwse teMaxmaee ee tesoosuabemmaneianaiaiewnlcnaeccones|) 00 ecceateccon Oats: Russia (Baltic and White seas)-..-..2..... 0.0... cece eee cece ee 1, 606 355 109 Swed ens ics sccaccssscscasvscesiccsassccee 2 Prussia - Belgium .. Bremen .... Danube principalities MGCI En DUDE oj a.scars:3:ie Hei2is diosa cis siaidianidisyssiaedicatawiaienaieiaredciesisiacete Groats and buckwheat: eu | (Baltic and White seas) ..........-2--00e-eeenee eee enone! / Russia (Black Sea) Wheat flour: Danube principalities sj: scien: ssnenccnseseessseiainctchesmeee sas United States....... Great Britain. Italy....-- Prussia. -. Hamburg Bremen . France ... Austria .. Belgium......-. Russia (Black Sea) . Turkey ....-..-. Prussia France <2.» Danube principalities . United States... Belgium.... Denmark... EUROPE: NETHERLANDS. 2538 DORDRECHT. [FRoM CONSUL-GENERAL SOREN LIsTOE, ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS, OCTOBER 28, 1904.] One hundred and twenty-two steamers and 27 sailing vessels arrived at Dordrecht and Zwijndrecht in 1903, whereof 74 steamers and 8 sailing vessels were laden with lumber, principally for merchants of Dordrecht and the interior of the Netherlands and partially for transit to Germany. Trade in chopped and sawed pitch-pine logs was very lively. Although prices were not high at the beginning of the year, they declined slowly but steadily until December, when the lowest point was reached. For the foreign shippers the consignments to the Dordrecht market frequently resulted in losses, but as long as con- signments of lumber are made to be sold ‘‘sailing” to the highest bidder this will be the case. The larger part of the logs arrived as deck cargoes of steamers, of which the hold cargoes were destined for Germany and England. Sawed lumber (pitch pine) prices were pretty steady in spite of low offers from shippers not members of the lumber shippers’ convention, which naturally affected the market somewhat. The market for Norwegian lumber was high the year around, owing to the high prices demanded and adhered to by Norwegian exporters. Since prices have kept up so well in slack times, it is believed that with the improvement of industrial conditions in England and Ger- many, the Le consuming countries, no immediate decline is to be expected. Besides the lumber cargoes, 9 steamers arrived with coal, 6 with phosphates, and 1 with guano; 11 sailing vessels brought porcelain clay, 3 zinc ore, and 1 broken glass; 2 steamers arrived with molasses, 1 with general merchandise, and 26 steamers and 7 sailing vessels in ballast. For the agency of the Dutch Trading Company 14,400 blocks of tin arrived via Rotterdam. Seventy-nine laden sailing vessels cleared from Dordrecht in 1903, against 50in 1902. The 122 steamers and 27 sailing vessels that entered the port in 1903 had an aggregate tonnage capacity of 286,601 cubic meters, while the arrivals in 1902 were 117 steamers and 37 sailing vessels, with a tonnage of 327,047 cubic meters. From Russia there arrived 46 steamers and 6 sailing vessels; from Germany, 24 steamers and 5 sailing vessels; from England, 14 steamers and 13 sailing vessels; from Belgium, 8 steamers; from Sweden, 7 steamers and 1 sailing vessel; from the United States, 7 steamers and 1 sailing vessel; from Norway, 5 steamers; from Africa, 5 steamers; from Netherlands ports, 3 steamers and 1 sailing vessel; from France, 2 steamers; and from Denmark, 1 steamer. The river traffic amounted to 4,138 vessels, with an aggregate ton- nage of 358,692 tons. Eleven thousand one hundred and twenty-two dollars and sixty-six cents was collected for quay and port dues, against $12,478.41 in1902. Thenumberof river vessels belonging at Dordrecht on December 31, 1903, was 9 steamers, with an aggregate capacity of 667 tons; 92 tugs, with a capacity of 3,555 tons; 57 barges, with a capacity of 3,578 tons; and 5 ballast barges, with a capacity of 70 tons, 254 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. ROTTERDAM. [FRom CONSUL-GENERAL SOREN Listoz, ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS, OCTOBER 28, 1904,] PORT FACILITIES. Rotterdam has about 25 miles of quays, which, besides the buoys in the river Maas (1,200 feet wide) and in the large harbors Maas- haven, Rynhaven, and Schiebaven, provide mooring places for ocean and river vessels. Vessels with a draft of 30 feet can navigate the river Maas and enter the principal harbors. Most of the large commercial establishments, such as petroleum, oil, coal, and basalt-stone companies, and also the large general storage sheds and warehouses, are established on the left bank of the river. The latter cover an area of about 2,000,000 square feet. All the com- mercial establishments, sheds, and warehouses are connected by rail with the railroad freight yards of the city. There are 24 steam, 13 hydraulic, and 34 electric cranes in use on the left side of the river Maas at Rotterdam. The total number of cranes belonging to the city is 78, each with a lifting capacity of from 1,500 to 66,000 pounds. Besides, the city owns a large number of cap- stans and windlasses, with a capacity of from 1,100 to 4,400 pounds. The railroad companies have 12 cranes, and private parties also use considerable hoisting machinery. The city owns and operates 3 coal tips. Together they worked, in 1901, 347 days and 181 nights, accommodating 190 vessels; in 1902, 611 days and 357 nights, accommodating 251 vessels; and, in 1903, 559 days and 356 nights, accommodating 298 vessels. The aggre- gate work done by the coal tips was, in 1901, 191,260; in 1902, 315,490; and in 1903, 270,264 tons of coal moved. The coal tips move 20 car- loads, or 200 tons of coal per hour, at a cost of 4 cents per ton. The establishment of a fourth coal tip is contemplated. The steam, hydraulic, and electric cranes together worked 6,556 days and 1,216 nights in 1903, against 5,863 days and 903 nights in 1902. With the 24-ton electric ore cranes, 75,548 tons of ore were hoisted in 1908, against 108,539 tons in 1902 and 95,377 tons in 1901. A new traveling crane for moving basalt stone, lately established, has a hoisting power of 7 tons. There are five large floating dry docks owned by the city, and one in course of construction. The smallest has a lifting power of 2,000 tons and will take a ship 250 feet long with a draft of 19 feet; while the largest will lift 15,000 tons and vill take a ship 655 feet long, with a draft of 26 feet. There are also two large dry docks, owned by the Rotterdam Dry Dock Company. * It has frequently occurred that deep-sea going” steamers, drawing from 27 to 30 feet or more, have been delayed at the entrance of the “new waterway” to Rotterdam owing to ebb tide. In order to be inde- pendent of low water and to accelerate the making of railway con- nections by passengers arriving by steamers of the Holland-America Line, the Holland Railway Company, at the instance and on behalf of the steamship line, has constructed a landing wharf at the Hook of Holland, on the mouth of the new waterway, where passengers, if EUROPE: NETHERLANDS. 255 necessary, can be landed and can continue their journey by rail to any part of the continent of Europe or the Netherlands, and by direct steamer to Great Britain. The landing wharf at the Hook of Holland was completed in May, 1903, and has been successfully used whenever required. In course of construction is a second landing wharf at the Hook of Holland, which, when completed, will enable passengers arriving at the Hook of Holland by the continental European express trains which connect there with the Harwich. boats of the Great Eastern Railway Company of England, to embark at this point for the United States. NAVIGATION. The entrances at Rotterdam from the United States in 1903 were 422 vessels, with a capacity of 15,000,000 cubic feet, against 401 vessels in 1902, with a capacity of 14,000,000 cubic feet, and 540 vessels in 1901, with a capacity of 16,500,000 cubic feet. The departures.from Rotterdam to the United States in 1903 were 248 vessels, against 228 in 1902 and 280 in 1901. This includes the combined passenger and freight steamers of the Holland-America Line, which ply weekly between Rotterdam and New York, and the steamers of the regular freight lines from Rotterdam to Newport News, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Boston, New Orleans, and Savannah. During 1908 the steamers of the Holland-America Line made 48 round trips to New York and 15 round trips to Newport News, while 2 trips from New York to Rotterdam were made by chartered steamers. The fleet of the Holland-America Line consists at present of the fol- lowing steamers: Combined passenger and freight steamers—twin screw steamers WVoordam, Ryndam, and Potsdam, each with a tonnage of 12,500 tons; Statendam, 10,320 tons; Rotterdam, 8,302 tons, and the screw steamer Amsterdam with a tonnage of about 4,000 tons. Freight steamers—Soestdyk, Amsteldyk, and Sloterdyk, witha tonnage of about 8,100 tons each. A twin screw combined passenger and freight steamer, with a tonnage capacity of 17,000 tons, is in course of con- struction on the wharf of Harland & Wolff, Belfast. In 1903 the Holland-America Line carried from Rotterdam and Boulogne sur Mer to New York 8,413 saloon and 36,812 steerage passengers; and from New York to the home ports 5,767 saloon and 10,607 steerage passengers. The company paid a dividend of 8 per cent in 1903. RIVER TRAFFIC. Rotterdam is connected by a large number of canals with the prin- cipal towns of the interior of the Netherlands, and also with the chief waterways of Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, and France. The total length of the network of canals covering the Netherlands is about 3,000 miles. More than 100,000 river ships and boats, with a capacity in the aggregate of more than 529,740,000 cubic feet, enter Rotterdam annually from the interior of the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium. 256 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. ENTRIES AT ROTTERDAM. 1901. 1902. 1903. i iti Num- | Percent-| Num- | Percent- | Num- | Percent- paar perof | ageof | berof| ageof | berof| age of ships. |tonnage. | ships. tonnage. | ships. | tonnage. Jpeletd Rested emcees cts Sieeeeenee 261 1.70 279 1379) 283 1.79 eae clini Aiid TWelKNG « sscccsaee ac aceeere: 2,704 26.40 | 2,596 25.75 | 2,808 24.39 Hanscatic ports ......-------+--222- errr eects 406 4.88 570 6. 23 618 6.21 PruSSiOccsecesceweieenes iGdstehaeee MERE Be 421 2.71 464 3.25 532 3. 83 qr A sc scsincscn co mmmane mand owenas sehen ROREIRRE UE | isiogeinstes 74 |..-------- : weiemsunrans RUSSIA. cron aied iscicoomasr eae adataietieceam rere 641 11.60 654 14. 06 727 13. 69 SPAIN waver svscacamiirciones mesicie 35 632 10. 34 be 9.55 ie 10.77 Ports on the Danube.....- Exportation of corks to the United States amounted to $7,464. SUMMARY OF IMPORTS AND EXPORTS BY CLASSES. Imports. Exports. Classes. Inerease (+) Increase (+) 1903. 1902. or 1903. 1902. or decrease (—). decrease (—). Live stock ..........-+..- $2, 676,640 | $3,380,640 | — $704,000 | $3, 388,640 | $2,788, 000 + $650, 640 888, Raw material . -| 26, 605, 600 | 25, 489,120 | +1,116, 480 | 10,407,600 | 9,179,440 | +1, 228,160 Threads, textures, felts, CLC cosic cd jemcimac.seseases 6,110,320 | 5,487,360 | + 622,960 | 2,059,840 | 1,147,440 + 912, 400 Food products........-.. 17, 464,720 | 14,004,160 | +8, 460,560 | 19, 744,000 | 18, 526, 560 +1, 217, 440 Machinery for agricul- tural purposes, instru- ments, etG....---.--.+++ 3,401,760 | 3,209,760] + 192,000] 445,600] 490,880| — 45,280 Different manufactures..| 4,713,280 | 4,280,560 | + 432,720 | 2,442,000 |. 2,056,800 / + 385,200 Unelassified.............. 78, 240 67,280 | + 10,960 320 480} — 160 Total......2......-- 61, 050, 560 | 55,918,880 | +5, 835, 680 | 38, 488,000 | 34,139,600 | +4,393, 840 NAVIGATION. There entered the ports of Portugal and the adjacent islands durin the year 1903, with cargo and in ballast, 6,485 steamers and 4,44 sailing vessels; and departed 6,454 steamers and 4,402 sailing vessels. These figures include coasting craft numbering nearly 4,000. England with 2,767 and Germany with 1,663 vessels entered, and 2,757 and 1,661 cleared, did the bulk of the carrying trade. TARIFFS AND POSTAL RATES. There is also expected to be an early revision of the customs tariffs. The intention is to raise rather than diminish the duty rates. ; No change in postage rates has taken place, but it is announced in the Government Gazette that they are to be lowered from and after March 20, 1905, soas to be more in accord with the Postal Union rates. 268 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. RUSSIA. (FRom ConsuL T. E. HEENAN, ODEsSa, RUSSIA, NOVEMBER 15, 1904.] FOREIGN TRADE IN 1903.4 The customs revenue received in Russia during the year 1903 amounted to $123,857,500, of which $114,137,905, or 92 per cent, was received on the European frontier, and $9,719,595, or 7.8 per cent, on the Asiatic frontier. For 1902 the total was $118,669,390, showing an increase of $5,188,110 in 1903. This increase was entirely over the European frontier, the receipts over the Asiatic frontier showing a reduction of nearly $1,500,000. The values of the total and imports exports of Russia were: Years. Imports. Exports. Total. 1902 -iacjaciisenimancainbeweneninsaat sie asia cieimmmesecieacsiewstlestisel $272, 486, 500 | $425, 081,000 | $697, 567,500 WOODS scrincinciecrecissins sani cecugicn Saisie smsienceinktacacesnctee wane 309, 772,500 | 488, 899,500 797, 672, 000 The imports and exports, by countries, in 1908, were as follows: * Countries. Imports. Exports. Countries. Imports. Exports. i Germany ............. $121, 385, 500 | $119, 686,000 || Roumania...........)....20...0-005 $8, 137, 000 Great Britain . -»--| 57,680,000 | 112,270,000 || Norway .. --| $3,759, 500 5, 665, 000 Holland ............-. 5, 356, 000 52,015,000 || Sweden .. ssl eeamxenemesese 5, 804, 500 France.....--.---.---- 14, 420, 000 39, 088, 000 || East India... 4, 892, 500 4, 038, 000 Hay. sncemiewesaceenes 5, 665, 000 29, 200, 500 |) United States . --| 82,289, 000 2, 929, 500 Belgium ........-.-... 8, 244, 500 22,402,500 || Egypt -...... xe 5, 253, 000 2,317, 500 Austria-Hungary ..... 14, 368, 500 19, 055,000 || China ...- Pe 9, 682,000 |........-..-2. Denmark ............. 2, 987, 000 14,111,000 || Switzerland ......... 2,678,000 |...-.-......-- MUP CY sicsisierdipisiersie.siee 38, 193, 000 9, 460, 000 The exports of merchandise in 1903 as compared with 1902 decreased in the cases of Holland, Denmark, Egypt, Roumania, and Sweden. To the other countries the exports of merchandise increased. The imports into Russia in 1903 as compared with 1902 increased from all countries except Belgium, Switzerland, Turkey, Holland, Egypt, China, and East India. EXPORTS. The exports of 1903 exceeded those of 1902 by 15 per cent. A clas- sification of the exports according to groups shows that the largest increase was in the group of alimentary articles. Groups. 1902. 1903. Alimentary artl@les.....< te Lead (pig) - 60, 787 || Dried garlic - 137 Iron ore -. i Sweet pep er 216 Zinc ore -- 74,911 || Apricot pulp_ 392 Copper ore 501 Fresh fruits - 19, 786 Iron pyrite 2,164 |) Wine........- 1,096 cher ____ 585 || Salt ..----.... 45,770 Esparto -- 21,309 || Food stuffs. .___ 432 Almonds 435 || Miscellaneous 140 Capers. us ccceect ove. saseeccectaaces te 175 TRADE WITH UNITED STATES. I have received during the year many letters from American manufacturers and merchants on the subject of extending American trade, but I do not recollect having seen any American here; nor can I remember how many years have elap American flag in the harbor. sed since I last saw the EUROPE: SPAIN. 301 HUELVA. [From ConsuLar Acunt W. J. ALcock, Huruva, SPAIn, OcToBER 20, 1904.] TRADE CONDITIONS. During the year ended June 30, 1904, trade in this port and Prov- ince has been in a satisfactory state. Produce such as wine, grain, grapes, olive oil, and corkwood reached their standard price. The principal exports are copper and iron pyrites, but a large trade seems to have opened up during the past year in corkwood and cork waste, more especially with the United States. Corkwood abounds in this district, and supplies can be increased if necessary. The principal imports continue to be, as per my previous report, from England, but I am glad to note that American typewriting machines and other small articles are coming into use in this Province. These are not imported direct, but through agents, principally via Barce- lona. IMPORTS AND EXPORTS. PRINCIPAL IMPORTS IN THH YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 1904. 2 Railway . < Whence imported. Cement.| Wood. teas mate- ae oe Coffee. Cubic Tons. | meters.a| Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. United States..............--.]------.-.- 8,906 Pe ewe ececlecieco nse s| Loe ce wesel|ece een tel edeneeenes England 6. __- 690 14,328 2,144 1,450 1028 | sensme=ssell aeeenvedee France -. 30 6 1 2,153 1, 642 «Cubic meter = 35.316 cubic feet. f >The total imports of coal and coke were 89,057 and 14,512 tons, respectively, all from England. PRINCIPAL EXPORTS IN THE YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 1904. S -; | Sul- Precipi- ‘ Cupreous| Iron Man- |Copper phate | Cork- | Cork | White Exported to parites, pyrites. |ganese.| ingots. coe of cop-| wood. | waste.| wines. “| per. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | Liters. United States ....| 160,591 | 152,145 |.---..-.|----.---|---.------|-------- 402 OSG | cweuewauan England 2.2.20 » Number. EXPORTS FROM TARRAGONA IN THE YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 1904. Articles. Quantity.| Value. Exported to— Almonds....-...2.----+--2-000-2e0-0+ 2,574 | $679,424 | United States, England, France, lted 149 1,683 Tele Penns hovies (dry sal , y, France. Bde ea tear — 203 56,830 | France, Italy, Holland, England. Chemical products és 967 27,953 | Italy. Hil ents esc seeds ce se sted sececaceses 7,307 | 1,101,148 | England, Germany, northern Eu- rope. Lead (ore and pig) --------.-..--...-- 1,007 67,943 | Belgium, Italy, France. pend {08 (enot) . eee 64 4,914 | France, Italy. Figs. (dried))..2+..222s0c22<2-s2ecivie'eee 277 6,132 | France, Oia maces sss cssmensaeesemeiceen 12,459 | 1,747,036 Hees France, Portugal, Germany, etc. ATIGS sae epcier sper cisela etnies siewest 210,548,400 | 1,836,918 | France, England, Germany, north- — : ern Europe, United States, South America, etc. MOtal ss asesssceseseicetusscsscses|ecesteeaeee 5, 529, 981 aGallons. 308 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. SHIPPING. The number of vessels entered at Tarragona during the year ended June 30, 1904, is shown in the following table: Sailing vessels. Steamers. Total. Flag. Number.| Tonnage. |Number.) Tonnage. |Number.} Tonnage. Spanish._..._...........-----.----- 146 9,139 496 455, 599 642 464, 738 BORG oc nsewnwwewantescue wwener 48 6, 278 301 285, 573 349 241,851 Gal onactnceumeorcaneveaucns 194 15,417 19% 691,172 991 706, 589 The foreign vessels entered were under the following flags: British, 72; Danish, 18; Dutch, 83; French, 36; German, 6; Greek, 10; Italian, 110; Russian, 7; Swedish and Norwegian, 57. 2 ; SWEDEN AND NORWAY. NORWAY. [From CONSUL-GENERAL Henry BORDEWICH, CHRISTIANA, Norway, OcToseER 8, 1904.] FOREIGN COMMERCE. The total trade of Norway with other countries (Sweden included): for the last five years was as follows: Imports in Years. Imports. Exports. cee of exports. $42,719,200 | $40,490, 860 46,349,635 | "86, 905,395 44,246,800 | 32,722" 800 49,040,000 | 28, 733/600 49,740,800 | 26,934; 000 The-exports in 1903 were larger than in any previous year, and the balance of trade presents a smaller deficit than any during the last six years. Of the imports in 1903 it is calculated that 56.07 per cent were intended for purposes of consumption and 43.93 per cent for purposes of production. The deficit in balance of trade is at least partly covered by incomes from the shipping, the tourist traffic, and the large sums of money annually sent by people of Norwegian extraction residing in the United States and other countries to relatives at home. IMPORTS INTO NORWAY. : Direct imports from . Total imports. United States. Articles. 1902. 1903. 1902. 1908. PGP OUiitivne aeuecanenencesoncncinniasenoean seauaneacie $959, 300 | $1,262,600 | $695,100 729, 300 Beef ......-- 979,700 |” 746;500 6, : 81,500 Pork... .2.5-- 20022 1,028, 100 910, 800 161, 100 177,700 Leather and skins -..--..-----. 1,781,100 | 1,778, 200 0, i Tallow, lard, margarin, etc -.-. * 448, 2, 828, 300 1 811,700 Butter ccnssscocorcsesnseesnss sos oe : 91, 900 LAPS 600 | ee aeesiee mec |en eae acces Wheat -- r 364, 880 Bey | essere cncuascsal decease eles Flour .-- 1,804, Corn 481 Corn meal... 9G cmcwmnee Rye meal _ Barley Barley groat: Barley meal Oats EUROPE: SWEDEN AND NORWAY. 309 IMPORTS INTO NORWAY-—Continued. Articles. Direct imports from Total imports. United States, 1902. 1903. 1902. 1903. DBPICES n= Tobaccs and cigars - Hops-.-..---....-.--- Vegetables _ Bish) cesencdcccsucessewse eysteodiats 2: Alcohol, liquors, beers, juices, etc .......-...- Wool and shoddy -.....-......---.2222.2----2-- Yarns, threads, cords, ropes, etc. ee ilk, and manufactures of_.-.._......_-...--...----- Cloth and other manufactures: PRE wince st ancaauanaewGGoumsl elcome a wonkes Of linen, hemp, and jute z Hats, caps, and notions_....--...---.---- Boots, shoes, and other leather goods - -.. Oils, other than petroleum Varnishes, ume, rosin, tar, e Rubber and rubber goods Seeds and plants... Linseed. -_--...... Watches and clocks_ Opticalinstruments -- ‘usical instruments -.....--..-.--..-. eee Books, pictures, and stationery---....-....-..--.--- Barrel staves and woods, such as mahogany, oak, ash, cedar, Otte... .:20:-2es%s-sseceodaonccs nese cee Manufactures of wood a 3 Hair and feathers........--....---. ee Soaps, perfumery, candles, ete ---.--. “ Oil cake and similar feed for animals see Paper and paper articles ---.-.-_.-------- 4 Cork, bark, straw, and manufactures of Manufactures of clay. - Manufactures of glass - Pig iron - Steel.-....-. Band, bolt, Sheet and plate iron -.-- Other raw metals. --- Yel) | Tron pipes, tubes, and beams..-..--..--..------.-.-- Heavy iron castings, railroad rails, and material -- Other manufactures of iron, wire, cutlery, etc ---- Manufactures of other metals than iron -...-- aes Stesmships .-.50.c-c0cniscsceccercsasecccees Sailing ships ---_.---------- s Locomotives and tenders Locomobiles --.----------- Reapers and mowers --..-.----------- Other farm machinery - a2 Other machinery -.-.- Parts of machinery ---.-------------- Other implements --...-- .- sesbee wet Sewing and knitting machines --.-. Electrical “pee and fixtures - Bicycles and bicycle parts -.....-.- 3 Goods not classified ... 22... cu.20se22seseese-en +2 Riad oes BSERS: SER RERSE pr 28 Too £En3 SESSSESS NSseeysssless = ed BERESS mo s¢ BuSN SSSSSSS5 aeegegey Be s BSSBSeeeRs a> Ss Beoss SSesssss s2sRt ! 31, 400 8,000 * 1,400 1,162,188 | 1,555, 800 108, 014 42, 204 77, 773, 680 | 76,674,800 | 3,332,700 | 3, 162, 640 310 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. In the first two columns of the foregoing table is given in detail, as far as practicable, the custom-house valuation of the different classes of merchandise imported from all sources for each of the years 1902 and 1903. The table is intended to serve as a guide for American exporters, as it shows the classes of imported goods sold in this mar- ket. The figures are reliable. : Tn the last two columns of the table is given the custom-house valu- ation of the different classes of merchandise marked down at the sev- eral Norwegian ports of entry, to show the total imports from the United States into Norway ip the years 1902 and 1903. The figures are misleading, for the reason that of such merchandise only the por- tion coming in ships direct from American ports to Norwegian ports is set down as imports from the United States. American goods sold to Norwegian importers through German, Danish, and British job- bers are not included, nor are goods bought directly by Norwegian importers from American exporters and shipped via Germany, Den- mark, Great Britain, and other foreign ports. Of the latter the volume has of late years increased considerably, because foreign ship- owners, the Germans in particular, have been offering extremely low ocean freight rates. ; During the month of May, 1904, there was imported to Christiania 1,240 tons of flour, which was entered as follows: From Germany, 850; France, 61; United States, 53; other countries, 276; total, 1,240 tons. Of this flour I am credibly informed that considerably more than one-half came from the United States. The bulk of flour im- ported from all countries is without doubt of American origin. _ If the true figures to show the quantity of American goods con- sumed in Norway could be ascertained, I believe they would swell the total to some $7,000,000 for 19038. The bulk of Norway’s trade is with Great Britain and Germany. Of the imports in 1903, goods to the value of $20,500,000 came from Great Britain and $22,000,000 from Germany. Both countries have long-established trade connections with this country, and they give longer credits than do American exporters. EXPORTS FROM NORWAY. Articles. Exported to— Value. Bran and shorts -- Germany, Sweden, Holland.-.......-. $467,700 Denmark, United States, Germany 288, 900 Great Britain, Germany -.....___. 594, 700 Germany, Great Britain, Belgium 271, Great Britain, Germany, Sweden -. A 599, 700 Copper .--..-. Piaseze Holland, Great Britain, Germany, Sweden .... 447,800 Condensed milk -... ‘ ---| Great Britain, Germany -.....--..-.-..-..--.--- 1,781,300 Fishery products....-.-..--.--------- Des Aenea, Great Britain, Russia, Italy, | 14,382,600 weden,. Hides and skins .-._.........---..-:--| France, Germany, Great Britain : quoliand, Unite ‘states. , Denmark, 816, 100 OD ve annancnascceannnninsiink MURWEES REERE reat Britain, France, Germany .......-..----- 152, 500 Lumber... ---| Great Britain, France, Holland, Belgium, | 11,924,900 Germany, South Africa. Matches. - ..-| Great Britain, Germany, Holland 600 Margarin .--| Denmark, Great Britain’ ee : 10, 400 Machinery - 2 ---| Denmark, Faroe Islands.... . 159, 700 Nails, including horseshoe nails .....| Germany, Great Britain, Belgium, Holland ... 464,000 OPOSs seen vis swhsecuaitiodaGee a, seetaess Holland, Great Britain, Belgium, France, Ger- | 1,080, 800 many. PAG? ... 2 -:seesseeey vas tccsvasteeetises Great Britain, Germany, Holland _.... : Stone and marble z Russia, Denmark, Sweden, Holland, Germany. * i 00 Ships. _....-....------- Rete oruam teams, Sweden, Great Britain, Denmark .’...._._..___ 748, 800 Telephones and electric apparatus -.| Great Britain, Germany, Spain : EUROPE: SWEDEN AND NORWAY. 311 EXPORTS FROM NORWAY—Continued. Articles. Exported to— Value. Turned wood, windows, and doors..| Great Britain, Iceland, Africa, Azores ......... ee Wood pulp: = ..:.242ssesceescscencesexs Great Britain, Germany, France, United 6, 399, 000 . States, Belgium. All Other articles occ) os )e55e.4 eek oc se ce wsctienssemeecoseictebiace disease meales Soe sce 5, 414,200 Ota le esc seca t sce =e cek ase ee ol etek Soe ae ee See Se CIE De NE SSA Sea OS 49, 740, 800 Among goods not classified are found oxalic acid, old rubber and rope, furs, feldspar, iodine, brick, glassware, liquors, and acetic acid. Of the exports, $5,000,000 worth consisted of Swedish iron ore and wood pulp in transit. Of these exports for 1903, the Norwegian statistics give the value of exports to the United States as $622,200 only, while the actual figures, as shown by the consular invoice returns of declared exports from the Bergen and Christiania consulates, are much larger. Only merchandise shipped directly from Norway to American ports is noted in the Norwegian statistics as exports to the United States, and the figures are consequently misleading. The Norwegian statistics are reliable in all respects except as to country of origin for imports and country of destination for exports. AMERICAN PRODUCTS IN NORWAY. Russian crude petroleum is now being imported in increasing quantities to Norway, where it is being rectified in a refinery located near Christiania. Formerly nearly all petroleum used came from the United States. American chemicals, drugs, druggists’ sundries, and patent medi- cines have been introduced in this market to some extent. The pat- ent medicines are received with distrust by the medical profession, and strong efforts are being made to have a stringent law passed regarding their importation by the trade and by individuals for private use. The Norwegian farmers are making considerable progress in the management of their farms. Rotation of crops is, owing to the light and sandy soil, a necessity even on new land. Much attention is given to stock raising and dairying. The number of hogs has in- creased very much of late, and the importation of pork is decreasing accordingly. The country will never be able to produce enough farm products for home consumption, however; hence American food products, as well as manufactured articles—according to the needs of the country—will always find a market here. If the credit system could, with safety to the American sellers, be made easier for the Norwegian buyers it would greatly facilitate the trade. RAW COTTON.@ A few days ago I noticed the statement in a Norwegian paper re- viewing manufacturing industries that “ the American kinds of cot- ton used in this country could not be bought in Europe.” I wondered «From Consul Cunningham, Bergen. 312 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. why Europe should be ransacked for American raw cotton, when no effort was made to buy in the country of its growth. In investigating I find that it has been the custom for the cotton manufacturers here to buy American cotton in Europe and not in the United States. In the last five years but little cotton used by the factories in Norway has been imported directly from the country of origin, the United States, and in one of these years none at all. ; ; There are some fifteen to twenty mills in Norway which spin yarns or weave the common kinds of domestic cotton goods, and some of them make the finer laces and tricots of cotton. They are all small, it is true, when compared with the large mills at Manchester and in the United States, but they imported 6,000,000 pounds of cotton in 1901. There is no import duty on cotton. The following table shows the quantities of cotton imported into Norway from 1898 to 190%, and the country from which it came: Countries. 1898. 1899. 1900. 1901. 1902. Pounds. | Pounds. | Pounds. | Pounds. | Pounds. Sweden): 222s -nesaceeeseeeecensteactaes 30,648 58, 058 58, 300 124, 698 97,878 MoenmMark ooo os ees seeneetin ees Mesa 146, 960 93, 852 204, 821 701, 140 359, 961 Germany)... oan ees ecmccunscceto re 978, 280 670,010 | 1,181,240 948,822 | 1,647,008 Netherlands-. 318, 010 196, 152 197, 868 458, 502 447,788 Belgium .....- -| 1,769,778 | 2,225,542 | 1,011,824 | 1,241,548 641, 476 Great Britain. 2,721,378 | 2,777,852 | 2,462,372 | 2,019,402 | 2,516,294 France ..-.-..- ie 155,738 145, 728 192, 500 141, 504 97, 218 United States.-.....-.-.--...-- a 56, 188 78, 628 222, 156 421,804 |....-.------ Other countries --.....-..-......-------- 4,906 | 220-scccees 145800 |assec- ace e cal es acces wen MO tell oes tat ets oealsek ee ae 6,175, 884 | 6,245,822 | 5,495,381 | 6,052,508 5, 807, 623 Direct American trade with Norway should prevail wherever such trade is possible. Bringing the producer and the consumer face to face saves much cost absorbed by middlemen, transshipments, etc. Where agents for the sale of American goods are employed, they should be strictly confined to the sale of American goods. It is often a delicate matter for consuls to discriminate between the genu- ine dealers in American goods exclusively—located in Europe—and dealers who handle American goods only when they realize therefrom larger profits than from the sale of other goods. By representing themselves to the consuls as importers and general agents of Amer- ican goods, located in England, Germany, or other countries, and seeking commercial information from the American consul in this or other countries, they generally obtain the information sought; but I have had cases where refusal was found necessary. _ A great number of traveling salesmen from different European countries, mostly from Germany and Great Britain, visit Norway every month for the purpose of soliciting trade. They generally carry samples and visit the principal towns, Christiana, Bergen, and Trondhjem. The tax imposed on foreign traveling salesmen remains at $26.80 for a thirty-day stay in the country. In order to promote the direct trade between the countries, American salesmen should occasionally put in an appearance in connection with their trips to other countries in northern Europe. Cotton fabrics, now so largely imported from Great Britain and Germany, are articles for which I believe the American factories could find a good market in Norway. American ready-made clothing, furnishing, and dress goods would EUROPE: SWEDEN AND NORWAY. 313 also find a market if properly introduced. Very few, if any, of these articles as now offered are of American origin. The introduction of American goods in new lines is constantly being put to the test with more or less success. New goods are best introduced by local agents and traveling salesmen. Judicious advertising in local papers is likely to prove a good investment. NORWAY-UNITED STATES SHIPPING FACILITIES.” The Hamburg-American Steamship Company has entered into more active competition for the trans-Atlantic carrying trade of western Norway, and on January 1, 1905, appointed its own freight agents in Bergen, and others will be named at the various ports to solicit and book freights for American ports. A close arrangement has been formed with the Bergenske Dampskibsselskab to receive freight so booked for transportation to Hamburg. The ships of the Bergenske Dampskib Company make two voyages from Tromsé to Hamburg each week, calling at the principal ports of western Nor- way to Christiansand, leaving Bergen on Mondays and Fridays the year round. No new lines of steamers are to be established, but the appointment of agents by the Hamburg-American Company indi- cates that it intends giving more attention to the American trade from here than formerly. If the increased competition will lessen the time consumed in delivering merchandise, a great favor will be conferred upon shippers. The company offers to make contracts for a year at reasonable rates for the transportation of the principal articles of merchandise usually shipped from here to the United States. Shippers have the choice of the following practical routes from ‘western Norway to the United States: Wilson steamers via Hull; Hamburg-American Line, in connection with Bergenske Dampskib Company steamers, via Hamburg; Dampfschiffgesellschaft Norwegen and Holland-American Line via Rotterdam, and Forenede Dampskibs Company ¥ia Copenhagen. In each case but one trans- shipment of merchandise for New York and some other American ports is necessary. The time usually required from Bergen to port of transshipment for the United States is as follows: To Hull, forty- eight hours; to Hamburg, sixty hours; to Rotterdam, sixty hours, and to Copenhagen, seventy-two hours. SWEDEN. [From Consu. R. S. 8. Bereu, GoTHENBURG, SWEDEN, OCTOBER 28, 1904.] GENERAL INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL CONDITIONS. The crop of 1903 was better than expected, and owing to-this fact the import of breadstuffs was reduced in the latter part of the year. Other conditions also assisted in making the balance of trade more favorable for Sweden than previously. The figures of commerce were higher for the year 1903 than for any previous year, and the increase in the exports is especially noticeable. @¥From report of Consul Cunningham, Bergen. 314 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. According to the preliminary statistics, the commerce of Sweden during the year 1903 presents the following figures: Imports, $143,350,800; exports, $118,308,600. The exports showed increase chiefly for the following articles: Fruits and berries (chiefly cranber- ries), fresh fish, raw hides, rubber footgear, cream separators, iron pipes or tubes, manufactures of iron and steel, iron ore, dry chemical wood pulp, deals and boards, and building materials. The increase for lumber is partly due to higher prices. The export of pig iron, pasteboard, and printing paper decreased, also the export of butter. The increase in the imports was chiefly in the following articles: Cotton, rubber, machinery, copper wire covered with lead, gold for the mint, illuminating oils, coal, coke, wood, wheat, and manufactures of iron not specified. The imports of bran, rye, potatoes, pork, sole leather and certain other articles decreased. The speculation in cotton in New York caused many bitter remarks here, have retarded the operations of the cotton mills, and have been used as pretext for raising the prices of manufactured cotton goods. The great struggle between the workmen and owners of certain mechanical works here caused a desire for improved arrangements for settling disputes between employers and employees. EMIGRATION. The statistics show that 29,944 emigrants left Sweden during the year 1903, a figure higher than for any of the nine previous years, and still the number does not include all. This has brought forth demands or propositions for better social and economic conditions, chiefly for rural workingmen, and plans in this direction are being worked out. GOTHENBURG. [From Consut R. 8. S. Bercu, GOTHENBURG, SWEDEN, OCTOBER 28, 1904.] NAVIGATION. Entries of vessels at Gothenburg in 1903 were as follows: Sail. Steam. Flag (Number.| Tonnage. |Number.| Tonnage. Swedish -..:..0.0222ses2seseseernccseaseetse se neces den 1,839 51, 413 8,537 373, 829 POPel GN icc mecnsectaesecere wo cesciocesGrecessseseeeieetes 750 97, 826 2,277 | 1,205,189 At the end of 1903 the vessels belonging to Gothenburg consisted of 204 steamers of 108,234.43 tons and 19,204 nominal horsepower, and 52 sailing vessels of 19,965.18 tons. EUROPE: SWEDEN AND NORWAY. FOREIGN TRADE. 315 IMPORTS. Articles. 1902. 1903. Articles. 1902. 1903. Pounds. Pounds. ANNOY cos. nvr vuenes 140, 312 93,519 || Metals, other than Asphaltum -......... 1,026, 000 , 996, 000 iron and_ steel— Bicycles._.....------- a1, 628 i Continued. sara Pounds Borax ---- 100, 774 90,550 Lead in pigs -..-. 586, Butter -_- 152, 307 5) Lead in sheets -.. 1, 5 00 1,312, 000 eee ales 8) le fee i A JS PRR occ tate BH oP 643 | 43, 1, 366, 000 38,520, 000 i * 291, 900 124, 336 "71, 921 Linseed and Chlorate of potash __ 170,188 382, 772 rape-seed oils ._ 288, 457 728, 414 Chloride of lime. _--- 1,792, 472 2,428,711 Petroleum and LTA, 5 24, 567,975 naphtha -____.. 51, 624,057 | 62,027,507 Other kinds...... 16,718,000 | 18,820,000 || Oleine....._.... 22222 329 542 Crockery: Orange peel, dry ---. 72, 637 52,455 China ware _____- 122, 267 1038, 029 Seca garine SoaeSe 1,317, 634 264, 026 Stoneware-.....- 181, 013 140,759 || Paper --....-...----.. 1, 231, 029 1, 068; 677 Paper sheathing and 464,730 834 pasteboard -....-_- 1,815, 186 929, 447 67, 822 51,735 || Paints, white lead and zinc__......-..- 2,161, 044 2,586, 721 56, 903 64,954 || Phosphorus... --..-- 182,101 200, 279 69, 582, 000 59,086,000 |) Plaster of paris, cal- 1,119, 295 2, 242, 736 CME inna enon 2,336, 754 3,261,165 Plaster stone, gyp- 7, 526, 572 4,910, 350 |) sum ___-..-...22.--- 578, 741 668, 662 1,574, 098 1,108, Plums and Prunes, 15,196,725 | 13,624; 575 ied - 970, 509 908, 703 Pork or bacon. --.-- 951, 417 902, 447 149, 353 298, 878 || Potash, carbonate of. 843, 142 902, 837 Loge - glass. Potash, caustic -_.... 1, 150, 341 tae lates— @SCrVeSs .........-.- ie ilvered ....- 5 , BAGS «ww aonennwwnse , 280, P sil d 15, 814 84,549 || R 1, 145; 358 1, 230, 203 Unsilvered -- 101, 586 145, 705 || Rice, hulled_.....__.. v 254, 157 3,564, 857 POE o ccidnetonannnnée 3) 651, 900 3, 281, 100 459, 333 897, 3 Saltpeter -.-._......- 183, 17, 1, 239, 236 1,568,170 || Seeds: 758, 008 200, Cloverand grass 482, 495 960, 543 16,031, 159 15, 063, 092 SOCG Scr. esese 2, 339, 1: 1,171, Canary seed and 44,096 125, 361 21, 812, 632 15, 112, 659 hemp seed -.._- 897, 392 1, 868, 977 Linseed and 16, 627, 446 19, 877,020 22, 788, 882 19, 718, 964 rape seed __.... 1, 698 94,404 || Sugar: 1,180, 402 1, 496, 526 RAW sercsxewexen 56, 680 34, 858 1, 866, 704 1,988, 644 Refine uL 775 100; 308 289, 261 291,508 || Sirup ---..-.-.-- 10,770,130 | 10,441, 468 2, 298, 286 2,261, 495 Soda, carbonate. , 640 7,371,913 Starch and dextri: ” 987) 874 251, 896 Sole --..-.. 435, 278 291,127 || Tallow -..... Ss 5, 607, 705 5, 781, 093 Other kinds. 481,553 439, 754 || Textile fabrics: Liquors: Cotton cloth ....- 1,392, 090 1, 094, 352 Arrac © 42,981 ¢ 43, 508 ‘ Cotton thread --. 254, 413 245, 954 Brandy -.-..----- © 76, 842 094,436 Cotton yarn ..... 1,595, 150 965, 549 Liqueur or cor- Linen cloth --...- 262, 004 282, 048 Js. ¢3,017 © 2,989 Linen thread ---- 19, 445 18, 184 oe oe| esi | RGR] Tat hisky c 46, c54, nit goods......- 7 3 Machinery andtools.| 41,178,702 | 41,157,853 Woolen cloth . 766, 746, 844. Metals, _ironandetook c rT Phaklas yarn -..- 1, 949, 280 1, 648; 877 Bars and struc- : ‘obacco: turaliron ----.. 11, 400, v00 11, 100, 000 Leaves...--....-- 1, 477, 889 1, 894, 211 820,000 | 37,522,000 Stems...._...-.-- 348, 042 791) 452 5, 960, 000 4,888, 000 Cigars and ciga- 29,190,000 | 24,108, 000 rettes ........-- 61,610 78, 359 Sheet iron: Train oil.--..--:-.--- 1, 165, 290 885, 072 Tinned -....-. 5, 800, 000 5,400,000 || Turpentine, ane Other sur- and oil of .......-.- 278, 619 286, 563 facecoating 600, 000 1,000,000 || Wines and berry Tubes -------- 7, 720, 000 9, 540, 000 juices, rare rae ne a 1,121, 075 Metals, other than ines, in es 025, F iron and steel: Wool......-.----- 5, 033, 302 4,405, 281 Copperandalloys; 1,940,000 2,400, 000 Copper sheets. ..- 240, 000 420, 000 aNumber. bBushels. ¢ Gallons. a@Dollars. 816 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. EXPORTS. Articles. 1902. 1903. Articles. | 1902, 1903. 19,260,856 | “18°984°519 || Metals, i a Butter ....-..-...---- , 260, f etals, iron an Calchum-earGlie ea 7, 243, 723 9, 235, 218 steel—Continued. Pounds. Pounds. Cranberries --_......- 1, 625, 453 5, 656, 962 Tubes and pipes. 8, 984, 000 10, 854, 000 Glassware: WirG cnscsecvssax 510, 000 220, 000 Bottles --......... .| 21,300, 000 18,560,000 || Ores: - . Window glass .._ ; genes Nero Copper ore eon en i + 984, 2 ron ore.. is 2, foe | ae Lead ore. 1,104,000 | 1, 090.000 : 388, 080 223, 044 Zinc ore__.-------| 54,082,000 61, 930, 000 11, 385° 888 918,097 || Pasteboard and ris men) ssain| Zoe ne, RSS| ees Fresh herring ...| 5,011,849 | 9,542,134 Beer. Sore ean "190° 243 "550,398 Salted orsmoked Preserves 564, 490 569, 324 herring ........ 2,025, 543 2, 854, 468 Textile fabrics: Other iinds ‘ot Cotton cloth .-... 185,585 389, 055 Fresh ........ 1,108,169 | 1,088, 457 voren aa Bd let a aq Salted, ete ..- 92,208 BO, 3B) Linen cloth 774 12,948 Hides and skins, raw 3, 699, 994 4, 763, 303 ‘Woolen cloth _... 90; 466 B 778 Machinery and tools: Woolen yarn -.-. 189,115 1138, Bobbins. ....._._. a 125, 594 a 134, 302 Wood pulp: Cream separa- DPV osc saceceeeces 141, 200,000 | 178,764,000 tors @ 336,820 @ 183, 218 Moist _-....----.- 30,034,000 | 38, 470, 000 Other kinds @ 369, 352 @ 353,040 || Woodenwares: .Maiches 27, 504, 000 29, 072, 000 Beams and raft- Metals, iron and (eee e2,119 e4, 300 steel: Deals, battens, Bars and rods ..-| 108,028,000 | 111,216,000 and boards.....| ¢9,642,642 | 9,880, 844 Blanksand plates 274, 000 222, 000 Joinery -. -| @1,368,376 | 42,006, 847 Blooms and Pit props - -| €11,904, 464 | ¢11, 290, rough bars ...-| 14,400,000 16, 404, 000 Railroad ties. __.. e475, 958 958. 525 Ingots___...-....- 3, 352, 000 2, 404, 000 Shingles -...-_-_. B11 4257, 852 Nails. .s2cccesnced 5, 998, 000 7, 322, 000 SPATS: cc orsecccss2 e185, 162 €193, 746 Pig iron_......... 53, 186, 000 39, 480, 000 Staves and bar- Scrap iron.....-. 4, 520, 000 1,874, 000 rel heads. -...... 239, 346 e110, 450 Dollars. e Cubic feet. HELSINGBORG. [From ConsuLAR AGENT Lars VIRGIN, HBLSINGBORG, SWEDEN, FEBRUARY 29, 1904.] The harvest of last year in this part of the country was about aver- age. The potato crop was tolerably good, but sugar beets were less satisfactory in quantity. The quality was fine. The shipping interests of this port are important, and although most steamship companies have declared small or no dividends during the past two years the building and buying of new steamers is going on. as usual. The electric street railroads, which were built in the spring of 1903, have proved a success and are a great benefit. They will make house rent cheaper, as many people will now be able to live in the outskirts of the city without hindrance to their business. A movement which has made great headway is the “ Home” asso- ciations, enabling people of smal! means to get their own cottages by paying for them in ‘small installments—about the same yearly amounts which they paid as rents. These cottages are as a rule built on sound and airy places on the hills above the city. The erection of large buildings in the city proper has been greater than usual. Two banks, the Aktiebolaget Sédra Sverige and the Helsingborg Country Parish Savings Bank, are among the large builders that have erected new homes for their offices. EUROPE: SWEDEN AND NORWAY. 317 The industrial and agricultural exhibitions of last year were a success. The number of visitors and the quantity and quality of exhibits were larger and better than was expected. FOREIGN TRADE. IMPORTS IN 1903. : Quan- + uan- ; Articles. tity. Articles. ity. Met.tons. Met.tons. 160 104 1,022 2,272 156, 310 510 » 189 582 957 16 52 413 263 1,069 6 50 2 21 15 Iron: i 39 Bar, plates, and rails --....-----..- 4, 157 LO ecieeccinervese xs suse 1,052 22 Other kinds - on 334 45 DALE ponies Sacto eee eee ccee 672 Machinery. 226. 2252222ce55sszieeecie aces, 1,493 143 Meat and pork --..-_-..-.-------------- 61 25 ils: 883 Mineral, refined 2, 208 TBE abe soeeaeeees 712 10,612 Oranges 136 843 Phosphate and other manures -- 38, 265 73 POMS :22cassschsasedseseseceeae 70 264 Pots t00S s.2- soeee' se csesewanncsniscewens 984 463 @ Number. EXPORTS IN 1903. ‘ Quan- . uan- Articles. tity. Articles. ity. Met.tons. Met.tons. Bark oosescoueoseudee we easeececbeee cease 1,186 || Meat, pork, and grease .........--..-- 629 Bones, raw 25 ALS csces coos saccsenecsseses 81 utter -------- 2,478 || Paper and pasteboard -.... 8, 284 Clay, fireproo: 8,585 || Wood pulp.-.-...--.--------- 1,694 Clay tubes and bricks - 15,773 || Timber, boards, planks, etc 51,217 1,450 || Wooden goods, other kinds. 542 516 || Firewood -... ame 6,393 96 || Peat straw, 614 DTU WD at: coussacuccus 61 247 || Fruits and berries - 93 256) || Seeds: -.2225 2.0. 02s cosscieesiee tse 66 BT ONAL ccwicriamnanuyeianens scenes é 27 a194 || Phosphate and manure ---..- 423 «378 || Rubber boots.....---.---..------------ 124 a%29 |) Stone: 536 Worked ........-.-.------ ‘ 567 Road metal _......--.----- 7,661 973 Dressed, for streets 6, 923 ay PAN OW ose ont dacieeccm wees jceeenecetes 76 ¢ Number. 318 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. NAVIGATION. ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES OF VESSELS IN 1903. Sailing vessels. Steamers. Total. Flag. 5 Number.| Tonnage. |Number.| Tonnage. |Number.| Tonnage. ARRIVALS. ight son eda sooosaceseauses 2, 089 68, 776 1,330 444, 480 8,419 513, 256 eee saneee f 3,205 "3 12; 936 BY 161 DIGGS ac cnae ken awcenutannsay anes 188 6, 631 634 101, 457° 822 108, 088 Germats = <2 sseccasss-scnesscisscactl 72 3, 388 14 32, 098 | 146 35, 486 English -. 1 48 | ~ 15 15, 871 16. 15,919 Dutch 3 OSE esse St ucwn| tecbar anidad 3 534. Belgian... 2.2: sesessseeeeseesccss |este< seas a |aouse neseecs 2 1,255 2 1, 255 Russian - 18 3,521 1 1,159 19 4,680 609,256 | 4,484 695, 359 445,941 | 3,444 518,447 12° 936 87 16,141 101, 457 822 108, 088 32) 098 148 85, 486 15,871 16 15,919 boudceeces 3 534 1/255 2 1,255 13159 19 4; 680 610, 717 4,509 700, 550 ARRIVALS OF VESSELS FROM UNITED STATES PORTS IN 1903. Flag. Arrived from— Cargo. .| Quantity. Ee Metric tons. Port Inglis-.....-....| Raw phosphate 173 Port Tampa - --do-... 2,594 , 188 3,247 2,617 8, 164 SWITZERLAND. [From ConsuL H. H. Morean, Lucernn, SwiTzeRLAND, NOVEMBER 8, 1904.] FOREIGN COMMERCE. The commerce of Switzerland for the year ended December 31, 1903, amounted to $416,937,316 (imports, $239,233,001; exports, $177,704,315) and was greater than for any preceding year. The imports exceeded those of 1902 by $13,530,858 and the exports exceeded those of 1902 by $2,848,296. Germany, with her army of commercial travelers in the country, heads the list of sellers to Switzerland with $71,160,553, an increase over the sales in the corre- sponding period of last year of $6,274,049, and then, follow France, Italy, Austria, Russia, and the United States in the order named. Germany also heads the list as a buyer from Switzerland, with $40,422,556, a decrease from the purchases of the corresponding period of last year of $140,552; then comes Great Britain with $34,- 520,878, showing a decrease of $1,742,578, and the United States with $23,378,725, which shows an increase of $1,576,391, and represents EUROPE: SWITZERLAND. . - 319 18.15 per cent of the entire export of the country. Besides the actual export from Switzerland to the United States, as shown by the com- mercial statistics published by the Federal customs department, there is undoubtedly many hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of articles bought by the army of American tourists who yearly invade the country, of which no record is kept. Some idea of the industrial energy and activity of the little Repub- lic may be given by the statement that its exports, which represent almost entirely manufactured articles, amount to $6 per annum for every man, woman, and child in the ‘country, which is a greater export per capita than is shown by any other country of Europe. The statistics published by the department of customs of Switzer- land show that the exports from Switzerland during the year ended Deceraber 31, 1904, amounted to $172,055,504, and imports into Switzerland for the same period $239,333,630, against $171,484,666 and. $230,859,850, respectively, for the corresponding period of 1903. IMPORTS BY COUNTRIES. Increase (+) Per cent] or decrease Countries. 1901. 1902. 1903. of total | (—) in 1903 in 1908. fas compare with 1902. Germany Se $63,398,427 | $64,886,503 | $71,160,553 29.74 | +$6, 274,050 France. 41,108,162 | 48,411,195 | 44,300, 298 18.52) + 889,108 Italy .-- 568, 35,557,108 | 36, 187,331 15.13 | + _ 630,223 . Austria -| 12,782,166 | 14,102,889 | 15,587,263 6.49 | + 1,434, 424 ussia -.----- -| 11,591,292 | 12,595,201 | 18,832,887 5.78 | + 1,237,686 United States 12, 261, 960 321,040 | 11,468,770 4.79 | — 852,270 ngland ---... 9,404, 10,810,080 | 11,422, 026 4.78) + 611,946 Be UT a conus eee ex 5, 291, 738 923, 5, 055, 338 2.11! + 181,937 Danube countries - - 1,539,777 8, 187, 544 4,180, 144 1.73] + 992, Oriental Asia....--. 4,016,572 4,807, 341 4,009, 582 1.67) — 797,759 2, 898, 930 3, 506, 8, 915, 207 1.64] + ; 2,171, 831 2, 622, 939 2,518, 668 1.05} — 104,271 2, 260, 653 1, 632, 847 2,299, 057 -96 | + 666,210 1,715, 307 1, 872, 148 2,091, 492 87) + F 1,071, 855 1, 433, 583 1, 687, 937 <1] + ; 1, 328, 098 1, 465, 589 1, 653, 398 -69]} + 187,809 354, 599 655, 480 1,370,506 57] + 715,076 1,263,040 |- 1,381,597 1,186, 872 -50] — 194,725 South American countries -_--_--.. 635,113 897, 411 1, 164, 112 -49| + 266,701 Dutch India --.........------------ 1, 296, 205 1, 234, 634 1,127, 748 -47| — 106,886 Netherlands ----..-.--.------------ 724, 211 801, 969 1,049,001 44] + 247,082 Asiatic Turkey--..--.-...--.----.-- 291,135 441,831 520, 292 -22) + 78,461 Greece .......-...------------------ 89,179 149, 894 393, 777 16) + , 883 European Turkey---.....---------- 206, 995 263, 724 381, 631 -16} + 117,907 Scandinavia ..-..- ae 235, 896 255, 930 211, 738 09]; — 190 Algiers and Tunis 128, 651 201, 560 197, 953 08} — 3, 607 Chile and Peru - 128, 536 128, 807 136, 693 06) + 7, 886 West Africa ._.. 140 124, 283 > 154 05) — 3,471 East Africa... é 472 34, 430 40,525 02) + 6, 095 - Denmark ._..- ie ¥ 008 28, 154 , 802 02) + 10, 648 Portugal.....-------------.-------- 22, 042 16,373 15, 646 01}; — 727 Det can b cates ania anaunacume 210,000,711 | 225,702,143 | 239, 233,001 100.00 | +13, 530, 858 EXPORTS BY COUNTRIES. $38, 489,145 | $40,563,109 | $40, 422, 556 22.75 — $141,553 37, 788,593 | 37,203,451 35, 520, 878 19.99 —1, 742, 573 » 17,586,182 | 21,797,385 | 28,378,725 13.15 +1,576, 190 21, 847, 457 22,381,057 | 22,702,742 12.77 4 Bel. 9,236,820 | 10,179,730 | 10,342,849 5.82 + 163,119 9, 063, 088 9, 322, 606 9, 630, 748 5.42 + 308,142 5, 060, 618 5, 360, 458 5, 916, 760 3.33 + 556,302 Spain _.....--- 3,096, 785 3, 164, 955 3, 069, 230 1.73 — 95,725 Oriental 2,895,510 2, 748, 484 2,947, 168 1.66 + 203, 684 British India. 3,030, 863 2,563, 797 2,956, 951 1,66 + 393,154 Belgium ___._- os 2,904, 412 2, 740, 876 2,898, 780 1.63 + 167,904 Via Plata: <.cccmeecoceeuence 1,778, 457 1,519,271 2, 033,731 1.14 + 514,480 320 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. EXPORTS BY COUNTRIES—Continued. Increase (+) Per cent| or decrease Exported to— 1901. 1902. 1903. of total | (—) in 1908 in 1908. jas compare with 1902. $909, 398 $1, 282, 647 $1, 579, 283 0.89 + $346, 636 1, 164, 783 1, 244,843 1, 253, 359 1 + — 8,616 , 150, 8: 1,116, 073 1, 238, 442 20 + 122,369 1,345, 273 1, 821, 704 1, 231, 564 . 69 = , 140 Central America 1, 088, 321 1,119, 720 1, 134, 990 64 — 15,270 Ge Turkey .-. 870, 563 926, 295 917,701 52 — 8,504 Brazil -....-. Romaine 83, 435 875, 889 924, . 52 + — 4,835 667, 880 645, 521 912, 100 51 + 266,579 731, 469 750, 363 764, 894. 43 + 14,531 816, 133 741, 458 755,160 43 + 18,702 593, 722 579, 567 711,676 40 + 182,109 667, 705, 199 148 . 36 — 6,605 622, 858 535,117 594, 876 33 + _ 59,759 583, 726 427,945 564, 695 - 32 + 136,750 469, 303 446, 061 ; 25 — 8,640 279, 305 349, 428 358, 822 20 + _ 9,804 377,971 440, 837 22, 86' .18 — 118,970 . 819,709 1, -13 | — 588,616 202, 601 131, 026 226, 104 -B — 95,078 22, 851, 491 1,084, 757 61 + 233,266 167,313, 423 | 174,861,022 | 177,704,315 100.00 +2, 843, 206 TRADE WITH THE UNITED STATES. The commerce of Switzerland with the United States in 1903 was - not so favorable to the latter as in former years. The imports from the United States to Switzerland decreased ‘$832,270, while the ex- ports to the United States increased $1,576,391. Switzerland bought of us $4,209,052 worth of raw cotton and returned it to us in manu- factured articles valued at $11,224,365. Articles of silk manufacture from Switzerland were sold us to the declared value of $6,148,147. A reduction of over $2,000,000 is noted in the import of food stuffs into Switzerland from the United States, due entirely to the decreased import of wheat. The export of food stuffs from Switzerland to the United States amounted to $1,665,331 against $1,352,539 for the cor- responding period of 1902, an increase of $313,791. ‘The export of chocolate to the United States is assuming large proportions. It is only within the last few years that Swiss chocolate has been sent to the United States. During the past year nearly $300,000 worth was sold us. All chocolate factories in the country are working to their fullest capacity and the increased demand for Swiss chocolate, not only in the United States, but throughout Europe, has made it neces- sary for the chocolate manufacturers to increase their plants, and many new companies have started up within the past year. In commenting on the commerce between the United States and Switzerland for the year 1903, the annual report of the Swiss customs department states: The comparatively high prices of American cereals caused a marked decrease in the amount bought from the United States: Articles. ge S EUROPE: SWITZERLAND. 821 Falling prices and consequently greater demand prevailed in the following articles: Lard, increase $114,000; preserved meats of all kinds, increase $86,000; dried fruits, increase $32,500; molasses and sirups, increase $16,000. The increase in the value of the import of raw materials is due almost entirely to the very marked advance of the price of cotton. Petrol and other mineral oils have somewhat advanced in price, but the import decreased in quantity by 16,404,740 pounds or 13 per cent, while the decrease in value amounted to 3.8 per cent. Of agricultural and household machines about $200,000 worth was imported annually from 1897 to 1901. During the last two years this import decreased and amounted to $47,600 and $44,400, respectively, which seems to prove that the demand is supplied by the home industry to a greater extent. Labor-saving machinery and miscellaneous machinery not specified, show a decrease in value of $40,800; cast-metal ware, of $23,600; while imports of raw iron tubes have increased in value, $103,000. Sawed wood, principally pitch pine, increased from $275,000 to $320,400; sul- phate of copper, from $47,200 to $68,800; and less important increases are shown by wooden ware, pharmaceutical preparations, dyes, leather, and paper. With regard to exports the report says: The American share of the total export from Switzerland was 13.15 per cent as against 12.47 per cent in the previous year; this is higher than in any previous year excepting 1895, when it was 13.71 per cent. In spite of the financial depression of the spring of 1903 the consuming power of the United States has grown, and the monthly consular statistics show increasing exports, except for August and for the last three months of the year. The export of watches as shown by these statistics was higher in every month of the year than in the same month of the previous year. St. Gall articles were weaker only in August and September, silk cloth in the entire last quarter, cheese in August and there- after. Silk ribbons however have fallen off heavily since May and have suffered most of all articles exported to the United States from Switzerland. IMPORTS AND EXPORTS FROM AND TO THE UNITED STATES IN 1903. eereae Imports | Exports | (+) or de- ‘ from the | tothe | Crease (7) Articles. United | Unitea |°f imports States. States. pared 5 with 1902. Animal products: Raw hides and S206 cccccnccensserensesaretersseendenieerciee $9, 140 $97,673 | + $6,732 Bristles |... -- <2 -c0c<0ss6 ae! a 20, 064 465 | + 4,096 Bladders, etc--..---- -- 48, 928 148) + 12,916 Miscellaneous... a OO ces setccees — 2,018 TOGA) ac. neice siscbeawrurdn ee seetens econ enemeaerexe=seneeeae 78,162 98,286 | + 21,726 Chemicals: DDTUGS) 926 oso ott acscen aeisseseiseceens Hehe joeee eee act eee 8, 415 5,510 | + 1,485 Alkaloids ..-..- aay pumennminsemnase de leeucecosesse 18,299 |__... 28-8. Extract of quinine, cam 110 12,327 | + 110 Pharmaceutical products -.-..-.-.- e 24,080 29,797 | + 9,540 Perfumes and cosmetics --.- x 2,633 | + 80 Colophony, pitch, ete -.--- : 67,895 |occces cance + 32,398 Glycerin -....-..------- Tannin extract------------ ulna of ign OCuneys Anthracene combinations Paraffin, vaseline, etc ----- Gallic acid, tannin... Essence of turpentine. Starch ssecceccesesscceese Histract of coloring matter xtract of coloring matter - Aniline Colors ica. i ie cese soa Sesansacceeetkceinns seve ne eeeees| Seceeet aes 784,030 |........---- Varnish -_..----- 14, 200 |_...-.------ + 1,800 Miscellaneous-....----.------------------------ 10, 744 6,477 | — 8, 795 MO tall scsescossssessosed- rae ssede eeoceeetees ae aaaee tease sect 295, 319 933,537 | + 93,741 Clocks and watches: Unfinished parts --.-...---.------ inthe Lodo aaiae betes Meeusiedweeiswe| niece aodes cu 1B; B8T cen seeencc ee Musical boxes -.....------ -- 22-0 2-2-2 none e cee nee none ee nanm ene! 2,231 94,1641 + 1,796 H. Doe. 481, 58-3——21 ae 822 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. IMPORTS AND EXPORTS FROM AND TO THE UNITED STATES IN 1903—Continued. Gao , Imports | Exports Or le Articles, from the | to the (-) United | Unitea |°f imports as com- States. States. ‘pared with 1902. Clocks and watches—Continued. Finished parts-.......--.----------------- 2-2 2202 eee eee eee Nickel watches. Silver watches. Gold watches.-....--......-- Chronographs. repeaters _- Finished watch movements. - Nickel watch cases.-_.-....--. Silver watch cases - Gold watch cases, Miscellaneous - Wotale.cocosessss ccscieesssaccedlageecelenieesenstelsceccnease Clothing: « Cotton articles -......- os aeaesapesarsanavenereeGsesssehnret 400 23, 503 ' Silk articles For embroidery - ' Ribbons and braids -..-...----- Embroidery: Curtains - Crochet -. Etching .- Specialtie: and worked Miscellancous.cs.scscccsxenweseasssticccctmctcc See eses cece setae otal. eesew ss siceeestgionitosetescectces coeeweve sex eeicdcilewices 4,209, 052 | 11,424,365 | +1, 116,866 Foodstuffs: DBO cert ink as ee adie haem ane aA NEO an Nee 405,304 |.......----- + 102,862 Butter, margarine 84,220 |eeceeseneece + 10,054 Chocolate. .-.....-- : Soup stufis 2222 oc22ccs cu wsnnsecescesieeesisecee veces 16, 855 47 Tobacco and snuff... : . 606 |...--.---..- 218 Cigars and cigarettes - se = 9, 240 3, 150 980 Molasses and sirup --...----.----------- Ss : 49,395 |.....-.-.-.- + 16,260 . Natural wines, in bottles -....-.-..--.- i 12 GOLF |aceveescence ' Cognac, rum, etc......-- a 120 18,049 | + 40 Liqueurs...-.-----------------------+--+-++ eraeie aeieele 40 8,484 | + 40 WT ine, 111 CASE oo ccecenmn ese nn cond ornnarnnbneaten MRMEDUR MUNN 38, 224 3,967 | — 224 Miscellaneous _.....--.-----------2eceeeeeee eee reeeeeeeee eres 18,949 4°315| + 6,345 TOtall cu dwccorakivegsslscc cmscskcetweesenscseasscegedaseeede 2,672, 849 | 1,665,330 | —2, 147,020 EUROPE: SWITZERLAND. 323 IMPORTS AND EXPORTS FROM AND TO THE UNITED STATES IN 1903—Continued. puporte 1 ‘rom the Articles. United States. Exports to the United States. Increase (+) or de- crease (—) of imports re Carriages and vehicles Bicycles. Mise: Leather and shoes; Sole leather. - meous Copper and brass— tn DATS 22:0 s5c6 Sheep and lambs ....-..-..------------ 171, 386 1, 322, 080 Horses— Stallions 625 Mares 152, 025 Geldings... 447,105 Other animals 4,320 Arms, ammunition, etc -.--.- 166, 615 Blacking and polishes.........--..-- 172, 135 Bladders, casings, and sausage skins. 394, 235 BOOKS ooo ea nee ne cece nan sieaeess 510, 520 Butter-.-_.- 953, 390 Caoutchouc So A 791,670 Boots and sho . 439) 865 Other manutactUresicccc2 52 secesteteessieeedeens lap mseeeraeeeseas sees SSSeabee ecueee 756, 225 Cards, playing 52,509 109; 430 Carriages, carts, etc.: Cr ee and parts OP sitereacce csi atm ens alslcleciclclna tiane semana weetelc seed Seadeleersd gets 251,970 tor cars, motor cycles, and parts of _... 642; 660 Other kinds and parts ---....--..----------- 845, 530 Cheese 2 cc cacscc seus scteacezeseeca-eee Hundredweight - P 4, 766, 075 Chemical manufactures and products _.._..-.--------]------ 2-1 - eee een e[eeen nee ene eee , 638, 400 China and earthen ware --...--.------ 7 Hen aweleny 2 2,497 600 Cider and Perry: -..:55- ceeded aie nine nccentnns woneoseses|| Gallons)... 2cs- 96, 505 Clocks --.------ . 312? 585 Clock parts. .-..-..--...--.--- 5,300 Cocoa -.--.--- 60, Coffee, raw . - 117,191 1, 857, 880 Confectionery -.-. 30, 216, Cordage, twine, e 27, 294,110 Corn, rein ete ‘Wheat - 24,197,895 | 42, 220,570 Barley - 2,526, 771 4,094,020 oe ae) ae Buckwheat 12) 357 1939 OMB. --- nen nn eee eee ee ener nee eee 178, 629 334, 795 Maize -_-.... Suet Sesseseeedecinacacees sackcel 18,676,011 | 28, 423, Wheat flour .-.-...------.-- 223, 38, 090, 455 Oatmeal ..- : 457,695 | 1,718, 450 Maize: meal. ... 22-222 cso scboveecateeesee ese scesye “ 458, 776 662, 545 Starch, farina, and dextrin... 309, 887 787, 995 wrt e eee eet eee e nee een 107, 809 921, 890 Cotton: a wae wn eee ne ee ee eed 12, 158,019 | 161,728,730 2} 390; 629 124, EUROPE: UNITED KINGDOM. IMPORTS IN 1903—Continued. 347 Articles. Units. Quantity. Value. TE pa ees en aa ae nen way aaa ti Pounds.........-- 17,039 $45, 230 se re cso cag wa mm ete SS NH dni a anc yeni int ova ade wrens ncn aim coven DONE aN TIS 1,186, 045 27, 745 -| Hundredweight . 106 8, 265 ae Great hundreds - 161, 416 307, 905 tacetzen ses 628, 605 695 15, 225 _ Ornamental 50, 279 46, 245 Fish of all sorts. -...--...---..-.---------- 325, 968 2, 863, 850 Fruit: Dutiable— flume, dried or preserved 123, 383 906, 740 Pranes jccescssnsmananawsasweee 35, 497 253, 175 Free of aut apples, TAW .2----------2-n- eo ene eee nee eee 2,381,619 | ~ 7,100,660 uts (other than almonds)... 5,377 23, 560 OVANEOS) 03222 so vece er ececase 4, 466 77,140 a VA Wisse cuciceven te escecinetes cy 77, 871 584,710 iui new sectSecet Seat nce ness eceeu sees S : 298,015 Beescrced with and without sugar, other than Obed sao 2 sci ccecpececcwecseeecsase scsuaaecedescacs ---do 261, 476 1, 691, 920 Glass manufactures of all kinds 136, Glue, size and gelatin-__.---.---------------- 148, 410 Gum GF all SOrthecscs cians satconwaesewscdeoeseledorcees Ses MO scseccccisvecsc 6,614 ; Hair: HOrsesssc ode eesessewenese siesemeesceeseceeeesscacess ---do 12, 330 Unenumerated .2<.scee0isdeesccscaseseesssassacecs oe 00+ seseeecensoun 4 375, 855 Hardware. 2... .22-22-255---oes--esecse sees ces -| Hundredweight - 2, 222, 120 TAS ceccnsacesantnan dle cca dong Aaenae muueaene aude MOSES Tons ~ 889, Hemp: Dressed and undressed -..-.----------------------- i “a0 120, 750 Other vegetable substances -_.__--------.--------- 99,515 Hides. VOW ocsese ese cosecneiSece dees a sseweee ote cie lessee “Tit anedweieht. 250, 105 GOB cccnuasaasuens ---do 1,958, 755 Horns and hoofs. --..----- Tons - 36, Implements and tools--_...-....---------------.--------|------ 2, 545, 655 JOWOILY w 22 -22----55-2--2% al an esecieans: 96, 940 Lamps and lanterns Num 78,595 Lard: cons s22ssncsseseeces Hundredweight = 17, 766, 140 Imitation lard ae 490, Leather and leather goods: Leather: --. 22-2 52,749,035 | 54, 255, 820 59, 964, 005 3860 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. EXPENDITURE BY COMMISSIONERS OF NATIONAL EDUCATION IN IRELAND FROM PARLIAMENTARY GRANTS AND RATES. Year ended March 31— ranches of i 5 Branches of expenditure ae Ton. 1904, Model and agricultural schools, school farms, and train- ing establishments ._..__.._._-...-.--..----------- ae $291,015 $305,205 | = — $830,070 Salaries and Ene to teachers and monitors in na- tional schools: From Parliamentary grants From rates -.--.--------.----------- Gratuities to teachers of ordinary and retirement---.- ec Salaries and allowances to inspecto: Central official establishment Paper, printing, and binding for national schoolbooks, 5, 636, 280 5, 718, 710 5, 916, 865 30 2,125 2477195 126; 980 TeQuiSites \OtC:~-<<0:-ssess- vscnecasessscssesessseeueweees 20,720 Maintenance and repair of schools -- 199, 610 IMASGCENCOUS).2)3-oceecct wicedne cutee getyccdedeweeweedewirac 40, Total......-.------. OAc eaetede Sect ramasnemeteeseaeaeeee 6, 564, 810 6, 694, 145 6, 792, 325 CRIME IN THE UNITED KINGDOM. The tabulated statement below gives, it should be clearly under- stood, only the number of cases committed for trial, with the results of such cases as regards conviction or acquittal; it does not include petty offenses, nor offenders charged with offenses which were sum- marily dealt with by the magistrates’ court. In view of the large increase of the population in England and Wales since 1889, it is certainly satisfactory to find that the number of cases committed for trial in 1903 exceeds the number in 1889 by 10 only. In Scotland the number has risen, during the same period, from 2,250 to 2,590. Ireland, however, shows the best record (not- ‘withstanding the decrease in her population), the number of cases having fallen from 2,181 in 1889 to 1,733 in 1903. A remarkable cir- cumstance regarding the figures for Ireland is revealed in the number of acquittals, compared with the number sent to trial, the percentage of acquittals to convictions during each of the fifteen years from 1889 to 1903 varying from 75 to 50 per cent. COURT RECORD. . Committed for trial. Acquitted, exclusive Years. Con. | of persons Males. |Females.| Total. | Victed. pand insane. In England and Wales at assizes and quarter sessions: 1901 9,744 1,260 | «11,006 8,840 2,102 10, 302 1,300 | 011,602 9, 352 2,180 10,770 1,349 12,119 9,879 2,167 1,946 345 2,201 1,872 893 10083 176 S| 3500 | Bik 0 In Ireland at assizes, Dublin commission and : - : Eee quarter sessions: 1901 1,565 291 1,856 1,211 1, 452 265 1,717 1,086 620 1, 288 1,738 1,169 552 «Including two corporate bodies indicted for nuisances. bIncluding four corporate bodies indicted for nuisances. . EUROPE: UNITED KINGDOM. 361 RAILWAYS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM. Length Paid-up capital at end of each year. a line Years. t opie Guaranteed | Loans and ofeach | Ordinary. and | debenture Total. year. preferential. stock. England and Wales: Miles. 1902. 15,358] $1,351, 160,145] $1,784,813, 440) $1,383,614, 905| $4,519,588, 490 15,499] “1)902'175;135| “1821956; 465! “1; 437/910, 025] “5,162; 041; 625 3,580 380, 966, 285) 303, 532, 460) 177, 334, 830 861, 833, 575 8; 664, 387;473,115| 304, 613,325 181; 200, 260! 873; 286; 700 3,214 77,507, 910} 65, 872, 480 59, 504, 700 202, 885, 040 3, 270) 72, 884, 320 61, 347, 185 55,584, 755 189, 816, 260 22,152) 2,309,634,340) 2, 154,218,330) 1,620,454,435) 6,084,307, 105 22) 493| 27362)532)570| 2, 187,916,975| 1;674;695,040) 6,225, 144° Gross receipts. i Aver- Total num- | Weight of ber of goods and age.Te- Years. passengers | minerals fake = cetpts Miscella-| pote conveyed. | conveyed. | PaSSeé eokc. lmiicor! neous. : line open. England and ‘ales: Tons. IE os aio nen 1,041, 262, 839| 368, 290, 573/$202, 069, 505/$231, 527, 650] $28, 230! $33, 248, 365|$466, 845, 520 . ea Beeeee seas 1, 047, 142, 255) 374,688, 318) 204,376, 835) 233,291,385) 28,240) 35, 112,515 472, 780, 135 cotlan 1902 ..csensccee 118,745,962) 63,048, 440} 24,403,620! 32,875,335} 16,000! 3,092,330) 60,371,185 i ee nde oe Seba! 119, 494,857] 63,441,920] 24,829,085} 33,036,965) 15,790] 3,207,855 61, 073; 905 eland: 1902. cesses etees, 28,210, 468) 5,273,622} 10,490,000] 8,939,810} 6,045 702,085} 20,131, 895 1908.2 222 -2-5--2 , 628, 083) 5,567,709} 10,636,620) 9,225,015) 6,075) 727,245) 20,588, 880 os Kngdom: esas cee ses: 1,188, 219, 269] 436,612,635) 236, 963,025) 273,342,795} 23,035] 37,042, '780| 547, 348, 600 138 Rcsautyohacee 1,195, 265, 195} 443, 697,947) 239, 842,590) 275,553,365) 22,975 39, 047’ 615) 554, 443,570 Propor- es ee of orkin; « .working Years. expendiars. Net receipts. | ‘Sponses to gross receipts. England and Wales: Per cent. NODE occntn enn naortutiuiauclannieecidy cease acnadnconuni wens $293, 589, 995) $178, 255, 525) 63 DIOS ccswcauwereuexgn peekemtnin wae a hanes anewnie meni 176, 207, 290) 63 Scotland: NGO: ro sccaus A a0 ok dee dials Lt blunt eee eo veoh 26, 982, 635 5B NIE cers een hs Sep Rates a Re Gaia hecho et pS MORE 383, 55 Ireland 19 See goth a Mem cu naan s sere eden Cina ae 7, 904, 350 61 1908 - eee 8043, 420) 61 United Kingdom: 1902 - a ec mewaine wines 208, 142, 510) 62 TAG s,s ca cuesnasccceworees 211, 634, 295) 62 *From passenger and goods trafiic. 362 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. TRAMWAYS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM. Length of Paid-up capital at end of each year. tramway Year ended June 30— open at : en an ench Share. - hepa Garide Total. England and Wales: Miles. “902 ua cian eh Boban gee Ss 1,187 $36, 308, 245 $81, 815, 475 $118, 128, 720 MQ0B 285 5ouls e2 eee eee ae eet 1,454 55, 607, 485 111, 377,110 166, 984, 595 Scotland: O02 tense oan oo le eta ohm 134 1,574, 195 19,397,790 20, 971, 985 1908 25522262852 Scaseeedeste cated Bina, 155 2, 876, 120 20, 564, 050 23, 440,170 Treland: we WQ02 wcecnccs cesweuevescacenesegeeconese 163 8,441,610 1, 946, 650 10, 388, 260 1908 isos sece nes enSScitccacicanenessae 163 8, 494, 425 1, 966, 295 10, 460, 720 United Kingdom: aI 902 sted oe chou a dat denlaedea lees 1, 484 46, 324, 050 103, 159, 915 149, 483, 965 1908 owe capeeean ee ee esemeieerieae ese seek 1,772 66, 978, 030 188, 907, 455 200, 885, 485 Number of . Year ended June 30— ee Gross receipts. ee eee England aud Wales: N08 cose Seasieewesececenesdcoxueedaees 1,082, 192, 712 $26, 668, 990 $20,115,070 | $6,553, 920 5 : feog eects elseeesicee Sein dee eceessiceeres 1, 386, 543, 197 » 38, 011, 565 28, 392, 650 9,618, 915 cotland : D0 2 de ee eee nena Sale 230, 702, 794 4,529, 620 2,503, 330 2, 026, 290 F aos BienwaeesetSaensacceeeebabeencemicn 259, 886, 112 5,147,510 2, 680, 810 2, 466, 700 reland: AQOR 2 cites deci medac sees eseoshuescss 81,557,477 2,197, 845 1,470,965 726, 880 MOOS gos Socceace sages anetieatenae Sees 85, 519, 346 2,291,135 1, 482, 835 808, 300 United Kingdom: 1902 22csecce- ene Setceeesscusescesspes| 1,894,452, 083 33, 396, 455 24, 089, 365 9, 307, NGOS scot sewick ncveas dase amis cceceedecces 1, 681, 948, 655 40, 450, 210 27,556,295 | 12,893,915 REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE. The tabulated statements appended hereto show the amounts of revenue estimated.to accrue, amounts actually received, estimated expenditures, and actual expenditures in recent years of the United Kingdom. It may be of interest, however, to point out how both the revenue and expenditure have increased during the fifteen years ended March 31, 1904. In'the year ended March 31, 1890, the total amount of revenue was $446,521,580; in 1904 it had risen to $707,727,895. During the same period the expenditure rose from $480,416,570 to $734,805,680 in 1904, but a great part of this increase is abnormal, due to the cost of the late South African war. Indeed, some abate- ment has already taken place, for in 1902 the expenditure was no less than $977,611,075, following the great expenditure of $917,961,320 in the previous year; and whereas in 1900 there was an excess. of expenditure over revenue of $69,412,510, in 1901 the excess was $266,037,900 and in 1902 $262,621,080. In 1904 the deficiency fell to $27,077,785. As showing to what extent certain taxes, etc., assisted in raising additional revenue during the years of the war, the following figures may be of interest : From customs in 1898-99 the amount received was $104,250,000; in 1900 it rose to $119,000,000; in 1901, $131,310,000 was received; in 1902 it increased to $154,965,000; in 1903 to $172,165,000, and in 1904 it was within $3,000,000 of the previous year (or about $4 per capita). Income tax, too, produced a great increase. The receipts : EUROPE: UNITED KINGDOM. 3638 from this source were: 1900, $93,750,000; 1901, $134,600,000; 1902, $174,000,000; 1903, $194,000,000, and 1904, $154,000,000. In 1901 the income-tax rate was raised from 8d. (16 cents) to 1s. (24 cents) ; in 1902, to 1s. 2d. (28 cents); in 1903, to 1s. 3d. (30 cents), and in 1904 reduced to 11d. (22 cents) in the pound sterling ($4.86). ESTIMATED AND ACTUAL IMPERIAL REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM. Revenue. Y nded M: — earns archeL Budget esti- | Receipts into | More or less mate. the exchequer.| than estimate. dM iciie act gram:descaice eu atexuvnnnusisnan stn eekwawanusaaen $555, 785, 000 $599, 199, 525 +$43, 414, 525 1901... 600, 000 51, 923, 420 + 14,323, 420 Q 714,989,995 | = 2,714,995 757, 768, 490 — 3,166,510 107, 727, 895 — 18,622, 105 —— Expenditure. Years ended March 31— ae pine Issues out More or loss Burpee : of the an esti- me ay eo exchequer. mates. deficieasy. $673, 359,115 | $668, 612,035 | —$4,'747, 080 — 412,510 922,998,135 | 917,961,320 | — 5,036,815 | —266,03/, 900 984,216,295 | 977,611,075 | — 6,605,220 | —262,621, 080 927,149,140 | 922,418, — 4,730,600 | —164, 660, 050 742,212,230 | 734,805,680 | — 7,406,550 | — 27,077, IMPERIAL EXPENDITURE OF THE UNITED HEADS. KINGDOM, UNDER PRINCIPAL Expenditure for— 1902-3. 1903-4. National-debt services: 3 ° Funded debt— Interest: <..010=-s-c 2s decsewisswseaeceds «casiensiecemechesbsccseeescscee $75,166,060 | $81,952, 225 Terminable --| 36,637, 195 82, 690, 070 - Unfunded debt ---...-.---- 1, 928, 305 42,112,175 Management of the debt - --- as 900, 7: 925, 095 New sinking fund. -.......222.--2-22ccsceseciscsseens eosee seeeeeeewes esse 7, 820, 485 Mo tall cscs scxseccesassceteccmenmenie scee Seine Se aGaE ce meseeeatesseeee 115,000,000 | 185,000, 000 Civil ist end administration... .....22s.ceu sccceeeeesusss eoacew eens eee 188,088,035 | 141,397,155 Payments to local taxation accounts -.........-------.------------------ 5, 780, 215 5 Naval and military expenditure: Army Inland revenue Post-office Telegraph servi Packet service --. 345, 276, 310 1, 928, 690 6, 783, 525 182, 495, 285 889,715 155;850,000 | 177,380; 000 13075;.000 1.075; 000 ...| 504,125,000 | 361,840,000 4,500, 000 485, 10,700,000 | — 10/940; 000 48/150,000 | — 48;790/000 20,810,000 | — 22°640;.000 s ” 855, "930, ...| 922,418,540 | 734,805, 680 364 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. IMPERIAL REVENUE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM, UNDER PRINCIPAL HEADS. Received from— 1902-3. 1903-4. (CMB UORIG os case mime boa acariaunels mneniian samdeaaaaeauuas Samos oe aeemaanns $172, 165,000 | $169,250, 000 POstOMhee oc. ax. csieann awe paenuie scons wubdieasdeklaesanke ancmawdemnnaaa 73, 750, 000 ib a0, ” Telegraph service ---- ae Crown lands 22. csccsaseensoesee ners eonscetyses! Miscellaneous: Fee and patent stamps Receipts by civil departments -_......--- Contributions to navy by Cape Colony ¢ _. 200,000 |---...--2 22. HOUR SWISCOUBN OEE 5 ose ncsnemcecousacwasstinxa acs deamnacanmaacwes 9, 128, 495 8,015, 520 WOE POV OWUG. cccascuwucscnnan ance Seaademcueepensies twuewuaces aeephe 757,758,490 | 707,727,895 « Appropriated in aid of navy votes. BELFAST. [From Vice anp Deputy ConsuL Epwarp Harvey, BELFAST, IRELAND, OCTOBER 20, 1904.] LINEN AND FLAX. During the year 1903 the linen trade, which is the staple industry in this district, was in a satisfactory condition. At the beginning of the year an unfavorable course of trade was anticipated, but contrary to expectations, an improvement took place all round. Stocks of yarn which had been accumulated for some time were worked off, spinners were kept busy, and prices advanced generally. A strong demand was made in the early spring for fancy linens of both light and heavy weights, irgely manufactured out of dyed yarns. These textiles were used for small suitings and ladies’ wear. A considerable quantity of cambrics in long lengths was shipped to the United States. The demand for domestic and heavy goods generally was not quite so good as in former years. Owing to the great quantity pro- duced, the wholesale merchants, for whom they were intended, were not able to get their stocks cleared as quickly as had been anticipated. The trade done in handkerchiefs was fairly satisfactory and factories were well supplied with work. All through the year fancy goods and novelties met with a ready sale. The making-up trade has made great strides, and now thousands are employed in that alone. The turnout includes aprons,’ pinafores, suits for boys, blouses, under- clothing, and skirts for ladies. These articles are mostly made of cotton, but dowlas and linen are also used to a considerable extent in their production. The prices of cotton advanced so much throughout the year that, in some instances, linen was substituted where cotton EUROPE: UNITED KINGDOM. 3865 used to be exclusively employed. Taking the trade all round, the evidence points to a healthy and prosperous ‘condition. The supply of Irish home-grown flax was not so great as in the year 1902. There was a decrease of 10 per cent in the area under flax, and the yield per acre had fallen away 18 per cent. The total diminution was 2,900 tons. The following table shows the acreage under flax in Ireland for the years 1902 and 1903: Provinces, 1902. 1903. SHIPBUILDING. The tonnage output is about the same as the year 1902, but the output of machinery increased by 20,000 indicated horsepower, the figures being: 1902, 155,429 tons and 107,100 indicated horsepower, against 155,201 tons and 127,450 indicated horsepower in 1903. _ The following table shows the names, tonnage, and indicated horse- power of the steamships launched at Belfast for the year 1903 and also for the first six months of the year 1904: Indi- Names. Description. 8 la power. Steel twin screw -..- 9,700 ---do 13,000 -do 18, 000 18, 150 12,500 6,780 7,100 mee S AO bars wers, Sesmis selncrs 16,780 7,100 pee Ones aes fcc dececacichasamin 23,763 | 18,500 Ja anakon san akan annie 3,540 6,500 Fett abel esas pee bane user emia seen nee eee 18, 000 City of Calcutta --. Steel twin screw. 7,378 4,800 Counsellor --..- Single screw 4,957 2,750 Star of Ireland 4,330 2,500 Pera .osecs. 228 7, 634 4,500 pain ‘ cae] ii City of Agra. s.26 || ordinary aes colonial toon” 2 3 Deep-grown hogs ...-------- 15 224 Ordinar 4° ec eee a Bo Deep-grown wethers-......- inary oe colonel ee a na Pte ee ts = Ordinary 36's, colonial tops- 22 Qik UNIFORMS FOR JAPANESE SOLDIERS. This last month’s consumption, as it affects the h tra fallen off very considerably, and there is no doubt that Tins ote of values had been left to the home trade that prices would have slightly EUROPE: UNITED KINGDOM. 873 eased, but instead of that they have remained very steady and ex- ceedingly firm, on account of some large orders being placed with West Riding woolen manufacturers by the Japanese Government for crossbred cloth for their forces now in the field, this being suffi- cient to take off the market all available supplies and to strengthen the position of coarse-grown wools. It will be interesting for our manufacturers to know that these commonly called “ khaki” cloths are 56 inches wide, 28 ounces to the yard, dyed blue, and are being made for from $1 to $1.14 per yard. If the war were to come to asud- den stop, it might make some material difference to crossbred wool prices, but judging by the immediate outlook current prices bid fair to last for some considerable time. BRADFORD YARNS AND PIECE GOODS. Little need be said of this section, the yarn-spinning industry for the first half of the year in crossbreds being kept busy with a large output of yarns, but the last two months large quantities of stand- ing machinery are reported, and many frames are running short time. Bradford does an extensive export in yarns to the Continent, and German manufacturers refusing to follow in the wake of rising wool values has meant Bradford spinners curtailing production or else running at a loss. The fact is noticeable that all through the year the price of yarns has never reached the price of the raw material, and even to-day spinners are asking from 2 to 3 cents per pound more than what they are offered to equal the cost of the combed top or the raw material. The opinion is general that yarn spinners here have fought an uphill battle all through the year, with the odds sadly against them. The subject of piece manufacture is of direct concern to the pro- ducers of textiles in the United States, but there is not much new in connection with the past nine months’ exports. There continues to be a fair monthly average shipment of stuffs, which includes dress goods and linings, but when these are compared with nine months’ exports in 1903, there is a shrinkage of $273,742. Silk and cotton yarns are likewise down $210,448, and machinery $172,602. American manu- facturers seem now to have very little to fear at the hands of their Bradford competitors, except in wool dress goods, linings, and cotton dress goods, and there is no doubt that some remarkably cheap fabrics are sent to the United States every month, their excellence being due largely to the finish imparted to the goods. Ordinary plain linings, and particularly cotton linings, should be especially American-made fabrics, but judging from the shipments from this locality Bradford manufacturers still excel in the production of these special lines, and as far as can be judged the excellence is entirely due to the way they are finished. Bradford manufacturers, to some extent through force of circum- stances, are following French manufacturers in using more freely mule-spun yarns in the production of dress goods. When this class of yarn is used the fabrics present a more “clothy” handle than when cap-spun yarns are used, and as the tendency of this last few years has been running in that direction some benefit has accrued to those adopting the process. This means further that a slightly poorer class of wool, shorter stapled material, and especially short, i 374 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. burry, extract wools, which are lower in price than good combing wools, can be used in the production of these mule-spun yarns, and as quantities of woven tissues made on this principle are being shipped to United States centers I would suggest the taking up of this feature by American mills. WOOL COMBERS’ COMBINE. ' Bradford has been remarkably free from failures during the past year, with one exception, the public being startled with the great trial in connection with the Yorkshire Woolcombers’ Association. This is a huge trust, originally comprising 38 wool-combing businesses in Bradford, some of which are the largest in the world. It was floated with a great flourish, but has come to grief. The well-known Paisley firm of 3. & P. Coates, along with two or three other, large original shareholders, disappointed at the turn of events, instituted legal proceedings against some half dozen vendors and directors. Trial was held in London, lasting fourteen days, and some remarka- ble evidence was produced of the unbusinesslike way in which the company was floated, the verdict being given against the vendors for issuing a prospectus knowing it to contain statements wheich were false. On the day of the judgment, August 12, the Bradford Daily Telegraph published a remarkable sheet, containing facts and figures of the whole case. The figures showed profit and losses and every other item covering the four years of the existence of the “ Wool combers.” These figures showed that there were concerns which, during the four years previous to amalgamation, had made big losses, and yet drew large sums as “ purchase” price for their businesses. One sample case of a commission wool comber showed that there were paid in cash £35,177 ($171,020), in debentures £14,939 ($72,503), in preferred shares £11,654 ($56,638), and in deferred shares £35,298 ($171,648), or a total of £97,068 ($472,650) for a concern which in four years is shown to have made a net loss of £9,625 ($46,771). Top makers were included in the combination, and from the state- ment referred to, all collected from official figures, they appear to have been doing a large trade for a long time. Only one of these firms showed a net loss during the four-year period, amounting to £2,915 ($14,167), yet this losing concern was paid as follows: £10,899 ($50,539) in cash, £2,687 ($13,199) in debentures, £2,697 ($13,107) in preferred shares, £8,050 ($39,123) in deferred shares; total price £23,833 ($107,828), for a business that for four years previous had been losing money. Under the power of an adverse verdict all the original vendors are now more amenable to reason, a reconstruc- tion scheme is in the air, and there is ever : : through. : Y prospect of it going AMERICAN MANUFACTURES IN BRADFORD. The demand for American products continues ver ij where the quality of the stticla is maintained, and oe special attention is paid to this point that constantly increasing sales can be expected. The people here like a good article and are prepared to pay a reasonable price for it, but inferior goods have a detrimental effect on our reputation. EUROPE: UNITED KINGDOM. 375 Another point to which attention has previously been called is a want of consideration and attempt to meet the English taste, espe- cially in connection with silverware and furniture. American styles and ideas are not always acceptable in a foreign country and, where a trade is being built up, more consideration should be paid to what is actually required and demanded by the purchaser. I have been told repeatedly that if more attention was given to this sub- ject a much larger trade could be done. I have noticed with regret that for some time past there has been a steady decrease in the consumption of American meats, i. e, hog products, while a corresponding or even greater increase has taken place in the import of Canadian meats, and for the time being it looks as though our packers were rapidly losing the English trade. It has been pointed out by a correspondent that “ when the American packers realize that hog products are produced to be consumed and not to gamble with it will be better for the American provision trade.” This fact is exemplified by the considérable shipments of stale and overkept meats to this country, which has in every way helped the Canadian to take a firm hold on this market. One of the leading importers referring to Canadian methods says “ by his regu- lar weekly shipments of a mild and well-selected meat he has met the popular taste of the north of England artisan, and close observa- tion during the last two years leads me to think that the business will be done more largely with Canada and still less with the United States.” These are points which it will be well for our exporters to take into consideration. There is a greater demand for automobiles in this country than has hitherto existed, and some of our manufacturers are not slow in recognizing the fact. It must be borne in mind, however, that what is required is sound reliable cars which are not likely to get out of order or break down very readily. For men of moderate means the ideal cars are considered to be two cylinder 6 to 8 horsepower for two passengers $750 to $1,000, and four cylinder 12 to 16 horsepower for four passengers $1,500 to $2,500. BRISTOL. [From ConsuL L. A. LatHrop, BRISTOL, ENGLAND, OCTOBER 5, 1904.] BRISTOL AS A TRADE CENTER. Bristol has a population of 355,000. It is by far the largest city in the west of England, and may be said, financially and commercially, not only to dominate the western and southwestern counties, but also the thickly populated coal mining regions of South Wales, on the north side of the Bristol Channel. ; As to its position as a distributing center, I quote from an official handbook of the port issued this week : The port of Bristol, with its unrivaled geographical position, superior dock accommodation and facilities, and rail and water connections, affords exceptional advantages for the distribution of merchandise to all parts of the Kingdom. Goods imported from foreign parts in transit for other ports or inland towns are rapidly forwarded to their destination. With the dispatch insured by 376 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. modern machinery and methods of handling, delivery at important centers can be guaranteed within a few hours after a vessel’s arrival at her berth, and cargo for export can be delivered and shipped at the docks with equal promptitude. The Great Western and Midland Railway companies, having access to the vessels lying at the deep-water quays at the city, Avonmouth, and Portishead docks, convey traffic therefrom, -at a group rate, not only between stations on their respective systems but also to stations on the lines of other allied com- panies, including the London and North Western, London and South Western, Somerset and Dorset Great Eastern, and Great Central. By these routes, merchandise, dead meat, and perishable goods of all kinds are dispatched to London, to Birmingham, and other centers in the Midlands, and to Manchester, Leeds, Bradford, and the principal northern cities. There is also an extensive distribution of goods to all parts of Wales, to Southampton and the Isle of Wight, to Jersey, and to all places in Devon and Cornwall as far as Penzance. Another valuable means of communication is supplied by numerous and swift fleet of steamers plying to the many ports in the Bristol Channel and beyond. Many coastwise craft enter the respective docks daily, either with cargo for export or to receive transport goods direct overside. By these coast- ing steamers generally, and especially by such as are employed in the daily service to Cardiff and other South Welsh ports, the several docks of the port of Bristol are brought into rapid communication with the populous and wealthy mining districts of South Wales. Large and increasing quantities of grain, provisions, and general merchandise, from the United States and Canada, and fruit and other produce from the West Indies, are distributed through the ports referred to. The sphere of distribution is still further enlarged by inland waterways and by regular-line steamers trading to Liverpool, Manchester, the principal Irish ports, and the west coast of Scotland in the one direction, and to Plymouth, Southampton, London, and other ports eastward. These facts, says the handbook, and it does not exaggerate in so saying, demonstrate the claim that the geographical position of Bristol is unrivaled. As a distributing center it has no competitor. Its merchants and importers possess, within a radius of 100 miles, a serving area of territory larger than that of almost any other port in the United Kingdom. The population within a radius of 50 miles is 2,500,000; within a radius of 75 miles, 5,000,000; within a radius of 100 miles, 9,500,000. IMPROVED RAILWAY COMMUNICATION. The marked improvement in railway communication during the year consisted in the establishment of a two-hour passenger train service to London. This was rendered possible by certain slight alterations in the line of the Great Western Railway. That railway is engaged in improving its London communications with Avon- mouth, so that when the new Bristol dock, in course of construction, shall have been completed, direct communication with London may be obtained under two and a half hours. NEW DOCK. The new dock is making rapid progress, 2,000 men being constant] employed thereon. It is believed that it will be somcleted in the spring of 1907. Its dimensions will be as follows: Depth of water on inner sill, mean spring tides, 40 feet; depth of water on inner sill, mean neap tides, 80 feet; length of dock, 1,120 feet; width of dock, 1,000 feet; length of lock, 875 feet; width of lock, 100 feet; area of dock, 30 acres; ‘length of wharfage, 3,730 feet. Such a dock will accommodate any vessel now afloat. Its opening will relieve Bristol of a tremendous handicap and enable it to take full advantage of its geographical position. Prospective energy has ' EUROPE: UNITED KINGDOM. 3877 already been displayed and the community confidently expects to reap adequate reward for the spirit of enterprise which prompted an Investment of $13,000,000 of taxpayers’ money in constructing these docks. At the completion of this dock the total investment of the Bristol people, or rather the capital outlay for which they will be re- sponsible, will exceed $27,000,000. The city owns and controls all the docks, which are administered by a committee of the annually elected city council. These conditions are probably unique. SHIPPING AND TRADE. The Bristol financial year ends April 30. Notwithstanding the general depression of shipping, the last municipal year showed im- portant increases in several directions. Ships entered with a total tonnage exceeding 2,000,000. For the first time in the history of the port the entry of foreign and coastwise ships exceeded a total of 1,000,000 tons. ‘The import of grain measured in excess of 32,000,000 bushels, establishing a record. The trade in petroleum advanced so considerably as to bring Bristol second to London in its imports of the American product. The importations of leaf tobacco amounted to 3,000 tons, exceeding those of the previous year by more than half that amount. From well-understood causes, general in their nature, and applying alike to imports at all British ports, the bulk of the supply of grain and flour has come from Russia, India, and the River Plate, instead of, as heretofore, from the United States. There was a consequent falling off in the number of ships trading between American ports and Bristol. This falling off has to some extent affected the direct import statistics of products other than cereals, some of which con- tinue to find their way from New York to Bristol by way of Liverpool | or Southampton. , ; Great attention is being given by the dock committee to the possi- bilities, in connection with direct and regular steam communication, between Bristol and far distant ports. Steamers are now sailing regularly to South African, Australian, and New Zealand ports. There already exists a heavy import trade from the Argentine in grain and seed, but active negotiations are at this moment proceeding with the idea of inaugurating a regular service of steamers which shall sail at stated dates. NAVIGATION AT BRISTOL, BY FLAG, IN 1903. Entered. Cleared. Hae Vessels. Tons. Vessels. Tons. ARR wickets Weta en aad eee kt 531} 620,685 3291 488,702 ee iT 3] SS Swedish -... 24 14, 859 7 2, 450 Norwegian - 72 45,055 31 17,814 Danish -_--- 25 17, 673 8 7,886 German 36 26, 465 6 9, 676 Dutch .__..- 87 939 52 34, 252 French ----- 14 7, 894 3 38, 288 ae te : | SR lee ere i “} gf} 80 i 766 eee fl) See Pata voces ois sabeveces = ee-nebe eee ee eee tate 785 | 798,508 442 567, 979 378 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. 4 NAVIGATION AT BRISTOL, BY COUNTRIES. Sailing. Steam. Total. Countries wwhennG entered and to which 7 a ae red. es- - oe gels, | TODS: | gels, | TOPS: | gels, | Tous- FOREIGN COUNTRIES. Entered. Russia: Northern ports -. 2-21. -220--0cen seen ene n ee Southern ports Sweden....--------- NOL WEY iene se tcst. cc ocnieeerlaecomtene: Denmark (including Faroe Islands) - iceland and Greenland. --...--. Germany ------------ okce Holland --.- Belgium -- France -_-.- Bulgaria--.. ROUMA MG 2c 2-22 ones ceeesassweresuesessceess Turkish Dominions: European Turkey --.-.-..----------------- Ovete ons e230 3 seucmscsan cusmiechweacanecess Asiatic Turkey (including El Hedjaz an ports on the Persian ME eaae be cle pe cieccaweuties soneicencossad tes On the Pacific Costa Rica - g anaes Argentine Repu coast of Patagonia) .. Total foreign countries _.._......--..-- : Cleared. Russia: Northern ports .-.-...------..+- Southern ports. Sweden-_-_---.- Norway -- Denmark (including Faroe Islands) . Portugal ain - I aly beige Turkish Dominions: Huropean Turkey ---__ United States of America On the Atlantic Cuba BRITISH POSSESSIONS (INCLUDING PRO- TECTORATES). Entered. Channel Islands OY PVUS! 5< a22eana= ences. seca British possessions in India: Bombay oi. s-cesesaes seen sceccdeagseece Bengal -. Burma Australia and New Zealand: West Australia .......-..-2-- 222202222222. On the Atlantic. 2... .cesesescceseemseece 4 x or 8 mt BREE So 8 z wet e & eB Hw BSwoumtseRRSRunwBeSs e 3 pay © b & z eH We HO 823 382 15, 534. 555 3,309 1,040 EUROPE: UNITED KINGDOM. NAVIGATION AT BRISTOL, BY COUNTRIES—Cortinued. 379 : : Sailing. Steam. Total. Countries whens ener et and to which cleared. Ves- Ves- Ves- e sels, | TODS: | sejg, | Tons. | sels. | Tons. BRITISH POSSESSIONS (INCLUDING PRO- TECTORATES)—continued. Entered—Continued. British North America: Dominion of Canada, Atlantic seaboard. 4 3, 820 10 20, 630 14 24, 450 Newfoundland and coast of Labrador. . 4 405 |e eee cee clea renee 4 405 British West India Islands _.................- 1 215 26 | 50,997 27 51,212 Total British possessions __..._-....._.- 20| 10,770 46 | 87,940 66 98,710 Total foreign countries and British DOSSOSRIONS mis < sunaanaxuanenxinercacner 121 50, 911 664 | 747,597 785 | 798,508 Cleared. Channel Islands. .-....-_.......----.-.-.------ 9 587 14 2, 796 23 3,383 GHIDT ANAT ate teense eine eens erdeheeat a mint leer arsenal | earoean Seed 4 1,112 4 1,112 British Pee in South Africa: Cape of Good Hope .__..........-..2------|.--2----|---- eee ee 12 408 12 27, 408 DB a eres mower warn wy yard eh Woe seminars iin smnn FARERS si6soem 1 3,113 1 3,113 Australia and New Zealand: - VICbOPIA. oases boo ee eee ce dse he cescencc | 1 TOOT) hore o es | ootebate a 1 1,591 Queensland ----- 22 222 eee 9 | 21,336 9 ; British North America: Dominion of Canada, Atlantic seaboard. 2 1,297 46 | 163,858 48 165, 155 Newfoundland and coast of Labrador... 1 Bi, |ocececel mareesacss 1 67 ease West India Islands -_________---..---- 2 866 26} 50,997 28 51, 863 POPES MP CIG EE os icine onaicniaeu ban asearoasiuenlee 1 BOS | erwesinsalensismmnasces # 368 Total British possessions --..........--- 16 4,776 112 | 270,620 128 275, 396 Total foreign countries and British possessions --_-_...-.---------. 2-2-2 55 29,316 387 | 538, 663 442 567,979 IMPORTS INTO BRISTOL IN 1903. ‘Articles. Units. Quantity.| Value. DUTY FREE. 10, 060 $895, 236 ue 59, 678 Shee wand lambs - 4,383 31,749 Herc. 1 "49 Arms and ammunition: FN 68 vices eacccecceamecnuaEessennsemaces mE guaameeeest es oA Milita: and navy stores Art work Ea, Seussegcesacseica 292 Asbestos -- 117 Asphalt -_- 19,553 Baskets, etc. 19, 353 Beads -._.... 29 Blacking, ete-- 27, 476 Bladders, ete. -....-----.------------ 973 Bones, for manufacturing purposes. 49 Books, ete -.-..------------------------ 316 Bristles ......---.--- pounds 19, 924 7,908 Brooms and brushes - 6, 329 9, 232 Butter cc. 2-2,o02-s22 525405 75,798 | 1,698, 715 Buttons, etc., not of metal. 300 73 ANGIES'« . oi esccces seee-5 == = 11 895 ce eae sie Sea eet rs aaeert tenes cee 60,170 1,217 ‘aoutchouc manufacture: Boots and shoes ~-..-- 2.2222 -seee easessesednsescesese 1,426 6, 472 P Other 5,509 jarriages: Cycles ‘i is WIG POTTS ce ccnncanscnscapcescesinsanacansssexeresste= 40. otor cars, including motor cycles 2) 165 Parts thereof ---..-.------------------------------ 3, 630 Unenumerated .--.. a Parts of carriages a Hundredweight=112 pounds. 380 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. “IMPORTS INTO BRISTOL IN 1903—Continued. Articles. Units. Quantity.| Value. DUTY FREE—continued. e Huannecste) ‘ht - 240 $409 Cattle food, ewostenta bn s 4,215 28-391 817,222 | 3, 908; 768 3,348 3, 645 637 993 296 1,158 1,294 1/339 13512 7,149 145 185 Sulphate Conmendde. upnenumerated 1,032 1,703 AN Othe? 5.52 cee-2 40sec: assesses 71, 255 Sion etc -.- 363 a re ‘ider and perry -- . Geis "ie ock par Cordage .....--------- 69,177 Cork: Unmanufactured -.-.- ms 45 1, 436 Manfactured ies: i. 2-2-00..0 205625 sseeeeeeeessncessess 31, 018 7,036 Corn: WW HAG fore iets ond sarrcseawycieiclatoc ets maleu ek seb aes 5, 916, 785 9, 792,118 Barley 5,219,713 | 6,431, 896 Oats.__. 408, 926 548,770 Rye... 8,324 12)192 Beokwheat 28, 076 41,477 ‘eas— Not fresh or split ......--.--------------+-------- = 56, 472 125, 692 SDlibe on. overdose cous cece pase sass saaesea 6, 565 13, 684 Beans, not fresh or split --- 94, 381 155, 027 Ha ricOtincex coe 2nn2eccacteeceteaietsssietaneueses 1,318 8, 236 Lentils, split. 68 aoe ee ed fe Nope he intran actetioae siacia ate I eae amet eats, 8, 243, 025 3, 985, 690 ice— Other than whole or cleaned 5,760 8,384 Whole and cleaned 41,296 112, 940 Mixtures— Containing not more than 10 per cent of 1,390 3,076 whole rice. Containing more than 10 per cent of whole 1,698 4,224 rice. Wheat flout 222 s22-52c2 Soscpnecdecsstesnceasaseeeee 913,724 | 2,061,414 Shredded wheat.......-....------------------------- 1,092 9,772 Pearled wheat. .....-..-----------2--2-ene- nee ennn nee 1,002 2,321 Oa tana foto at 2s Actus notadine Resa otiecaeecascee aed 6, 382 16, 122 Groats ........- 1,337 F uaker oats --- 87,864 176, 138 olled oats ..-. 6, 186 24,775 Rye meal v2.2 oscar soct iss. ceeecen seememeececacemece 262 467 Buckwheat meal and flour 2 5 Rice Aout. 3. ccjeccccs.vesdeciasastsowucesusvsceseaeeny 6,146 18,378 Maize meal _. 189, 229 |, 652 oe ‘ ice meal ....-... 86, 800 80, 623 Bran and pollard...._---...-- "9 10 Sharps and middlings......___. 28,351 32, 469 OU er cceevecece ete seceducesesteS 30, 816 , 033 DORTIN e525 Sex scidcinsaneciesaiciese 305 1,465 Macaroni... 20s ccdcncacenenccuene, 2 10 Potato flour -.......-.-----.---.-.-- 1,056 2,667 Semolina -......-.. "40 "102 Oe oe PAVING oon 5csessceensense 17,130 66,319 er farinaceous preparations .........-.--...----- Is Cotton and cotton poodles 2 ee aa MRD Weoe oie oe 26 cls ected ssa ah sy oe couche sauce sea tale 39 594 Vardi pire yne eae cians accu 330 29 Piece goods, white bleached.._.......- 26, 320 2,871 HOSIOTY sa <2etieieeentese cen eenton cues, : 1,012 Other manufactures -.-.--.-.---.----..-- 13° 806 Curios: 226: 223 eae sa cen cee acaheedaaieeuewsene "83 DEF einin , 630 Whenimenied. SEE 6,696 Dyestuffs: . Bark for CANNING 222 scc% stack oe noe naden sees cece seeks 5, 927 Coal-tar dyes— 2 Alizarin. 2,691 EUROPE: UNITED KINGDOM. IMPORTS INTO BRISTOL IN 1903—Continued. 381 Articles. Units. Quantity.| Value. DUTY FREE—continued. go PN aaa aay g Extracts -.....- Number $108, 591 Tadico geeavces 4,092 Myrabolans. - 1/908 Sumach -_-..... 51732 Valonia ....-...-- 235) 441 Unenumerated 3' 927 Dyewoods: , Doe wood sciosccevseeecsecsesssscusioseves sueceteeccases 912 = Gasnmmemien a 846 EG concer sescpiceinimaueisd ectrical goods ---.- : awe WIE BOGE waeniawnandudcirsihraubaneenonsnesnaarakeeakes pee . Wiad Soeie tearaueemnetoet eta etanes bOmeteusts escola 633 negegneAace nab ca seeee sacs SeisceessEcueeete 122 24 10 17,986 24 55, 049 ae Saqnnie yards _-__- 602 a raw Hundredweight - 54, 358 156, 915 Bananas. -.- Bunches ---.---.- 464, 084 461, 213 Grapes ---.-- Hundredweight . 14, 289 60, 023 Lemons, etc tedOOlesecsciacssses 5, 799 10,901 1,819 28, 661 245 104, 188 273, 918 4, 943, 400 it 110 Raw, unenumerate: 8,180 24, 843 Dried— Dated) -2.c0--+-+- 13 73 ®. Unenumerated ---..------------- peacunecs seaesees beeOOrcagecust sacene 1,571 10, 497 Preserved— Canned or bottled .-....-.-..--------------------- 2,088 7,470 Other than canned 4,441 4, ee cee 30, 750 ua Gals «22 nnn nnn ne nee n nee nn eee ere eene, 3 Glas Window, Ct won iis vcccsecuceme neces neenes nese nen meni 158, 278 late - ------------ 96, 829 Flint, etc_..--.-.- 22) 814 Bottles --.--------- 32,177 All other....-.----- 147, 980 Glue, size, and gelatin. 33, 963 Glue stock -..---------- 4) 662 Gums 8,180 Hair: "Gow, e 48 Goat's, Mee than mohair - 39 HOrse@):.o.2---ssessesece 2, 284 All other.....--.-.---4 «25 1,557 Hardware, other than. cutl 39, 998 Hats or bonnets: Straw .- 1,800 Other 30 195 Hay 3,099 51,921 Hemp Dressed OY WNGvEssOd a. eo ness wonsnesnndeesceeenen sel oni eonenneee 65 10, 439 Other vegetable substances-. _.do 1,800 9, 986 823, 280 , 075 12, 731 154 a 1,586 Jute yarn ...------ 12°770 Jute manufactures. .....----------02- 22 0eee cree reece ree cree 382 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. IMPORTS INTO BRISTOL IN 1903—Continued. Articles. Units. Quantity.| Value. DUTY FREE—contiuued. Li d lant 640 $345 i ance belie 92,319 | ° 1,014,539 Imitation 16,175 188, 082 Leather and leather goods: Undresséd 36, 342 661,177 Dressed - 5, 901 178, 046 Varnishe: 61, Boots and shoes Other manufactures DOOR: scrnene aaceeeuse Linen manufactures -. oe Zins DOG UGb Wea v2 sinned wccawninerint dnanimacamecnainemedrereconnn Machinery: TOCOMOMNG 55 cs ose jo ori otek cdesbcedaameeseanudeecen Steam, other... 2 ...-scocesoccuccesesisecescausueaces Not steam— AeriCUltural : 2222 cee teta ais acesesemecaunse aoe Sewing.-.... ‘ Mining -.._. Hlectrical cosescins cccccieucicnweeee demceaeaceewes Manures: All other, salted or fresh Preserved— Meta Brass, etc _. s Copper— Te Hoops and strips Plates under — i —inch Tires and axles Iron and steel— Unwrought Lead— Ore ceveseeteee ila Pig and sheet. a Manganese ore ......_.......-..- Crude, in cakes Manufactures Ores, unrated... EUROPE: UNITED KINGDOM. IMPORTS INTO BRISTOL IN 1903—Continued. 383 ‘ Articles. Units. Quantity.| Value. DUTY FREE—continued. Metals—Continued. Unennmarated — mwrought.. .222ss2222s-25< is Setee Sean es Wrought or manufactured 0 $3 for an se aed Fen SHURAOUAED gee coe 35, 866 e PAD cecmeye nee aeninc ase cen ae Gasenaewtas Milk: 8,581) 6,185 Condensed q.. 0. .ciccwaseoscescesccnsaneseeeesseestenee 9 58 _ Powders, unsweetened 88 1,032 Mineral water ..............-------- 61,875 49) 064 Moss litter _...--_------2--------neeeee Tons .......------ 1,992 10, 682 Moldings, ete., gilt ---2 1222222222722 45,599 cal 7 Monies instruments » 285 1 14,171 15, 397 P08 1, 495, 709 8,516 265, 419 77, 685 578, 325 3,108 251,539 272) 334 927 TAL 80, 467 All other: jocee sccce cc cnsscseswns oassteeesstecoeseeGcic|s-eU One oe neon, 102? 819 Paper: Penprinted— ON) POCNS. 2 sess sees see eesees oo -n se oe sua daee ce cases 15,310 41,385 _Not on reels 39,712 126, 787 Printed 2....6--26+-2-2240225 1,009 11,061 Straw boars and millboard 92, 622 139, 333 Wood- spl BGBE 0 cceruin nncdaruine mee aeatsaameees 18, 788 44, 032 Paver -mai materials: dinen.9) ane jeobton. PAGS G ocan decree cies tcce .-do ae 426 3, 275 Not tested, in bottles - Liquid gallons __.- 43 233 Perfumed, in bottles .........._...-------.----------- ist AO seca ea iscites wens 110 808 Sugar: Refined— Lumps and loaves.___....-.-..-...--------------- Hundredweight - 208,185 609, 183 Other!sorts ¢ 2.22 ncisewancicsstcitecsene swendisesteanene be AO iexemeaweeccuts 1,101, 483 2, 792, 616 Unrefined— Beot root. 2222222522ese2cese ce: sbeeeesscssesedeses 1,366 2,949 Cane and other’ .2:2ssssacccscuessceueses seeseec'sce : 17,277 47, 063 Molasses: Containing 70 per cent or more sweetening _...-... 215 467 Less than 70 per cent and more than 50 per cent - 5,639 6,477 Not more than 50 per cent 8, 114 6,540 - For distilling purposes...........---...-------------- 18,725 10,210 Glucose: Solid ..-.2-22cc0cesecececseasejcccscesadeasis seces eceseses Leche NO aalonaconsiu a thease 60, 962 147, 338 OE sa inci acssisuin acias rsardicsa niin pinta minarncniasi waa cams nde aon cipcichonieniacie 102, 282 228, 146 Sugar articles: _ Blacking, solid 15 219 Candied and drained peel. 909 5, 163 Caramel, liquid..-....--.- 102 487 Cattle food, at 26 cents --__---.-.--------------------- 492 560 Confectionery— IAN, ovad sero dsccmmet oueysaat secs nt ce cebcemetostes 2 44 Soft A B gums, in bulk -- 920 5,070 o> sof confectionery Bias 339 3,051 wit— Not liable to duty as such, in thick sirup ---_.-.- bts AO tae vised ciecia ues, 1 29 Crystallized glace and metz ---.__----.------ di 4 87 Except currants, liable to duty as such. 35 1, 285 Marmalade, jams, and fruit jellies -......----.---.-- 33 316 Milk, condensed, sweetened— WOO: 2. 222s cow snmrete cegetasesdeonsesoenaceeses 24, 457 272,042 Skimmed -.-..-------------- 2,482 ; Tamarinds preserved in sirup eae: 3 Other manufactured articles containing sugar 514 18,417 MOA: oo ocues, nc teausae peewee sees eeeeeceeette cee clese eames < 4, 954 579 Tae eat nmanufactured— BEGHUIN EO 6 os suavaghacamiiamannieeadeassulianameee wi ON eck epee coasted 38, 793, 070 531,455 Unstemmed d 940, 716 117,599 Stalks... .--k cece aaeseiesedooeesasde aon ceuseaseeecned 121, 207 6,669 factured— a 0 oeaeaceas reas es eneana ; 6,738 17, 480 Oavendish -.--2-~--+- 2-2 -20-2-.-oeccen see neees eee 42,916 433 Cigarettes -....----------+-- 22-2202 eeeeee ee ee eens 450 » te a Other sorts, ..--.sse2s-cese os sszenseeeseaseseeetex- 4, 482 2,788 ine: Dt ) nr 835, 788 In bottles, still. -.....-------------++-------- 22 eeee eee 16, 584 Sparkling champagne --......-....-.----------------- 47,749 Sparkling saumur...-.-..---.-----.--- 2222+ --2------+ 306 Sparkling hock -.-.--.-.----------------------+---++-- 1, aA Sparkling moselle ---..----.----.--.--.--------------- 2,4 Sparkling other sorts -..--..--------------+---------- 496 Total dutiable -....--..----------------- 2-202 eee 7, 202, 614 Total free of duty ------------------ 59, 492, 691 Total imports 66, 785, 305 H. Doe. 481, 58-38-25 386 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. EXPORTS FROM BRISTOL IN 1903. Articles. Units. Quantity.| Value. Aerated Waters 22... oece ooo eee oon ee ee Dozen bottles..-- 2,360 $1, 640 Animals: Oxen and bulls 30 14, 677 hep and lake 2 "ee eep and lambs eet Sicnesewes chore aen namiosuesmen eee sadameeraaeearee 5 181 orses— Stallions 6, 375 Mares -..- 11, 198 Geldings- , 438 ap otne? Hin 769 arel: , Eater pioak 1, 698 Not waterproofed , 993 Arms, etc.: - Small-arms ammunition Hundredweight - 15 219 Percussion caps ------ Thousands - 185 49 TROC OTS, PNG ag mewn nwenenngied women acaan maw anerniasetillleesiein meezan ee 2,715 Rifles and carbines_-_-.....- dredw: 345 Military and ordnance stores. -_._. 929 Bags and sacks _____--.....-..-------.-- 2,019 Beer and ale __....- 35, 286 Biscuits and cakes__....-....... SU Sootaeh sadeesmemones 8,316 Blacking and polishes, not containing sugar............|...do.....----.---- 4,754 Bladders, casings, and sausage skins_..--.- sl wemreersbek Gand mete 11, 553 Books, printed. -| Hundredweight . 1,191 26,171 Bricks ______....____- Thousands. --_... 805 7,912 Brooms and brushes Dozens-.... sekees 3,129 5,119 HOM a ae Seep aaa Hundredweight - 29 |. 900 Candles __...._...-22--_... Pounds -.-.--..-- 43, 300 3,586 Caoutchouc manufactures...........2.222.22 2-22-2222 2-2 |ecee eee eee eee [eee 925 Carriages: Railway --. 78, 756 cle _..... 3, 183 All other sort: 9, 816 Cattle foods, not sweeten Hundredweight. 6,769 Cement ____.......22.22- Sl DOUS sc cccwsrecue acts ; 305 4,059 CHeC8 CY «icin tua aeeriecen tetas eon Hundredweight. 55 954 Chenheale : 4 eaching powder 17, 894 Calcium, carbide 506 Copper sulphate 7,499 Dyestuffs— PaGeGs irnva di-usap bowednd aareasisumvoc anew uwaus! 58 842 45, 603 83 4,107 112 684 15,597 Unenumerated __. ane ae Chicory and coffee, roasted ‘ Clay, unmanufactured 20, 867 Clocks, watches, etc.,and parts of 489 eee ete.: OBL as seers ce et ree ten ii 2cc accusenceea Coke _.___ 2 al, py 3 cates tae x wie Or OBl DYOAUCtS .--- --. 22. eee ee eee eee eee eece or chocolate: 4 a 101, 155 round or prepared ....._....._._..__ Manufactured in DONG ec cecicevicececeaecs.ccccnee oat Coffee: = uw 10,779 165 511 379 635 eat meal and flour... . Oatmeal --.. 2.2.22. bar Maize meal ....__......-...._.. ze Meal of other sorts....._.._..... 356 Bran and pollard_.......-.____ eae Sharps and middlings___...__| 28, al Other sorts...:sssceys005 3 538 EUROPE: UNITED KINGDOM. EXPORTS FROM BRISTOL IN 1903—Continued. Articles. Units. Quantity.| Value Cotton goods: Yarn, bleached and dyed .-_.._........------.------- 100 $151 Piece goods— Unbleached -...........-..--.-------------- aoe 491,700 22,079 Bleached......-...--.------- 1, 829, 500 90,565 Printed 322. oaessseossedcceue: 2,024, 100 97,865 DYV6G) i ooss ss csacexesentoantesceees , 107, 638, 045 WGG6 7 2 ca cctccseescenssespesecesoaesees seasasinasaae 51, 658 Stockings and socks ......-....---- 3, 281 4,127 Hosiery cother leinds = 2cecseccnstsaskiesccetecctecuwtes Sen numa ceadecentalccceeseeees 2,238 Thread, for sewing -..._..---.----- 6,500 2,706 Manufactures, unenumerated..........--....-------|-- 22 eee eee eee [eee eee eee eee 17, 426 OU ey as 2 ects Peerage he ero es tartan ac aad | yet eens ee teat |B Cesta ti 8, 883 Earthenware: Red. Pottery sects sce s-neeaec ec odscee ce pcemeee eee ee 4,093 Chinaware.-.....- 23, 252 Electrical apparatus - 3,538 eee PACKING 252 5c2 525 soccoussee cette eS ecguaweceee ce 525 Fish: 17 4,097 1,693 39 311 83 ra Manufactures, other sorts - 2, 092 Glue, size, and gelatin .-._-..-- 1, 14, 944 Grease, tallow, and animal fat 15, 495 107,876 Gums, British prepared - 126 Haberdashery and millinery -_--__..--...-----------------|------=-------------|------2-:--- 12,545 iS ghee =e 1,513 |, 654. Si 6, 735 18, 384 oe ae DS 5 = cee pe nk ee cece Senet ec ecletes coer seseweeecedses sed OO mangsecceqeass Implements: PACTICUWITUTE] Ws o2sc aciocsd sodas sesnetecoe esate 23, 286 Unenumerated _....-- 7, 869 Instruments, surgical, etc - 2, 784 DOWOITY 5 coc cee ca sece meses iscnesesccs aecnslec=geceeessenes 3, 265 Jute: Piece goods 6,014 Manufactures, other 448 Leather: . c Unwrought. Hundredweight . 1,542 31,024 Boots an Dozen pairs--.... 42, 231 Gloves -...-------.---- 54 540 Manufactures, other 4,740 Linen: Pounds 80, 400 10, 108 7,800 1,197 156 4,798 m— Locomotive. --...- -------------e0e eo oon ecee en eens [one eee cere ene ec ee [ene eee eee cee pte 22,5387 10,911 146 4,727 1/698 91, Si Manure: : Sulphate of ammonia -.-....-------------.------------ Tons 2, 289 127,979 Other sorts -.-----,----------------- -|---do zrscre 576 1004 Margarine and all artificial butters Hundredweight . 3 49 Matches: 569 Safety -....------- ---0-- == 22-5 eno eee ee ene eee 589 DUBE aa-ascens 350 Mats and matting - 5, 469 Meat, beef and mutton -- 388 ~ COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. EXPORTS FROM BRISTOL IN 1903—Continued. Articles. Units. Quantity.| Value. Medicines: Psa $63 27,461 Brass and manufactures of -. 21, 841 Copper— nwrought.........------ 83, 512 Wrought— Mixed or yellow metal. 12,614 Other kinds -...-- 15, 893 Iron ore -__.-.------ 10, 030 Old and scrap -. 11, 845 Iron manufactures— Pig sco oc ve owawenGectues 2,144 92,176 Bars _--------- 81 8,572 Rods _....-2015 3, 437 95, JAM BIGS' OC reat Gtk ctan nes Hee tecineae quaees 1 Railroad— RANG vo s2ne nce svar aonyee vadaves eueneaseondc ene oil voreanccenee 1,291 36, 114 Chairs and sleepers 3 224 Unenumerated. -. 114 4, 565 Wire e525 boca. 119 8, 769 Galvanized sheets. --- 34,775 , 824, 649 Black plates for tinning 8, 952 183, 617 Sheets— Under inch thick. --_-._--..-.---------------- es 8,195 362, 277 Over inch thick 239 i, 178 Hoops and strips. --... 10 "452 Anchors, »grapnels etc. 183 13, 480 Tubes and fittings - 101 8,170 Pipesscc-esecedsneuesac 93 3,299 Nails, Screws, and rivets _ 35 3,173 Bolts and nuts -_-......- 45 4, 248 Bedsteads -....... 41 8,757 Cast, unenumerated -_. 419 25, 149 Sis Wrought, unenumerated......---.-. 22.2. ---.6- 1, 855 127,102 el— Bars, angles, etc__..-..--------- 2 eee eee eee i 1%6 6, 092 Black Ee for tinning -- 832 17,261 TING BO NAGE oo ncvmacaaneassca taiumeacdedaccadsen 41,178 | - 2,782,528 Sheets— DM GY 0h CAGR scaecasces paxscemavwumeeue 373 21,189 Over inch thick _ 59 2,594 Hoops and strips -._._- 277 10, 049 Tires, axles, and wheels _.._..._ 66 7,416 Manufactures, unenumerated 11 1,689 Lead— 2, 404 963 50, 037 16, 468 15,913 521 9,392 67, 687 Bt -' Square yards ___. 5,781 White lead........._.- PaaBaredmcight 490 2, 268 Hy oo sorts .--.-.----.----------- 220.2 2sc se sezeres 62, 711 89,573 Writing or printing --..........-.... 6,756 48, 825 Hangings .-___-..-_- ” 26 987 Cardboard, etc - 1,084 12,040 Unenumerated - 2 ies TB Perfumery, 2-222 secreted acerteeds aus ona Ee vara eedeaasese asaeecesucconecwan ce [ees se 4.059 Pickles, vinegar, sauces, etc........... 222222222222 eee eee eee eee eee 8681 Pictures ..02-----2seres-resvensesces seas s-ceeneesus.----| Ounces troy .....[ 13 O54 Plate, silver .-.....- 295, 491 Plated and gilt wares 2, 550 Potatoes -...-.-----.-- 3) 188 Poultry and game...... "68 Prints, engravings, etc. -. 633 Provisions, unenumeratéd....-......--... all ee em peatet sss mscinivicreira Re eataare 25 939 Rags and other materials for making PRPC price cucecs 1,641" 77, 601 ‘EUROPE: UNITED KINGDOM. 389 EXPORTS FROM BRISTOL IN 1903—Continued. Articles. Units. Quantity, | Value. paddlers ADO NATMESS -2n3 652 ah aceceeeesae anes ce eee anes dee eee eer lec eee eee $18, 765 sige wines ee de Siem eeenies aoc wen eeeceesioas Acuenesess enc a ODS icscmacenccs= 1, 757 14, 059 Beadle TOE ssa aaes panne eee ice lead aden eves ladies 29 Othor'sorts sre. iccheier eaten een oases oeetceatcden 1,796 Silk goods: Broad: stuits ssc sector vine seseinien ea eeenieoeemenies 983 Handkerchiefs, scarfs, and shawls -- 710 BiDbONS sees oe 2. sais ses nese ceases cee 3,917 DIRCO fare. he hecho aceite 311 Unenumerated _-_....__..-.-...-- 2 190 _Mised bread Stills 2.0 ncccccecncecessscesuucuveseseue 988 Skins: Sheep and lamb, undressed __-___....----.----------- 341 Other sorts, undressed......-.-....--ss.s sss eeceeee 9, 767 as ONG POWOE? . 22 ccviccesercescss Sivewosewaccsces 1,723 Household 8,316 Toilet stat seeceenawanmessseneccesesaceuss eecesreseess 3,708 Spirits British end Trigh ja. - 5223252 tet ie eo eee 5 48,392 Methylated -.......-....-. -|---do 499 190 Perfumed, in bond 229 Starch and blue: Starch 117 Blue 3, 883 Stationery, other than paper 24 770 tones: Slates for roofing. ....-..-..-22.--.------eee eee eee eee Grindstones, ete: 2.22. | months, Articles. sar months, 1904. 1 barrels... 195 Peas is 22 sae gzegerecigse DEES eslenccsseces 160 -number.. PORK s2ecc223 barrels-.|-.-...--.- 150 ---- boxes... 500 Preserves -- boxes. - 4,300 4,225 ae Rags .--..- .--bales.- OB beet eae Resin __. -- barrels... 1,500 |.-.--_-... Sheep. -. --number.. 3,599 2, 963 Shells -- .-- bags... 6, 330 2,194 Slate ._.._. ----tons-.- 3,176 1,274 Sundries packages. - COM lecceeeeee Tankage - --- bags... 896 1,500 eat.....- -tons.. MOB Ne ces cee e Wheels, etc._-.-----crates.. 59 12 Woodenware ...packages-.|.....-.-.. 16 Zinc skimmings. ..barrels.. 133 323 AMERICAN TRADE PROSPECTS. ~ The absence of duty on imported manufactures makes it possible for New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburg, and Chicago to compete in price with goods made in London, Sheffield, Birmingham, and other British cities if freight rates are reasonable. Iron, steel, and iron bars——The United States used to lead in the shipment of these articles into Wales, but in-1903 and up to June, 1904, Germany and Belgium have forged ahead. The amount of iron ore imported into Cardiff in 1903 amounted to 830,617 tons, and of iron and steel 36,966 tons. The total importation of iron and steel and.iron ore into Welsh ports during 1903 amounted to 1,701,472 tons. Timber products—The United States supplies Wales with a large amount of building timber, but not a single pit prop of the 1,200,000 loads which reach these ports. This class of timber is mostly sup- EUROPE: UNITED KINGDOM. 395 poed by France and Portugal. The average price last year ranged rom $3.88 to $4.62 ex ship. Oils.—Petroleum is imported from the United States and Russia. There were imported into Cardiff alone in 1903 nearly 4,000,000 gallons. There is a market here for lubricating and palm oils. Provisions.—There is a good demand for provisions in Wales. A good market can always be found for bacon, hams, beef, mutton, grain, flour, cheese, butter, eggs, and fruits of all kinds. Canned goods are used here extensively. Miscellaneous goods.—Woolen goods, boots and shoes, clothes, car- pets and rugs, pianos and organs, electrical apparatus, and all kinds of machinery find a good market here. Imports from the United States into Cardiff have made remarkable strides. With further Yankee enterprise, the American trade in Cardiff and throughout Wales could be greatly augmented. CORK. [FRom CONSUL DANIEL SWINEY, CoRK, IRELAND, SEPTEMBER 5, 1904.] HARBOR IMPROVEMENT. The channel leading to Cork is being steadily improved by dredg- ing. This has been continued for many years, and now ships of 5,000 tons burden can discharge at the quays. The harbor commis- sioners are also building new quays, so that the accommodation for ships and steamers is keeping well up to the requirements of the port. The trade in some things has increased for the past year, and in some has fallen off; the principal hindrance having been the inferior crop of 1903, which was of poor quality and badly saved. There is at present a general complaint of scarcity of money in the district, attributed to the failure of last year’s crops. GENERAL TRADE. FOOD STUFFS. During the year ended July 31 there has been imported into Cork 64,596 tons of wheat, an increase on the previous year of about 6,000 tons. The larger part of this supply has been brought from the Argentine Republic, say 30,000 tons; only 10,000 from the Pacific and Atlantic ports of the United States, about 5,000 from Canada, and the balance from Russia, Australia, and India. This increase in imports of wheat accounts for a large falling off in receipts of flour. I am informed that the millers in the vicinity of Cork have introduced improved machinery and are making first-class flour. The receipt of bran and feeding stuffs from the United States has also fallen off considerably. Russian barley to the amount of 2,709 tons has been received from the Black Sea for feeding. | One hundred and six thousand five hundred and ninety-eight tons of maize have been received during the year ending July 31, 1904. This has been nearly all brought from the river Plata. A few years 396 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. ago many cargoes of corn from Argentina were found to be heated on arrival, owing to the long voyage through the Tropics, but now a hard variety is used that comes to hand in good condition and is very satisfactory, the millers preferring it to American corn. It is nearly all used for feeding purposes. Owing to the excellent condition of the pastures, the supply of butter has been greatly increased and prices have been lower; but the pastures on the Continent having suffered from drought the supply of butter there is much less, and prices have advanced sharply in consequence. Cork has long been celebrated for the good quality of its butter, and expects a large return from it this year. Prices of meats have been higher during the year, and not nearly so much meat has been cured, owing to the failure of the crops in 1908. The supply of fish continues good, and the fishermen and curers are much encouraged by learning that the duty in the United States will not be increased. They are very grateful for this, and no doubt it will have a good effect. Notwithstanding the abolition of continental countervailing duties, the principal shippers in this district say that the supply of sugar has been principally obtained from Austrian and German refineries, which still hold the market against the growing competition of Eng- lish and Scotch refineries. The Austrian crystalized sugar is still preferred. COAL, SLATE, AND PHOSPHATE. There has been very little change in the coal trade during the year. The quantity has been about the same, with prices rather lower. Importers in Cork complain bitterly of the rules insisted on by the porters who discharge their coal; steam power is not allowed, and all the work is done by hand, thus increasing the cost of coal to con- sumers about 24 cents per ton. The Pennsylvania slates are still in favor here and extensively used, but some people still prefer the Welsh slates brought from Bangor. Several cargoes of phosphates are brought here from Florida each year, and used for fertilization. LINEN AND WOOLENS. The linen trade for the past year was good, so far as the volume of business was concerned. The demand was greatly increased by linens being used instead of cotton goods, owing to the very high price of cotton. The high price of fiax reduced the profits greatly, and this, taken with increased. competition from continental spin- ners, who increased their exports to this country by some 250 tons of yarns, injured trade greatly. Russian flax increased in price $48.60 per ton, and flax from other continental countries increased $38.72 per ton. Yarns and linen have not increased in proportion, and this injured the business here. The present flax crop, except in Russia, is reported good, and spinners and weavers look forward to more favorable results the coming season. Woolen manufacturers report an increasing demand for their goods, but say that they can not compete in the American market on account of the heavy duty. EUROPE: UNITED KINGDOM. 897 TOBACCO. Manufacturers report an improved business during the past year, with increasing trade, but complain of the severe competition by the Imperial Tobacco Company. The budget introduced in April last by the chancellor very much upset business, but the reduction an- nounced by him in July of 7 cents per pound on stripped tobacco was a considerable relief, and the trade is expected still further to improve. AMERICAN GOODS IN CORK. The shoe trade is said to be satisfactory, and the use of American leather continues. American shoes are also gaining in favor; all dealers keep them in stock, and one store devoted entirely to their sale seems to be doing a fine business. The manager would not give me any particulars, and seemed to dread competition. There is a considerable trade done in Cork in agricultural machin- ery. The McCormick Harvesting Machine Company is said to be the most popular, but there is keen competition by other American firms. Messrs. McKenzie & Co. are the largest traders. The usual quantity of pitch pine has been imported from Pensa- cola and Mobile. Other timber is largely imported from Canada, Sweden, Norway, and Russia. Since June there has been an unusually large number of visitors arriving here from all American ports, no doubt owing to the very low rate of passage prevailing, which is now reduced to $7.29. Many of these visitors have already returned, and these, taken with regular emigYation, bring the figures for 1904 ahead of 1903. From January 1 to September 1, 1903, the number of second and third class passengers from this port for America was 17,767, while there went for the same period in 1904, 18,512, making an increase of ‘745, but of those going for the past month fully 60 per cent were returning visitors. DUNFERMLINE. [From Consuu J. M. McCann, DUNFORMLINE, SCOTLAND, OCTOBER 27, 1904.] Trade has been quiet along all lines in this district since my pre- vious annual report. There have been no alarming labor disturb- ances cr failures of sufficient magnitude to cause hardship among the industrial classes. Owing to the slackness of trade in the coal and linen industries, the staple industries of the district, the gross earning power of the wage-earners has been much reduced, conse- quently the volume of retail trade has been affected. LINEN INDUSTRY. The exports of the products of the Dunfermline looms to the United States show a material decrease when compared with the preceding year’s returns. The demand from the United States, which promised well early in the year, did not come up to the ex- pectations of the manufacturers, with the result that the warehouses are now heavily stocked and about 30 per cent of the looms are idle, 398 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. the highest percentage in many years. Yarns have fluctuated but little in price within the past year. ; oe eat At present stocks are light and the demand is firm, and_prices, which are practically the same as a year ago, are likely to be well maintained. COAL. The output of the Fife mines for the year 1903 was 6,376,985 tons, an increase of 242,814 tons over the output of the year 1902. The exports for the year 1903 were 2,885,885 tons, a decrease of 669,650 tons from 1902. The average wage of Fife miners at present is $1.34 per day—the minimum wage under a conciliation board agreement. Eight hours constitute a day, and eleven days a fortnight. Prospects do not look very bright for the miners at present. ages have been down to the fixed minimum for over a year, and as the period for which the agree- ment was to remain in force has expired, under present conditions anxiety prevails among the miners, as many of them fear the mine owners will not agree to a renewal of the present wage scale. CHANGES IN TRADE. In this end of the district there is not much to report in the way of failures or changes in trade. One bleacher has failed and one of the small linoleum factories, a limited company, has gone into liquida- tion, but it is understood that the company is being reconstructed. This, however, does not in any way affect the trend of trade, as the circumstances connected with this company were special, and it is believed that the company, when reconstructed, will be successful enough. A limited company, which was carrying on a business as a spinning factory, has been converted into a linseed-crushing mill—a new ven- ture in this district. It is generally supposed that this company (a private one) will supply linseed oil to the linoleum works, which heretofore have been supplied mostly from Hull, England. AMERICAN MANUFACTURES. There are practically no direct American imports into this district, but large quantities of the general classes of American goods are pur- chased annually from London, Liverpool, Glasgow, and Edinburgh houses. The grocers here handle American flour and hams and tinned fruit of nearly all kinds, tinned tomatoes and pickles, green and evaporated apples, and prunes. Hardware dealers sell American lawn mowers, carpet sweepers, cooking utensils, shelf goods, and a variety of small patented house- hold articles. Other articles of American manufacture sold in this district directly or through agents are cash registers, roll-top office desks, sec- tional bookcases, and all kinds of agricultural machinery and imple- ments. ‘ The demand for American boots and shoes appears to be losing ground here, especially for the cheaper grades. E think it is largely owing to the adoption of the American styles and the use of American machinery by the British boot and shoe manufacturers, \ 1 s EUROPE: UNITED KINGDOM. 3899 BURNT ISLAND DOCK TRADE. During the twelve months which ended in September 9,845 steam- ers and 309 sailing vessels were cleared outward with cargo, the reg- istered tonnage of the whole being 756,273; while the coal shipments amounted to 156,838 tons, or 9,460 tons less than for the previous financial year. The increased trade done since the new deep-water dock was com- pleted is illustrated by the figures of each year since 1900. For 1900— 1901 the coal shipments amounted to 877,737 tons, and in the follow- ing year the shipments rose to 1,369,290 tons, while for the year 1902-3 they increased to 1,578,298 tons. ~The increased size of the steamers now frequenting the port is seen in the results. The average carrying capacity of each vessel prior to the new dock being com- pleted was 382 tons, whereas for the past year the average for each of the 1,293 steamers and. sailing vessels was 1,213 tons. The imports tor the financial year amounted to 49,048 tons as against 40,462 for the previous year. The increase in trade, however, does not indicate a fully proportionate increase in the revenue, as the system has extended in keeping with the practice at other Forth ports of allow- ing regular traders to enter all the year free of charge after having made eight voyages. Some of these traders actually make a voyage within a week, and thus run 44 voyages in a year without paying any additional dock dues. HARBOR IMPROVEMENTS. The corporation has Parliamentary sanction for the extension of the harbor, and the council committee has recommended that the work should be begun. A rough estimate of the cost is $550,000, but this work is only part of the whole scheme, and if the proposed extensions are a success it is intended to make further enlargements. The plans for the imme- diate extensions are such that the extensions will be available should further additions be made later. Power was taken in the act to sus- pend the sinking fund for a matter of five years during the construc- tion, so as to obviate the levying of the assessments until some revenue began to come in. WATER SUPPLY. Arrangements have been entered into between the Government and the Fife County council, by which the latter have contracted to fur- nish an adequate supply to meet the immediate and future needs of the Government works and the extensive improvements in connection with the naval base at Rosyth. Contracts have already been closed by the county council and the work commenced on the construction of a reservoir and the laying of pipes for the new water system. At present Dunfermline supplies the country districts at a fixed price, but could not under existing conditions supply the volume of water which the naval base and Rosyth district will require. : The initial cost of the new system will be about $600,000, of which $300,000 is to be paid by the Government to the county council, which js to construct and maintain the plant. 400 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. This arrangement will enable the county council to supply the naval base and vicinity and all parts of the district now supplied by Dunfermline, leaving the Dunfermline water system for the use of Dunfermline only. The reservoir under construction for the county council is situated in Glen Quey, among the Ochil Hills, about 20 miles from Dunfermline and near by Glen Sherup, one of the sources of supply of the Dunfermline system. FIFE ELECTRIC POWER COMPANY. Parliamentary powers have been obtained for a company styled “The Fife Electric Power Company,” to establish and operate five general stations of 30,000 horsepower each in this district, to supply power to industrial plants and individuals for operating or lighting purposes. The first station is now under construction in the vicinity of Dunfermline. In the estimation of the promoters, the total cost of the stations will reach $3,000,000. London capitalists are backing the scheme. A NEW RAILWAY BRANCH. The North British Railway Company has under construction a branch line from Dunfermline to Kincardine, a distance of 12 miles. The line when completed will give an outlet to the new coal fields along the route. The line will extend from Kincardine along the north shore of the Forth, through the villages of Culross and Torry- burn, thence to Dunfermline. 5 THE FORTH NAVAL BASE. Operations at Rosyth, the site of the new naval base, are yet 1n the preliminary stages. Until the North British Railway Company extends its lines to Rosyth and the county council completes its water system it will be impossible for the Government to make any headway. The railway company is expected to begin the extension of its lines next month, and the construction of the reservoir and the laying of pipes for the water system are well under way. CARNEGIE DUNFERMLINE TRUST. Pittencrieff Glen, a gift of Doctor Carnegie to his native town, and under the control of the Carnegie Dunfermline trust, is open to the public daily. Many changes and improvements have been made during the summer in this beautiful estate for the benefit and accom- modation of daily visitors, who have free access to all parts of the grounds. Select bands furnish music during the long summer evenings, and tea and light refreshments are supplied to the public at a nominal price at the tea rooms during the open hours. A syllabus announcing a series of high-class concerts to be given during the winter season, under the management and patronage of the trust, has recently been issued. The admission prices to these concerts are very low, consider- ing the high order of the entertainments given. EUROPE: UNITED KINGDQM. 401 Last week the gymnasium portion of the new Carnegie baths was opened by Doctor Ross, chairman of the Carnegie trust. This gym- nasium is said to be the best appointed institution of its kind in Scotland and one of the best in Great Britain. Besides having a com- plete set of appliances in accordance with the English school of physical training, it is the first in Britain to introduce the Swedish system. The hall measures 102 feet by 44 feet and reaches a height of 45 feet. Heating and ventilating is carried out on the most modern principles. Attached to the gymnasium is a magnificent suite of ladies’ and gentlemen’s dressing rooms, fitted up with spray baths, lockers, and every modern convenience. Thoroughly qualified male and female teachers have been engaged by the trust and public and private classes are being organized to meet the wants of all patrons. Fees for instruction in both public and private classes are merely nominal, ranging from 49 cents to 85 cents per half year, and from $1.22 to $2.48 per year. EDINBURGH. [From ConsuL RUFUS FLEMING, EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND, OCTOBER 28, 1904.] INDUSTRIES. The industries of this district have been moderately active during the past twelve months. Manufacturers of woolen goods have not been so busy as they were in 1903, and the high price of wool has reduced profits, as it is difficult to obtain from merchants an equiva- lent rise in the prices of goods. Much enterprise is displayed by woolen firms, both in the introduc- tion of the best machinery and the adoption of new methods in carry- ing on their business; for example, one firm confining its attention to high-class cheviots, another to flannels, another to fancy vestings, and so on; but the trade as a whole feels the pinch of foreign compe- tition and restricted markets. The most prosperous industry in the district at present (although not as yet an extensive one) is the manufacture of electrical machin- ery and supplies; orders have been large at strong prices. Paper mills and printing houses, two important interests in Edinburgh and vicin- ity, have been fully employed. Whisky production has diminished considerably and, even with a decreased output, the wholesale marke is depressed. The mineral-oil companies have made a substantial gain in 1904 as compared with any previous year in the last decade. Production has been heavy, and the scale of prices for oils and by- products well maintained. A NEW DOCK. Eleven docks are now in use at Leith, the port town of Edinburgh. The lastest addition to the shipping facilities at this port is the Im- perial dock, 1,100 feet long, 580 feet wide, and 40 feet deep. It will accommodate vessels of the largest class engaged in the east Scot- land trade. H. Doe. 481, 58-326 402 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. COMMERCE. Commercial conditions have not differed materially from those of the preceding three or four years. The volume of trade, both inward and outward, at the ports of the district has been fairly large, and, as a rule, vessels of the established lines have everywhere found cargoes, but at very low rates. The outstanding feature of the import trade this year is the decrease in grain and flour from the United States, due to high prices, and increase in imports of wheat from Australia, Argentina, and Russia, of flour from France, and of corn from Russia and Argentina. Another noteworthy feature is the great shipments of apples and other fruits to this market from the Continent since early in the autumn. The imports of machinery and general mer- chandise from the United States have been about equal to the average of the past five years. The trade in American agricultural imple- ments has declined somewhat, owing to the fact that the Scotch market was vigorously worked by the various companies from 1898 to 1903, making a slackened demand inevitable. I append statistics of imports and exports at Leith, Granton, and Grangemouth (the principal ports in this district) for the year 1903; also tabular statements of the exports to the United States declared at the Edinburgh consulate and the Galashiels consular agency for the twelve months ended June 30, 1904. IMPORTS INTO LEITH, GRANTON, AND GRANGEMOUTH. Articles. Value. Articles. Value. LEITH. LEITH—continued. Baskets and basket ware $52, 879 || Locust beans -__--.-...-.------------ $149, 082 utter 10, 585, 942 || Machinery and millwork. ..__.._..- 472,080 Caoutchouc 636,816 || Manures: Cheese 1, 488, 455 Nitrate of soda_._.-.-.......---. 721, 609 Chemical manufactures and prod- All other kinds -- - 237, 592 ucts of allsorts.-..--.-.----------- 304,463 || Margarin_____..___....._.-..-------- 903, 811 China and earthen ware. é 224,229 || Meat, other than poultry and Clocks, and parts thereof 64,282 || game: Qordares : 161, 685 Pork, salted._......-..---.------ ; Cork, manufactured... ‘ 120, 660 Unenumerated, salted or fresh. 112, 575 Corn, grain, etc.: Metals and ores: eat 5, 046, 648 pon and steel of all kinds.____- 1,719, 164 inc— Crude -..--..---_- 243, 164 Manufactures ; Milk, condensed 2B 160 eee instruments 193° 249 POCONO ce wicnnenrinaweeses 188, 757 Wheat meal and fiour - "7] 2).834) 858 Seed .....2000222200071 565, 278 Rice, rice meal, and flour. _-.__. 222, 686 || Oil-seed cake _--1 2 489, 098 Other farinaceous substances _- 308,916 || Painter’s colors 352. 685 Cotton manufactures of all kinds... 481, 054 || Paper, including strawboard, etc__ 869; 196 4,813,187 || Paper-making materials. __....____- 300; 789 201,765 || Seeds: : 1,811, 555 Clover and grass .____...-.....__ 348, 463 Cotton -_-..2. 2 333, 268 80,346 || Flax or linseed. __.. : 449) 241 38,343 || Spirits (brandy) .......___..- es 149° 109 123,108 || Straw .....22.000 0000 BT, 147 660, 710 sae A a i OU NCC se etecte te wlan e sed cise Unrefined ____...__..__. 2 ay 350 962,939 || Tallow and stearin .__..-___. : 241) 159 286,321 || Tobacco, unmanufactured .- ae o79 53,210 || Toysand games.__.. __________ 5 534, 220 676, 662 || Vegetables, raw, of all kinds. _..._- 2827519 208, 408) |||" WING) 2232 25:2cseecot de cscseeeteeeeees 640,596 299, 280 ‘weoat ; ; * Hewn, of all sorts._............. 162, 73,416 Sawn, of all sorts _- - 1,740; ee 1,806, 776 Staves .__....--_.... d 126) 246 192,713 }| Wool, sheep or lamb’s ...._...---.-- 164; 872 EUROPE: UNITED KINGDOM. 403 IMPORTS INTO LEITH, GRANTON, AND GRANGEMOUTH—Continued. Articles. Value. Articles. Value. LEITH—continued. GRANGEMOUTH—continued. Woolen yarn of all kinds..-..-_.... $2,755,139 || Hides, raw ...- $127,819 Woolen manufactures of all kinds, Linen yarn___. f including manufactures of goat's Manures of all kinds _ 161, 622 WOO laos sswyavssicrateasteecasedencve 1,122,755 || Margarin __........222..2..222.2---- 796,578 All other articles --.....--.--------- 5, 877, 801 motes and ores: —_——_ ron— GERD wiepeenlamudeduliidemnnaine Oe 67,095, 365 NBG cuviclsaliass musewed cine een 428, 875 _—— Pig and puddled 65, 245 GRANTON. All other kinds - 1, 378, 957 Bat ley oi: eer gece ssaeees ees oecess 437 Zine, crude _...... 274, 816 Butter: 2 cc2ccsiccnseneker eee cee 587,128 || Milk, condensed 128, 223 Glass manufactures of all kinds -.. 145,557 || Moss litter ...--..... 45, 258 Matches on sce ececec nor neenesseness 3 221,912 || Musical instruments -.----.-----.-- 89, 354 Paper, including strawboard, etc-. 536, 6! Oil: Paper-making materials-_-=-------- 1,192, 288 Fish, train, or blubber ---..-... 697, 584 ROSiD) s2.22sscss soe -heseencesseesseed 82, 2 59, 250 Wood: . 309, 860 Hewn, of all sorts.....-...------ 61,912 || Paper, including strawboard, etc - 783, 365 Sawn, of all sorts --- ,940 || Paper-making materials ---..--...- 810,798 VeS ..--.-------- 58, 213 All other articles _______------------ 58,568 MOtal to.eccecasnccuclekearacce 3, 692, 296 FROG oan cca wav nntnemmntninnde 1, 288, 586 _ Unrefined.-- 266, 095 GRANGEMOUTH. Toys and games .-___----- s 89, 300 Butters. .-2-02..02- sse ” SHIPBUILDING ON THE CLYDE. Considering the dull condition of trade generally, the shipbuilding industry has done fairly well, and, while it is estimated that the ton- nage of the present calendar year will be a good deal under that of recent years, the number of orders for new vessels placed recently is considered satisfactory. For the ten months ending October 31, 1904, the number of vessels launched from the various shipbuilding yards on the Clyde was 224, representing a tonnage of 332,826. ’ The following shows the number and tonnage of vessels launched in the same period of ten months during the last five years: ; Ton- Ton- Years. Vessels. | 4, ge. Years. Vessels. nage. B05 | SAL VAS W008 occ em ocedcnanwenann 180 | “345,389 POL | AIR TEE WOOK cnn sen cen ncmeerecerescnen 224 332, 826 208 | 406,449 IRON AND STEEL TRADE. The condition of the iron and steel trade is by no means satisfac- tory. Quite a number of works in the district have been closed down, and there does not seem to be any prospect of improvement. It is perhaps significant that very recently consignments of steel plates— about 1,000 tons—have arrived from the United States for ship- builders here. In endeavoring to ascertain the reason for the im- port from abroad of steel plates into a district like this, which is the center of the large iron and steel industry of Scotland, I was in- formed that the steel-plate manufacturers in this country have com- bined to keep up prices. Users of plates here find that they can buy cheaper in the United States, and they have done so—certainly only to a small extent so far—partly on account of the lower prices and partly as a protest, and to show their independence of home manu- facturers. HUDDERSFIELD. ‘ [From Consvuu B. F. STonr, HUDDERSFIELD, ENGLAND, OCTOBER 27, 1904.] TRADE CONDITIONS. The conditions of the staple industries of Huddersfield for the year ended June 30, 1904, have been satisfactory. The factories have been busy the entire period, the product of the year being the 408 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. largest for a decade. The trade also has corresponded to the produc- tion, there being an increased demand from all the markets, with a single exception. To the regular trade, also, this year has been added the results of valuable contracts to supply clothing to both the Rus- sian and Japanese armies. : ‘ The only disappointing feature in the retrospect is the trade with the United States, which, declining steadily since 1896, has during the past twelve months dropped to its lowest figures for twenty years. It is worthy of note that the decline has not been in the items of chemicals, dyes, machinery, and other miscellaneous exports, but almost entirely in woolens and worsteds, indicating that the United States is at last supplying these from its own mills and looms. The effort being made by the textile manufacturers of Hudders- field, supported by the chamber of commerce, board of trade, and other commercial associations, to secure from the weavers in mills an agreement whereby each workman, for an increased wage, should operate and supervise two or more looms in place of the “ one man one loom ” rule now in operation, has resulted in failure. It was contended that with the great improvements in weaving machinery made in recent years and the introduction of labor-saving and automatic devices now used the single weaver can, with no in- creased labor of hand or head and no more hazard of results than in the past, operate two, three, four, or more looms as easily as he had operated one heretofore; that if the proposed change were adopted the worker would gain an increased wage and the masters an increased product, each profiting by the change. The matter was discussed, conferences of masters and men were held, but finally the weavers voted by a large majority rejecting the scheme, adhering to their old rule—one man one loom. This shelves the whole matter, for. the present at least. The result is greatly regretted in manufacturing and commercial circles. EXPORTS TO THE UNITED STATES. Woolens, Years. worsteds, and |Other exports. Total. other fabrics. 1808 aus aw veneer seesinse en caeep eens aereemUR TERNS $692, 738. 30 $634,749.19 | $1,327,487. 49 1899. _- 815, 873. 93 557, 674. 41 1,378, 548, 34 a F 548, 302. 18 1, 658, 583. 46 380, 468.50 1, 147, 305. 70 459, 1, 430, 371.04 501, 781.56 1,317, 208. 75 220. 1,135, 715. 91 HULL. [From Consuy W. C. Hamm, Huu, ENGLAND, OCTOBER 28, 1904.] TRADE DEPRESSION. The depression in trade, commerce, and manufacturing industries which has prevailed all over England-for a few years has been felt in Hull and the neighboring district with great severity, and with EUROPE: UNITED KINGDOM. 409 increasing force during the past year’and a half. The failure of the potato crop in Yorkshire in 1903, the Russo-Japanese war, and the steady competition from America and Germany have been the more recent contributing causes to the depression. Nearly every branch of trade has felt the effect. The result is that the past twelve months can be counted as the most discouraging Hull has known in twenty years. Notwithstanding this depression, however, the total exports from Hull to the United States for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1904, would have been as large as they were in the previous twelve months if it had not been for the falling off in the shipment of coal. The export of coal to the United States in the latter part of 1902 and in the early months of 1903 rose to abnormal proportions, on account of the anthracite strike in Pennsylvania in the former year. Coal to the value of $500,000 was shipped to the United States during that period from this port. When the American market became supplied by home production the foreign demand for coal naturally fell off. IMPORTS AND EXPORTS. Preliminary to a survey of trade conditions in this vicinity the following table is appended. It gives the total exports and imports from each of the six ports in this consular district for five years past: Ports. 1899. 1900. 1901. 1902. 1903. Boston: lee! 4,083,450 | $4,606,450 | $3,842,450 | $8,602,450 $3, 431, 150 Dn paeaieaaieaesaleay * 300" 380 | *t'230'200 568, 250 34779 381° 400 5,392,800 | 5,888,650) 4,410,700} 3,950,400 8, 812, 550 28,013,550} 27,209,200} 26,683,250] 30,903,750 | 31, 903, 750 337 334,500 | 34,234,050 | 30,984,550 | 327595,750 | 35,5947 950 61, 348, 050 61, 443,250 | 57,617,800 63, 499, 500 67, 498, 700 3,875,850 | 39,787,050) 46,072,600} 49,701,350 | 49,701,350 55,776,050 | 55,039,650 | 44062250 | 43;931,100 | 51,245; 750 Total_...-.--2---2-------° 59,651,400 | 94,826,700 | 90,134,850 | 93,682,450) 100,947,100 Hull: eas as 144,114, 450 | 155.842,850 | 158,745,900} 164,822,100 | 163, 005, 300 ae een eauren 113; 620; 100 | 112,249,000 | 105;257;750 | 941777100 | 100/274,550 Total_......---2-0-------- 257,734, 550 | 268,091,850 | 264,003,650 | 258,999,200 | 263, 279, 850 Lowestoft: Secs 655, 650 744, 400 965, 000 840, 400 741,500 Te 552,550 754; 300 827,750 | 1,249'600 ) 1,020,100 MSO bal soc ee ee ctaeee est 1,208,200} 1,498,700] 1,792,750 | 2,090,000 1,761,600 Lynn: Sie tide 6,650,200 | 5,709,300] 6,123,650 | 6, 652, 850 6,189, 650 lac ngaetsmanenessts "528, 750 652, 300 454; 450 428" 900 454° 650 Total....--------0+---2-+- 7,178,950 | 6,361,600 | 6,578,100 | 7,081,750 6, 644, 300 410 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. IMPORTS, BY ARTICLES. The following table gives thé value of the chief articles imported into Hull in 1903, a good share of which came from the United States: Quantity. Value. a 1902. 1908. 1902. 1908. 2,531 8,402 | $2,604.50 $8 483.00 711, 704 659, 789 | 106,622.10 | 100,934.70 20, 209 37, 407 2, 422. 50 2, 806. 50 i . 40,613 | 3,687.50 4,635. 50 233,414.00 | 277,108.00 52,018.00 | 44,692.50 2,877.00 3,310.50 4, 633. 00 4,310.50 nm: eee 089.50 | 39,418.50 , 790. 50 9,003, 50 , 053, 00 8,035.00 852, 50 9, 292. 00 488. 50 372. 50 5994.50] 6,581.00 , 206. 00 15, 028. 50 :050.50 | 28,127.50 365. 50 8, 099. 00 382.50} 23,639.00 376, 267 285,041 | 48,607.50 35, 499. 50 pisan makceuians do... 43, 297 40,182 | 3,157.00 2, 987. 00 19, 664 4,343.50 2,793. 00 Preserved, not salted .. , 484 3, 304. 00 3,891.50 Metals and ores: 3 Copper, unwrought. -_- 568 395.50 1,712. 50 Tron and steel __......-. 39,035 | 11,013.50 9, 478. 5U Petroleum..____. 18, 873, 302 | 15,578.00 17, 396. 00 Oil-seed cake “ 22, 250 5, 809. 00 5, 758. 50 pee cmterini tte ae suicuiaccdiwes sae 37,120 55, 632 1, 877.50 2,793.50 eeds: Clover and grass ...._.--......--..22222--- : 112,830 | 6,510.00 | 15,802.50 otton -_-...._.-.- .-tons__ 297, 874 291,870 | 87,328.00 80,389. 00 Flax or linseed. -bushels..| 6,140,952 | 7,350,200 | 91,680.00 85,540. 50 Rape ....-...--- 2seue AO sens; 766,336 | 1,252,986 7,197.50 9, 722. 50 DRINK AGE sa alncaGccrircorn a erccsararesiae mrathanptigcaltes sinter capa andes. 5 va Poses cesaieccae 14, 087.50 8, 879.50 Sugar: Molasses. -_.........---.-.------ hundredweight_. 19, 667 19, 085 214.50 172.00 Glucose ......--- sh Ba mee 108, 301 128,997 | 2,548.50 3, 126. 50 Tallow and stearin do._.. 44,198 53, 374 2,867.00 3, 482. 50 ood: Sawed 609,464 | 608,816 | 72,191.50] 71,762.50 PSI in sata ina tap oie Seca sderte esata pearas a asere ooc wail Nowrcaeheoaracnoncians 1,072.00 1, 266. 00 Yarn......._. SE eee eo eee pounds._| 1,957,999 | 1,538,092] 9/512.00 | 7,391.50 TRADE OF HULL WITH THE UNITED STATES. The total exports from Hull to the United States for the first six months of 1904 have been only about one-third the total exports for the previous twelve months. This is a large falling off, and unless the exports increase rapidly during the remaining months of the year 1904 will show the smallest total of exports to the United States that Hull has known in a number of years. The imports from the United States, however, show a steady in- crease, and will exceed $150,000,000 in value for 1903. They include live stock, wheat, cotton, fruit, hay, implements and tools, machinery, meats, iron and steel, petroleum, oil-seed cakes, paraffin, seeds, and wood. Wheat is the largest item among these imports, the total from all countries arriving in 1903 being 30,582,144 bushels, the largest quantity received in any one year on record. Over one-third, or 11,094,544 bushels, came from the United States. This is less than the mG of wheat from the United States at Hull for any one year since ; EUROPE: UNITED KINGDOM. 411 The falling off in shipments from California is noticeable. The loss in wheat imports from the United States has been made up by larger shipments from Canada, India, Australia, Argentina, and Russia. The imports of flour have been small, comprising only 164,181 hundredweight, as compared with 580,302 hundredweight in 1900. This can be accounted for by the fact that the milling business has been developed in Hull until it has become well established and capable of supplying local demands. American millers consequently find it difficult to compete . THE SHIPPING TRADE. The shipping trade of 1903, while not entirely satisfactory, shows a gain over 1902 in the tonnage that entered the Hull dock system, and also over any other year, with the single exception of 1900. The number of tons entering the docks in 1908 was 4,112,614, as compared with 3,959,233 in 1902. pase — (+) or Entered from. 1902. 1908. decrease Tons. Tons. OD CB SB ie Sopa cet ate die etisadhonha seo uaedisaieie iseaceesatieeainedale baneslides 180,069 | 144, +14, 131 Now York 222cccces: dextezuezessasskeseied sess eageer se eysseegrereesesss 136,172 | 125, —10, Argentina _. --| 102,035 | 154,613 | +52,578 Alexandria ___._.--..-------- --| 127,484 | 118,382 | -—14,102 Bomba: 89,247 | 107,306 | +18, 059 New Orleans and Galveston --- --| 21,211 48,241 | +27,030 San Francisco and Tacoma -_...--..---------.-------------------+------- 89, 128 41,182 | —47,996 Philadelphia jo 55222 sate. guehileohisiscahcdusueo esau saeaebeeeu-dconsed 17,244 5,520 | —11,724 Montreal. 2 opto Saclnae ce etaer eens te ace ees me ere cane enesesacahe ecu 12,715 | 10,265 | — 2,450 PenseC0lft << c:ccc2ccccntmsdescemaens dac@nsceciness soeuesoneewes ee dieeeGe|eeeseesser 6,826 | + 6,826 New Orleans and Galveston, as will be seen, are the only American ports which show an increase in the tonnage entering Hull in 1903. The number of vessels which sailed from Hull in 1903 was 3,079, with a tonnage of 2,186,697, as compared with 2,833 vessels and a ton- nage of 2,080,753 in 1902. Of this, 146,173 tons went to New York, against 146,085 tons in 1902; to New Orleans, 14,016 tons, against 13,550 tons in 1902; and to Boston, 10,736 tons, against 10,877 tons in 1902. NEW PORT FACILITIES. A proposed addition to the facilities of the port was first brought to the notice of the corporation about twelve months ago by the mem- bers of the fruit trade, who complained of the lack of landing accom- modation. This was followed by a letter from the Fruit Buyers’ Association, suggesting that a large area of land belonging to the city, and known as the “ Western Reservation,” should be utilized for their purpose. The object is to facilitate the landing of cargoes of fruit and other perishable goods as soon as the steamers arrive in the river. This can only be done at low water by means of a pontoon. As soon as the matter was brought before the committee of the corporation it was felt that such accommodation should not be limited to perishable cargoes, but should be extended to other busi- ness, both passenger and freight, passing through Hull to and from continental ports. A special subcommittee was therefore instructed 412 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. to make full inquiries, and the report recently presented is the result. The Western Reservation lies between the Victoria dock, owned by the North Eastern Railway Company, and the Alexandra dock, of the Hull and Barnsley Railway Company. The land has a frontage of 560 feet on the river, but this can be extended easterly so as to provide a frontage of about 1,200 feet for the purpose of a landing stage and quay accommodation, and this stage can, by a short length of rail, be linked with both railways. At present the “ reservation ” is vacant and practically unremunerative. When the committee reported the scheme to the Hull city council the following resolution was proposed and adopted: That if provision be made in front of the Western Reservation for the accom- modation of the fruit trade, such provision should form part of a more com- prehensive scheme for the accommodation and development of the passenger and general trade of the port; that such scheme should include a suitable landing place, or pontoon, available at all stages of the tide, arid also railway communication therefrom connecting with all railway systems into Hull, so that passengers and goods can be landed and conveyed direct from such landing place at any time. The subcommittee estimates the cost of the scheme roughly at $750,000. - If this scheme is carried out with reasonable dispatch if will do much to offset the efforts of Grimsby and Goole to draw away trade from Hull. The former city is to have a new dock, with all modern improvements, and the latter city new steamship lines with the Continent, and unless Hull does something to compensate for these advantages of its rival cities it will undoubtedly lose a share of its trade. This matter, however, was treated fully in a communication to the State Department in an article entitled “Trade rivalry on the Humber River,” and printed in the Daily Consular Reports, No. 2068, and the argument need not to be repeated here. SHIPPING COMBINE. Another effort in the line of Hull’s shipping interests is a reported new shipping combine. An agreement, it is understood, has been arrived at between the Messrs. Wilson, of Hull, the United Steam Shipping Company, of Copenhagen, and Messrs. Lasman, of Mos- cow, the result of which is that a combine has been formed that will practically dominate the British shipping trade with far northern Europe. Most of the Russian and north continental trade is already in the hands of the two first-named firms, and it is understood that determined competition with firms interested in the Baltic goods and passenger traffic will be begun. This combination is likely to have an important bearing on the future prosperity of Hull. SHIPBUILDING. The depression in the shipping trade has materially affected the shipbuilding business. Two of Hull’s shipyards were closed in 1903, the only yard of importance now remaining open being the remodeled Earle’s Company yard. There are a number of smaller yards scat- tered along both sides of the Humber River from Grimsby to Goole, but they are chiefly concerned with building steam trawlers and lighters. Both these branches of shipbuilding, however, have been stk EUROPE: UNITED KINGDOM. 413 overdone, and will have to wait for a revival of shipping interests. The geographical situation of Hull ought materially to make it one of the largest shipbuilding centers in the United Kingdom. The broad estuary of the Humber offers many advantages in this way, and its nearness to the ports of northern Europe gives it many facilities. The material used, like iron and lumber, has to be obtained from a distance, but most of the shipyards of Great Britain suffer from the same disadvantage; and Hull is nearer to Norway, from which timber is obtained, than most of its shipbuilding rivals. While the prospects of the business are not encouraging at present, there are some plans afoot which, if carried out, will bring about a revival of this important industry. LUMPER. Closely associated with shipbuilding is the timber trade. The latter has shared in the depressed condition of the former. The greater portion of the timber trade of Hull consists of soft wood, but something is done in the hard-wood line also. The trade has been much demoralized this year by the excessive shipments from the United States, especially of hard wood. This has caused a glut in the market, and prices have broken accordingly. Recently these shipments from the United States have slackened, and there has been an improvement in prices accordingly. There is undoubtedly a market in England for American lumber, but it is worse than useless for exporters in the United States to ship timber here indiscrimi- nately and without reference to the demand and supply. THE FISHING TRADE. The fishing trade at Hull and Grimsby is one of the most important trades on the Humber, but it is passing through a period of severe depression. One chief cause of the present depression in the trade is to be traced to the great increase in the number of trawlers and fleeters which have been built. This has resulted in glutting the market with fish and reducing prices below the profit margin. The amount of fish landed during the past two years has enormously increased. ° Last year there was an increase of nearly 40,000 tons, and this year it is probable that the figures will show that the supply has not only been maintained, but that a considerable increase has been made. When it is considered that the number of vessels fishing from Grimsby has rather decreased than increased during the last two years, it is evident that many vessels must be idle and that those employed must have caught a larger weight (in proportion) of fish. The introduction of steam trawling has abnormally increased the fishing capacity of a vessel. It has increased the expense of a fishing voyage also, the price of coal entering as an important factor into the industry. The average steam trawler consumes 1,300 tons of coal per year, and any increase or decrease in the cost of coal materially affects the profit accruing. The amount of coal consumed by the Grimsby fishing fleet now reaches the enormous total of nearly 600,000 tons per year. PROVISIONS. The imports of provisions, such as bacon, beef, pork, and ham, show an almost steady decline for six years past, until last year they 414 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. were much less than one-half what they were in 1898. The figures for the six years are as follows: Years. Bacon. ae Hams Cuts. Cwts 41,293 19, 230 52, 136 30,411 46, 154 83, 092 48, 410 37,027 50, 718 48, 374 424 30, 0389 On the other hand, the quantity of butter and margarine, cheese, and potatoes imported shows an almost steady increase. These classes of provisions are, however, nearly all supplied by France, Germany, Spain, Denmark, Russia, Sweden, and Norway. Denmark supplies Great Britain with nearly one-half her total imports of butter, and Hull obtains its chief supplies of this article from that country. The increase in the sale of butter from the Netherlands in Hull last year is, no doubt, due to the readiness of the Dutchmen to adapt themselves to the buyer’s requirements, being ready to pack in any size that is demanded. It is in this very par- ticular of willingness to meet the wants and wishes of their customers that Holland is beating the Irish’ butter makers. Less and less Irish butter is selling in Hull, simply owing to the antiquated methods under which it is placed on the market. Even in the packing of butter Irish makers have much to learn from Holland and Denmark. The American butter producers can learn valuable lessons from the same source. Germany has ceased to rank as a butter-exporting country and now imports great quantities from Russia and Denmark. During the past year the Russian (Siberian) exports-of butter to Hull have been about the same as in 1902, so that the expectations of a great increase have not been realized. On the other hand, the Australasian colonies seem to be able to export large quantities, in which they have been hindered for three years on account of drought. The colonial butters, however, for which there is an enormous demand in London, do not find much favor in Hull, doubtless be- cause being able to get the best butters from Holland twice a week perfectly fresh, local merchants prefer them to other butters, which, although not stale, have lost their freshness by long transit. Tlae Canadian butter trade with the mother country grew from 138,313 hundredweight in 1900 to 285,765 hundredweight in 1902, but the Canadian farmers are turning their attention more largely to cheese making. Last year they sent this port the record quantity of 1,709,- 566 hundredweight of cheese. This trade has been taken largely nen the United States by honesty of method and excellency of quality. Large quantities of onions come here from Holland, Spain, and Egypt. These onions are fine in appearance and superior in quality, and it is a suggestive fact that notwithstanding the abundance and fertility of land in the United States and the great variety of climate onions can be grown in Egypt and Spain, shipped to Huil, repacked, -and sent to America and sold at a profit. EUROPE: UNITED’ KINGDOM. 415 THE FRUIT TRADE. The importation of fruit was large last year owing to the almost total failure of the crop hereabouts. American apples to the number of 112,028 packages arrived during 1903, this being a big increase upon the preceding year, when 25,340 packages constituted a record. It is interesting also to note that in 1894 the number of packages was only 1,321. Portugal and Australia are the chief competitors of America in supplying Hull and the rest of England with fruit. The Australian trade in apples, however, was not satisfactory in 1903, although about 703,000 cases of Australian and Tasmanian apples were imported into England. The cause is undoubtedly the inferiority of the Australian to the American apple. The American growers can keep the fruit trade with England in their own hands if they handle it rightly, but it can not be done by sending inferior fruit badly packed and delayed in shipment. The exports of fruit from the United States to this port in 1904 ought not to be taken as a criterion of the profitableness of this business, as the yield of fruit in this region and over most of England is abnormally fine and abundant this season. This will naturally diminish the demand for foreign fruit and lessen the imports, notwithstanding the record crops of fruit grown in America. CATTLE. The number of cattle landed in Hull during 1903 was 3,420, and of sheep 510. The number of both landed during the first six months of 1904 was 1,694. It may be of interest to American cattle shippers to know the extent of the Canadian cattle shippers’ business with England. The following table of such shipments from a special cor- respondent in Montreal, and published in the Yorkshire Post for October 20, 1904, giving the consignments for the two weeks ended October 20, 1904, is accordingly appended. He says shipments of cattle and sheep are, on the whole, well maintained. A firm demand is reported here for the best gradés of export stock, but no higher prices are current. Liverpool space has been booked at $10, while $8 is asked for London. CONSIGNMENTS OF CANADIAN CATTLE FOR THE TWO WEEKS.) ENDED OCTOBER 20, 1904. This week. Last week. Total afloat. i ts. = eens Cattle. | Sheep. | Cattle. | Sheep. | Cattle. | Sheep. To London: Ontarial 2nscseeesseceeseecens bane 361 00: lweeaccete: eieseet Sal Asceche se acon ae Kingstonian mae HID | comnan sal linaiamamen| misemansam 1,448 1,759 Cervona _...- < 474 160: | aci2ecceoke (Sen cecoceseete we ecaleeandentas Montrose-.-..----- sioakvden ce tideeveremslbeencegees 290 1296 ess seaceeall seeeacee Tampican -....--..--------+---------|e--e eee eee leone eee eee 665 |.--.--..-- 1,328 2, 868 Hs prone saunsleeenec 5 seSetecnou|becaeseeiaieaea sacs 373 1682: Vestas oss] seeersiectec 2 ‘o Liverpoo 18 owegen ets ese 946 TWOUS se ceccecesel hens sedell ees Sones bee seeuses Mace eM coe ee laces eae i818) 7167 mee ee ||| oo) de 50 PO aoe maeiues ieeiecesd sete suece 190) || scseeeeess] eeesses ena | send ainsuss 150! |oc22 “ORAL sarees i a I estes OE | ane ee 738,460)... oe 89, 905) ....------ * Metals and min- erals, manu- factored of: ae ritee ot. 2 707,483] 678,205) 596,305} 581,308 80, 396 87,525) 30, 781 9,372 Copper, Fa n a 7 pemenelaane 97,4271 1,364,898 92,4291 1,300,426] 2,920 55,0011 2,078 466 436 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. IMPORTS ENTERED FOR CONSUMPTION—Continued. Imports from— Total imports. ere S Articles. United States. Great Britain. Other countries. Dutiable.| Free. |Dutiable| Free. |Dutiable| Free. (Dutiable| Free. Metals and min- erals, manu- factures of— Continued. Gold and silver, and manufac- tures of...--..- $444, 154 $158} $280, 588) $158} $97,315)... .--.-- $66, 251|_..------- tron and se and manufac- tures of ...---- 32, 394, 068] 9, 918, 748124, 252, 940] 5,518, 892| 6,227, 975)$2, 891, 352) 1, 918, 153/61, 508, 504 Minerals, manu- factures of ...-| 3,060,828] 6, 312, 237| 2,323, 334] 3,720,678) 522,528) 1,838,548) 214,966) 753,011 Musical instru- in suseeate 461, 074 68,625] 327, 247 33, 616| 13,073) 2,853) 120, 754|.--.------ Oils: ‘ Mineral -....---- 1, 906, 759 4,344} 1,902, 918 2,517] 3, 785) 1,827 DB) Zeus cess Animaland veg- etable --...---- 1,191,890} 291,642) 783,841) 91, 729) 882 15, 264) 80,717] 124,629 Oilcloth 730, 408|..-------- 140, 620|..-.---.-- 588, 405] ..-.------ (OOP cctnmans Optical and scien- tific instru- £ : 264, 954 52,653) 199, 960 30, 126| 22, 078, 11, 400) 42, 916) 11,127 i 825,623] 297,907) 228,834 39, 073} 50, 624) , 803} 46,165) 19, 031 i 1,114,126} 149,050) 639,777 66,713) 220,168 59,191} 254,181 23, 146 Paper.....---.-- Z..-| 2,616, 133) 26) 1, 953, 132| 21) 508, 243)_......-- 159, 758 5 Pickles, sauces, . and catsups --- 905,408 a aannnwoee 114, 662|__._..---. 233, 663|_...------ TOTS nccaseanns Precious _ stones (including im- itations)._..... 92, 386] 1,125, 128 23,840] 249, 406 40,707) 614,212) 27,839) 432,108 Provisions--. 1, 743, 644 8,330) 1,644, 847 3, 330) 49, 808|..--0.---- 4B BOD an mmnwes PS sean scathe snes ecooeec ess 333, 815|_.-------- 145, 304|.....--... 196, OL ccen ac nase 51,900 Ribbons --- 1,057, 570}......-... 55, 968].....--.-. 581, 318]..----..-- AD PS0) cccesucses Malt. 2 2-s2-4ss05-= 74,186] 338, 082| 78, 669) 6,807) .-------2- 289, 749 5 42, 026 Seeds and bulbous roots -.--.-.--- 365,592} 649,585} 327,131) 478,785) 13,385) 118,083 25,176) 52,707 Settlers’ effects -..)...-------- 6,758, 913)..-.------ 088 487 | soscaescce 1, 481, 392}-...------ 94, 184 manufac- tures of - 8,715,037) 389,273) 203, '775) 2,708, 1,723, 216] 139 Soap 414, 433 300, 215|_ 6 aa 76, 641|..-.-----. Spirits and w: -| 2,458, 503}. 61, 698]. 1,294, 489]. .-------. Sugar, molasses, OtG gicessosce--- 8,715, 779| 3,623) 395, 424 8,623] 370, 468)_...-..... 7, 949, 887|....-.---- MO@Ai obo svcesciaca cs 45, 923) 4, 650,519) {B82 |seneencces 5,729) 944, 143} 362| 4,650,521 Tobacco, and man- ufactures of __. 568, 464| 2, 488,205) 118,997) 2,351,972) 184,719 2,938) 314,738 84,193 Turpentine, spir- its of -.-.--..-. 423, 250)..-.------ 429, 340|..----.--- 2910 nccsacesslneedet uae s|acesestue s Vegetables _.....-- 694, 407)... ------ 516, 089|....--.--- 94,275) _.-..----- 84, 043)]-.-..-..2- Wood, manufac- tures of .....--- 3, 425, 839] 6, 967,014) 3,199, 223) 6,911,028 81, 243) 23,705| 145,373) 33, 281 Wool, manufac- ures of _...._.. 15, 159, 383] 1,635,210} 491,328) 271,496)12,747,715) 984,399] 1,920,340) 379,315 All other articles, N.S casssse asec escoceee cen atesece ses seeseeessecs|seninesiece! 6, Guns and equipment 22 22 sc2msacienscsts nce armiccrssteseancsiscasseons sce Seas ee 20, 500 Total:far sealing 2 s2e.cce nas eaeews eee tastes eacie te cewied epee eee|Seneeeeses 479, 250 Granta tea yeaa eeu eels eal ene erate |B, 256, 102 EMPLOYEES ENGAGED IN FISHERIES. Employees in fisheries: Number. is ermen and cannery employees. _....----------------- = eee ee ne eee eee 17,915 Feinploved On. vessel ts 2.contcosa cuneate naeceraaeas Hee aiewsnes ease amen eatemataeenaees 585 TO tall vero echos ces cee temccicsleresiene mene eae ee cleteee oR Saas seminebiesereheemedasees Sob hetseess 18, 500 Sailors and hunters in fur sealing: PETE ssa sic pans gs we psipigs spo RRL rN Nd aA males an ge Gua Nad aR eam Ra 299 INGIGNS 2252.2 odoin 2s ecco ea onsen ene seweie se nee cnemisees eevelete ated oeeenerecis eee secineeseees =a YOST ccna shaw ed anmmracacane samieghesewenwebewscan ee aeuehe ine NE MARE CERERREE ET AEN onemaine 6387 Total persons employed 2. ....20s eneteeeets, 345, 865.13 222, 136. 23 1, 082. 00 1, 032. 00 =e 36, 817. 20 8, 429, 96 Emigrants’ effec 1 990. 98 1,907.73 ‘ish: O00 OES scanedu nik an eaabaysienmawedanankea aye cancnadsuniememnemawenas 448,197.92 108, 806. 14 Haddock OD Y wien eee be te eeetwatoseaueien es deg ceencseccamaeskee ses 26, 509. 08 , 628. 58 PG Moe Chay saves Pa leo baer ee daae carte eeuteees » 249.50 462. 50 Alewives, pickled -_-...... eee eeeerecaheyee Aoewadaeeee 9, 306. 00 , 806. 00 Hake: SounGs 2202 22. do-eesinaenseseaswaeapaceceyviceseceseeseewewsye 1, 345. 68 290. 75 Herring, pickled . wabnnie jaa tioeeatini-cike cance wetenews aeesieeeesees 57, 879.75 24, 981. 62 Mackerel, fresh __.----.-_--------------------- ae 17, 234. 08 8, 629. 58 Lobsters, canned__.-..-------------------------- ae 87, 899.30 52, 295. 75 Lobsters, live_.....---.------- a ed 9, 407.00 L, 087. Goods returned to United States - : 47,190. 61 34, 472, 42 Gypsum . -- 8, 937.50 38, 337.50 Lime juice_ 1,184. 47 1,184.47 Machinery 1, 256.00 1, 256.00 Molneses 10,574.95 10.574. 95 il: Cod... 48,855.03 8, 983, 36 Seal... 2, 978. 55 308.77 Picture --.- 100.00 |_----.-------. Potatoes. -- 46, 230. 37 45, 407.02 kates --_-- 632. 30 430. Spirits --... 1,371.97 1,871.97 MOR dade tented Clemeses Saas cae Same Mee ee sete ee eees eae ee Mlesel ee amc see 646.00 646. Total 868, 321. 24 338, 730.48 Grand total 1, 214, 196. 37 116, 594. 25 TRANSIT TRADE THROUGH THE UNITED STATES. The imports into and exports from Halifax from and to the several countries through the United States were: Imports, $89,435, against $76,704 in 1903; exports, $754,366, against $1,012,862 in 1908. EXPORTS, BY COUNTRIES. Exports from Halifax to Great Britain and United States and other countries for year ended June 30, 1904, were: = Great United Other Product of Britain. | States. |countries,| Total. $25, 398 $38, 762 $114, 387 $178, 547 669,811 | 67382 | 2,219°419 | 3, 715°612 907, 291 35, 645 201,176 1, 144, 112 606, 245 11, 895 280, 614 154 1,841, 627 59, 657 797, 336 2,198, 620 , 506 40, 278 420, 636 814, 420 pA geet, i Sit 5118 8,903,878 | 1,012,620 | 4,038,685 | 8, 955, 188 Nore.—There was also exported from Halifax coin and bullion, not the valued at $5,000, and other articles, not Canadian products, amounting to $248,062. roduct of Canada, NORTH AMERICA: DOMINION OF CANADA. 463 NAVIGATION RETURNS. The different vessels clearing at the port of Halifax in 1904 were classified as follows: Steam. Sailing. Grand total. Nationality. Number.) Tonnage. |Number.| Tonnage. [Number.| Tonnage. BPIGSNY 05. Seino ce Sot Sencsseades 380 725, 503 559 44,999 939 770, 502 American _.........--2.-2.-------- 24 19, 263 92 8,911 116 28,174 Other countries________..-...-.__- 84 1138, 252 40 28, 365 124 141,617 otal. s2cs-eesee oats esses 488 858, 018 691 82, 275 1,179 940, 293 The vessels clearing at this port during the fiscal year 1903 num- bered 1,216, and the total tonnage for that year was 845,498, making a decrease of 37 vessels, but an increase in tonnage for the past year of 94,795 tons. Eighty-two American fishing vessels cleared at the port of Halifax during the year ending September 30, 1904. COASTWISE TRADE. Vessels employed in the coasting trade from July 1, 1903, to June 30, 1904, were: Entered. Cleared. INumber.| Tonnage.| Crew. [Number.| Tonnage. | Crew. British 1250 soi Ssetdscesegaanssaeetesy 4,082 496, 448 28, 234 3, 647 508,165 25, 956 Foreign: 22 -sscssecccnesoacssissese aces] 37 38, 008 1,295 44 36, 631 1,497 MUO cx sannnucicdunsaanauanankad 4,119 534,456 | 29,529 3, 691 544,796 27, 453 Vessels built in the county of Halifax during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1904, were: Steamers, 6, registering 327 tons, net; schooners, 13, registering 464 tons, net. SYDNEY. [From Consuu G. N. West, Sypney, Nova Scotia, January 5, 1905.] INDUSTRIAL CONDITIONS. After a year of depression business revived late in 1904 and the outlook for the future is bright. The depression was largely due to the fact that when the Dominion Iron and Steel Company started the erection of their plant, in 1900, large numbers of mechanics, laborers, and shorekeepers were attracted to the city. Building opera- tions on a large scale were carried on for several years, and work of all kinds was plentiful at high wages. The steel company alone gave employment to about 3,500 men. With the partial completion of the plant and the general depression in the iron and steel trade, a reduc- tion of its force was necessary, and, as the city was dependent on this one industry for the major portion of the money in circulation, busi- ness of all kinds felt the effects. Practically no new buildings were erected during the year, and large numbers of mechanics had to seek employment elsewhere, many going to the United States. 464 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. The revival is due to the fact that confidence has been restored in the minds of the people, that labor difficulties have been adjusted in regard to hours of labor and rate of wages, so that strikes are not probable, and also to the further fact that there is a sincere belief that the coal and iron and steel businesses have entered on a season of pros- perity. Judging from the preparations now going forward by the companies, this confidence is well founded, and will make it possible for American goods, such as boots, shoes, muslin, underwear, silk waists, shelf hardware, paints, oils, and drugs, to find a more ready sale than during the past year. IRON AND STEEL. In 1904 the iron and steel industry has felt the depression in busi- ness, and this, coupled with the strike which occurred at the works of the Dominion Iron and Steel Company, has greatly reduced the amount of the output. The wire mill is now in operation, however, and a new coal-wash plant at the coke ovens has been erected. A large force of workmen is at present employed on the erection of the rail and plate mill, but it will not be completed and ready for operation until April, or later. The blast furnaces, four in number, are all undergoing extensive repairs, and the plant in general is receiving a thorough overhauling preparatory to carrying on all of its depart- ments at their full capacity in anticipation of the business expected during 1905. The value of ores imported from different countries into Sydney was as follows: United States, $35,354; Newfoundland, $163,400; Sweden, $124,203; Spain, $6,835; total, $329,799. The Nova Scotia Steel and Coal Company, located at Sydney mines, has completed its blast furnace and is in operation, with a daily output of about 250 tons of pig iron. On the opening of this furnace the one at Ferrona, owned by the company, was closed down. They also have about 100 coke ovens now in operation, and have com- pleted a new ore pier at North Sydney with pockets of sufficient capacity to contain the cargoes of several steamers at one time. COAL. The bituminous-coal industry of this section of Nova Scotia has not been in as flourishing a condition the past year as for several years previous. Still, none of the mines have been closed down com- pletely, but were run under one shift, with a shut down in some of them one or two days in each week. As the mines on the north side of Cape Breton Island are devel- oped and the quality of their coal improves, together with greater facilities for shipping, they have become competitors of the mines in this vicinity in the markets of Canada and Newfoundland. The output of coal by the Dominion Coal Company (Limited) for the year ended June 30, 1904, was 3,023,522 tons. The shipments were: To Canada, 1,766,146 tons; Newfoundland, 75,690 tons; United States, 620,444 tons; Europe, 36,269 tons; bunker coal, 134,849 tons; total, 2,633,398 tons. The shipments for 1903 were 3,085,868 tons, showing a decrease of 455,479 tons for fiscal year of 1904. The output and shipments of coal by the Nova Scotia Steel Com- pany at Sydney mines will approximate 500,000 tons, which has NORTH AMERICA: DOMINION OF CANADA. 465 found sale in Canada, Newfoundland, bunkering of steamers, and in use by the company. - The Cape Breton Coal, Iron and Railway Company (Limited) has begun active work in developing its mines. During the year an English syndicate was formed, which is furnishing the means for development. The company will build a railroad from the mine to Louisburg, a distance of about 15 miles, and will make that port its principal shipping point. It is also understood a railway will be built to Sydney to enable the company to deliver coal for local use and for shipment abroad. ‘ OTHER INDUSTRIES. The Dominion Chemical Company uses the entire product of coal tar made by the Dominion Iron and Steel Company at its coke ovens, 400 in number. Large quantities of creosote oil manufactured‘ by this company have found sale in the United States. The demand exceeds the supply. The Silicate Brick Manufactory, at North Sydney, which started out under such favorable auspices last year, and which makes a su- perior quality of this kind of brick, suspended operations last spring, owing to the depression in building during the past season. IMPORTS INTO SYDNEY. The total imports into Sydney during the year ended June 30, 1904, amounted to $1,237,479. Of this amount imports from the United States were valued at $634,689, Great Britain, $231,158, and ‘all other countries ” $371,632. The imports of “all other countries” includes ore valued at $344,438, of which Newfoundland imported $163,400 and Sweden and Spain $181,038. The value of imports in 1904 decreased from that of 1903 $671,953. Of this amount the United States lost $234,191, Great Britain $246,982, and all other countries $190,780. IMPORTS BY ARTICLES. * All other z United | Great Articles. States. | Britain. ee An nL Sats oe ara se ese ck ao ees seven Aree ee eee sedans ceae es eeed 2,368 |...--.---- $2, 839 Bricks, flrOssessescesecac ceaesssseccaeseesee see eieses segeeveseeseestesnes. 8, 307 $8, 650 ‘ BOOKS 2 252 5-2oe22eos- jece sk eitieag esas cages Nestea Meaeceeaces 7,952 | = 186 |__-- 2... Brass, sen ures Of csc eg cies car easeadqesosedecien cescqceussacceese 4, pie 367 |-...--2--- Bicycles and. parts scc-2ccsese ndcdan cleus second ieemaseenieeieeseaneeescs|’ 408 legeoseweeeleeewen gece Breas ee ee 2, 435 206 213 Olay, manufactures 0f 2.22502 cccxonccncccnaaves ascaman sannena tone wacans 183) 450 |__-. 22... Cement --.---- = 1,072 34,770 4,160 7 a ase ARRAN a Salt nrc 4 502 24 oe td 48 Cottons: -.-<)-.sn0-222 seem eceee-siees teseseesseseesyeniveeaesesssecmeceere , 5 Coal tar ------- 8,639 2,551 |....------ OTT ------- se se ecewiccesGecceeccos pe aya [Gs daf [220000 rthenware - ------ 8 018 | 815 |. -.-...5-- Tocris npearatus. = scsi sae 23793 | 4,178 |. 22 = Express ....--------- wee cece nee nee tee eee eee 5, st 6, 048 OS): vsucictes esas ce ceeseoewencomeereteesetorwsciterecey ee cces| BOL lenses asceslzeesaseus Sey erate manufactures of___........------------ 220-22 eee eee 250 | 28,615 92 aoe 24,540 | “3,088 67 ee es H. Doc. 481, 58-3——-30 , rey 466 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. IMPORTS BY ARTICLES—Continued. i All other : United | Great Articles. States. | Britain. toon Furs... Fish Gloves Gutta-percha and rubber- | Hats ang Capsicwch seer esicococsee sees needs eemsdaenwewseeeed e Tron and steel, manufactures of..........---..--------------- = Ingot molds ....-.__------.----- Salgeciiies tad apelin NE Late a 2 Lumber, manufactures of Senne seergae ee yeeedacasss 2 Leather, manufactures of seuelsassSaresses cigeneeeed Railway cars .:.-.--...- Silks, manufactures of.....__..-.-..- Settlers’ effects: occ... 2 .ecewicsencs cece ees disececcenee. SpE, WINGS, O06 wesc civisne enone Reape ca padnnencdeansy= ee Surgical instruments -_....--......-----2222-------------- e Tin Vegetables ---..- stedivccicse ssuacteeiteceaoaee ze WiOOlGDS)2. 7s awn Se acicaua iat ina nace sopecobtesese cee oe 4 MANO i lads 2oc8 ce sapo sluts c nec occie yaa noe jee aatte suena - Canadian goods returned _..._.__-__........2222----2--- a Imported ty Dominion government 2 . Not specified... - 2.24 seecsecs cates ces seen sccseverecseces con so-cseoeee 10,317 IMPORTS INTO NORTH SYDNEY. Imports into North Sydney during the year ended June 380, 1904, were: United States, $133,111; Great Britain, $122,449; all other countries, $11,100. This gives a total of $266,660 of dutiable imports, and to which are added free imports amounting to $193,194, making a grand total of $459,855. : Articles. Value. | Articles. Value. Mineralsi2s2 si. 0s- sicesoeiSeineocen cade: $2,035 |t Ingot molds _..............._- 4,117 Fish and products Leg 7,794 || Mining machinery = 2 183 522 Lumber -.____...- = 3, 696 || Steel rails__....__~___ , 802 urs --.... = 4,298 || Settlers’ effects_ 7,019 Agricultur: 2s 2,054 CB cs Sani cn cosas 2 441 HITO DrICK 2 oe sesu cc) ccecene diesen csces 43,287 || Other articles ____._._...__............ 6,090 EXPORTS, BY CLASSES, FROM SYDNEY AND NORTH SYDNEY. Articles, | Sydney. | North | Total, Sydney. $127,859 | $1,708, 859 295 295 98, 443 104,011 253, 197 1,013, 872 830 830 559, 471 2, 906, 434 NORTH AMERICA: DOMINION OF ‘CANADA. 467 ONTARIO. AMHERSTBURG. [rom Consuu C. W. MARTIN, AMHERSTBURG, ONTARIO, OcroBER 11, 1904.] IMPORTS AND EXPORTS. This consular district covers the south half of Essex County, with a population of 30,000. From a careful investigation of many entries I find that the average duty in this district on dutiable goods or articles is 25 per cent, while the proportion of free goods imported is 82 per cent of the dutiable. From these facts I have arrived at an estimate of the imports. Export entries are made at the port of exit, so that the only record of exports include shipments of over $100 value. Imports from the United States into Amherstburg for the year ended June 30, 1904, were: Dutiable, $121,747; free, $97,534; total, $219,281. This is an increase over 1903 of $9,390. Additional arti- cles are imported at commercial centers, duty paid, and then dis- tributed to the retailers in this district. Few goods are imported direct from European countries, and the percentage of European goods handled here is small. Belgium sends some glass; woolens come from Great Britain; dress goods, from France; and hosiery from Germany. The total exports to the United States from Amherstburg during the year ended June 30, 1904, were $55,741, a decrease of $29,529 over 1908. NAVIGATION. The number of vessels, entered and cleared at this port during the fiscal year was: United States. Canada. oes Number.| Tons. Crew. |Number.) Tons. Crew. PeGnepsmscobenscsecaes 817 167,143 10, 338 128 12, 434 (26 cone eueisue coco neGwaers ares 115 16, 447 433 5 2,729 231 Totals so soe sesass ss ase es 932 188,590 10,771 203 15, 163 957 AMERICAN MANUFACTURES. This is almost purely an agricultural district. There are no large cities, and little manufacturing. The country is in a prosperous condition, and the people are buying more American manufactured goods each year. The shipping facilities compare very favorably. with the most favored agricultural sections of the United States. There is no discrimination against American-made goods other than the duties. 468 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. CORNWALL. [From CoMMERCIAL AGENT J. BE. HamMIvron, CoRNWALL, ONTARIO, NOVEMBER 5, 1904.] TRADE WITH THE UNITED STATES. Trade with the United States in this district is constantly increas- ing. American products and manufactured articles are in great demand, such as agricultural implements, boots and shoes, wall paper, hats, caps, drugs, perfumes, novelties, ete., and the best way to increase this trade is to put out more traveling men. Commercial travelers, with few exceptions, carry lines of American goods. There are no special requirements for packing or marking goods. No change in exchange or in postal service. European houses do not generally give longer credits than do the houses of the United States; but if they do, the difference is added to the cost in sixty and ninety days. LOCAL INDUSTRIES. — Some important changes have been made in this district. The cotton mills have dismantled their plant at Meridan, Ontario, and removed it to Cornwall for the purpose of enlarging their plant and making additions at an outlay of $250,000 and employment of over 300 hands. They propose the utilizing of waste cotton in making goods, and will be in full operation by April 1, 1905. The new paper and pulp mill at Mille Roches is now in full opera- tion, with 75 hands. 7 Dominion engineers are making a survey for a change of locks at Morrisburg, Ontario. The locks both above and below being en- larged, it is necessary to make all uniform. The cost will be $500,000. IMPORTS AND EXPORTS. The total imports and exports of Cornwall and Morrisburg for the year ended June 30, 1904, were as follows: Imports. Exports. Places. Dutiable. Free. Domestic.| Foreign. Cornwall i22225cccccece's oauess seieieecicesueeweseeeese $117,977 | $596,878 | $140,695 $443 Morrisbur®’ ; 22s-22ssee-seee soseseweses seeeeseossasees 19, 297 5, 731 163 Total. sdeseceydee deste sosechdarrskeeeeseecestety 187, 274 648, 208 145, 426 606 BROCKVILLE. [From Consuy B. 8. HotcHxiss, BROCKVILLE, ONTARIO, OcTOBER 27, 1904.] GENERAL TRADE CONDITIONS. During the fiscal year 1901 a change was made in the system of col- lecting commercial statistics, so that the entries were only taken at and credited to the port of exit in Canada. While Brockville ex- ported $43,231 worth of merchandise, she did so as the port of exit, NORTH AMERICA: DOMINION OF CANADA. 469 Other goods originating at Brockville and vicinity going out at other frontier ports would not be credited to Brockville. There has been some improvement in manufacturing industries. A Boston firm has purchased the hat works which formerly manufac- tured soft hats. The present firm is increasing its capacity and is putting in machinery to manufacture both hard and soft hats. The trade thus far is entirely domestic. _ Within the last year there has been added to the manufacturing industries a plant that manufactures thrashers, mowers, reapers, rakes, hay loaders, harrows, etc. The firm employs at present 66 hands and has a good home trade. FOREIGN TRADE. IMPORTS. : Increase Whence imported. 1903. 1904. (+) de- crease (—). United States: c Dutiable: sess cacceu se sseciceeersecceveweuseeeseseueeeeseuicss es $699, 556 $954, 254 231, 080 210, 810 930,646 | 1,165,064 | + 234,418 +$254, 698 — 20,280 59, 728 57,093 | — 2,635 30,548 | 25,730 | — 4,809 Total 2 03202102 eccoaussseee see jee eee dceseaeteessectcessceneds 1,020,922 | 1,247,896 | — 7,444 EXPORTS. The total exports into the United States for the year 1903 were $294,994, as against $43,231 in 1904. This is a decrease of $181,063. Exports to “all other countries” during the year 1903 amounted to $37,678, and in 1904 there were none. KINGSTON. [From ConsuL M. H. TWITCHELL, KINGSTON, ONTARIO, SEPTEMBER 22, 1904.] Exports for the year ended June 30, 1904, from this consular district have decreased slightly compared with 1903. The decrease is chiefly in cattle, mica, and raw furs. The surtax on German goods has materially affected imports from Germany. — ; This tax, which is an addition of one-third of the duties, is working for the advantage of Canadian and American manufacturers, almost stopping the imports of German small hardware. Germany still furnishes the locomotive works of Kingston with car wheels and tires, delivering the tires in Kingston free of freight and duty at $1.90 per 100 pounds; the wrought-iron steel-tired wheels, 30, 33, and 36 inches, at $45, $49, and $52, with mansel rings and fasteners com- plete; and truck tires in the rolled state $1.95 per 100 pounds. Work- men’s tools of superior quality are of American manufacture. The transportation and forwarding business of Kingston, one of its most important enterprises, decreased last year to two-thirds of its 470 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. volume in 1903. The loss is attributed to a combination of circum- stances, the most important of which was a short wheat crop in Manitoba and the low price of wheat in Europe. | ; ; The Davis Tannery is putting up new buildings, doubling its capacity. . The Frontenac Cereal Company (Limited), established last year for the manufacture of a breakfast food from wheat which they term “ orangé meat,” is also doubling its capacity. The manufacturing interests of Kingston, although small and few in number, are quite prosperous. The most prosperous people in this district are the farmers. Crops are good and prices high. For a number of years they have had such prosperity that mortgages are paid and the farmer now has money for the purchase of all kinds of improvements useful upon the farm. Hardware, hats, boots, shoes, dry goods, and fancy articles of American manufacture are found in every store. The quantities are not large, but keep their place from superior workmanship or from the taste of different purchasers who demand articles of American workmanship or style. The Canadian government last session made a small appropriation und has commenced connecting small lakes in the back townships with the Rideau Canal. This, it is claimed, will furnish cheap transporta- tion for lumber, ores, feldspar, and barites. The country back of Kingston is rich in minerals. Thus far gold mines have not proved profitable. Mica and feldspar are the great mineral industries of the district. The low price of mica at present is discouraging the mica miners. ORILLIA. [From ConsuL EB. A. WAKEFIELD, ORILLIA, ONTARIO, JANUARY 5, 1905.] GENERAL TRADE CONDITIONS. Trade conditions for 1904 have not been quite so good as in 1903, but the difference has been very slight and insignificant. The im- ports for 1903 were a trifle in excess of the total as shown in 1904, but imports from the United States are heavier this year than ever before. Those from European countries, except England, have been very light. Only direct imports through the custom-house at this place are shown, and some of the staples which are constantly sold here do not appear at all and others only to a minor extent. The returns do not show the entire amount of imported articles handled in this district. Watches, for instance, nearly all American move- ‘ments, are not imported direct, but are obtained through dealers in the large trade centers, such as Toronto and Montreal. This is only one article among many of which this condition is true. Many arti- cles are obtained much more extensively through the same channels. The newer imports are well received, and the demand for most of the manufactured goods and several of the food products is showing a steady and healthy increase. Fifteen hundred 2-cent United States postage stamps were sold at this office during the year, nearly all being sent to the United States in payment for small purchases cata- logues, and advertising matter. : NORTH AMERICA: DOMINION OF CANADA. 471 COMMERCIAL TRAVELERS. A perceptible increase in commercial travelers re resenting Ameri- can firms is noticeable. The district is fairly well covered in some lines, but there is still chance for improvement in this respect. The Canadian dealer expects his purchases to reach him at the time agreed upon when the sale is made. Failure in this respect has caused almost the only expression of dissatisfaction with American shippers or goods in this vicinity. Every effort should be made to secure prompt shipment and delivery of goods at the time specified. There are no restrictions on commercial travelers and no new trade regulations, except that known as the “ antidumping clause,” of which due notice has been given in all the papers, and no new marine regu- lations. IMPORTS AND EXPORTS. The value of articles imported into Orillia in the year ended June 30, 1904, was $1,520,080. Of these, $1,249,736 worth were from the United States, the principal articles being hides, $1,030,161; ma- chinery, $19,681; quebracho extract, $37,233; oak extract, $13,435; lumber, $10,968; coal and coke, $28,237; carriage hardware, $24,872; twine and rope, $12,160. The imports from Great Britain were val- ued at $48,997, the principal articles being hides, $21,016; quebracho extract, $10,128; wool and cotton goods, $13,466. The value of imports from Germany was $2,331. The exports for the Orillia dis- trict during the year ended June 30, 1904, were valued at $1,972,085, and for the year 1903, $2,562,959. OTTAWA. [From CONSUL-GENERAL JOHN G. Foster, OTTAWA, ONTARIO, OCTOBER 31, 1904.] Goods entered for consumption at this port for the fiscal years ended June 30, 1903 and 1904: 1903. 1904, Dutiable. Free. Dutiable. Free. ited States 4. eee ea oe oe ee ches $1,743,551 | $1,215, 457 | $1,892,497 | $1, 465,851 ee ee ee aaa 705,993 | ” °466,172 | ” ” 803,060 528, 282 Po tal saeco c IG yA esa taee ees 2,449,544 | 1,681,629 | 2,695,557 | 1,994,188 The exports to the United States certified at the Ottawa consulate- eneral during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1904, amounted in value to $2,141,706. Those certified at the Arnprior consular agency amounted to $685,044. _ : The most important industrial enterprise started at Ottawa during the past year is the pulp mill of John R. Booth, which has a capacity of 75 tons of mechanically ground dry wood pulp a day. Mr. Booth has also in process of construction a paper mill, which will be com- pleted probably in the spring and which will have a capacity of 100 tons a day. 472 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. ST. THOMAS. {From Consvut W. J. Burke, St. THOMAS, ONTARTO, OCTOBER 31, 1904.] Commercial conditions remain practically the same as reported in 1903. As St. Thomas is division headquarters for the Grand Trunk, the Michigan Central, the Wabash, and the Pere Marquette railroads in the transportation of through traffic between Detroit and the West and Buffalo and the East, there is really no change in indus- trial conditions excepting that entailed by the fluctuation of traffic. The population of the city remains about 12,000, and is increasing slightly through the employment of additional men in the various railroad shops. : ; : About August 18, 1904, the Pere Marquette, which prior to that time had been handling its own through traffic from the West to this point over its own tracks, began a traffic arrangement with the Michi- gan Central Railroad whereby it has since been operating its own trains through to Buffalo. This has necessitated the erection of division roundhouses and machine shops at this point. They will give employment to between 200 and 3800 men. EXTENSION OF TROLLEY ROADS. The Southwestern Traction Company, of London, Ontario, has, during the present summer, built a line from London to St. Thomas, a distance of 15 miles, and it is the intention of the company to con- tinue the extension to Port Stanley, on the shore of Lake Erie, 9 miles south of here. The London-St. Thomas section will not be in opera- tion before the spring of 1905, as the power plant is yet to be erected. NEW CAR-WHEEL PLANT. The Canadian Iron and Foundry Company, of this city, which has heretofore employed in the neighborhood of 100 men, turning out about 2,500 car wheels and 300 tons of castings a month, has erected a uew plant which will employ about 200 men and turn out 3,500 car wheels and from 700 to 800 tons of castings a month, commencing January 1, 1905. The pay roll of this concern will run from $8,000 to $10,000 a month, according to the number of men employed. Heretofore all the output of the company has been absorbed in Canada, and within the past few days officials of the new Canada Car Company, of Montreal, which will erect a plant there costing about $300,000, have visited the new car-wheel plant in this city to arrange for a large proportion of the output to be supplied their plant at Montreal. MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP. St. Thomas owns and operates the 6 miles of electric street railway within its corporate limits, and, while it gives general satisfaction as to service, it is at the expense of a deficit ranging between $3,000 and $4,000 per annum. The city also owns and operates the water- works system very successfully. The plant nets a small annual surplus, and at the same time gives entire satisfaction. The plant of the gas and electric-light company will also be purchased and a board of arbitration is at present engaged in settling a difference of valuation between the city and the private corporation owning the plant. NORTH AMERICA: DOMINION OF CANADA. 473 READJUSTMENT OF TARIFF SCHEDULES, Being in such close proximity to the States, our merchants generally are thoroughly familiar-with the conditions of trade in this country, and may well feel satisfied if the immediate future does not bring a re- adjustment of the tariff schedules of this country unfavorable to them. At the present time the Americans are supplying a good share of the imports into Canada. Should the préSent government be sustained at the coming elections by a reduced majority it may be the cause of opening up the tariff question in Parliament at the next session, with a view to increasing the schedules against our manufactures. Not being able to obtain from the collector of customs for this district data as to imports from the’ United States, I am unable to furnish them in this report, but outside of soaps, perfumes, fancy toilet articles, and American notions (upon which an antidumping duty has recently been placed), our merchants are holding their own in the markets of this country. POSSIBILITIES FOR INTERNAL DEVELOPMENT. It becomes daily more apparent that all thoughtful Canadians are becoming more and more ambitious—yes, impatient—to see the country’s possibilities for internal development and manufactures fostered to the fullest extent. They believe that this is the policy which has made the United States such a commercial giant, and that what was possible of accomplishment in the United States by a policy of protection is possible on the opposite side of the border line on the same continent, where the resources for the achievement of such an ambition are confidently believed to exist. DECREASE IN EXPORTS. There has been a marked decrease in exports from this district for the year 1903 and the first six months of the year 1904, as compared with the year 1902 and the first six months of 1903, principally in the articles of staves, lumber, lambs, and hogs. Timber is becoming scarcer each year, and more mutton is being exported to Great Britain than formerly. Pork has ranged high in the district and most of the product has been slaughtered at home for curing and packing. Canadians are finding a ready market in England for their butter, cheese, bacon, and flour, and their surplus in these commodities 1s exported to the mother country. SAULT STE. MARIE. AGEent G. W. SuHorrs, SAULT STE. Maris, ONTARIO, .OCToBER 18, [From COMMERCIAL i904 | COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL CONDITIONS. The industrial and commercial conditions of this district for the year ended June 30, 1904, have been only slightly less prosperous than in the two preceding years. A474 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. The financial difficulties of the Consolidated Lake Superior Power Company, causing the closing down of all their enterprises for a time, together with the lower price of lumber and all other products of the forest, was the cause of the depression and decrease of trade. The industries of the company consist of steel, pulp, saw, veneer, and other mills; also steamship and trolley lines and other enterprises. Aside from these, the principal industries of this district are derived from the products of the forest. FORESTRY INTERESTS. The manufactured and raw products of the forest shipped to the United States from this district’ for the fiscal year 1902-3 amounted in value to $2,519,989, and for 19034 it was $3,032,962, an increase of $512,973. Of this only $76,012 and $79,487, respectively, was raw material—that is, saw logs and pulp wood. The manufactured wood consisted of lumber, lath, shingles, veneering, railway ties, pickets, and pulp. No raw timber taken from Crown lands in this Province can now be taken out of Canada. All must be manufactured in Canada, and this has proven of great benefit to the Province, causing a large investment of American capital, besides stimulating her own citizens to further investment in manufacturing. Of the $3,000,000 exported more than 80 per cent was manufac- tured by firms that are financed by American capital. LUMBER AND PULP PRODUCTION AND SHIPMENTS. Lumber.—The season for cutting lumber in this district is from the time the ice breaks up in the spring, generally in April, until the time it freezes again, from the middle to the last of November. Saw logs are taken out in the winter. ' The lumber cut in this district for the season of 1902 was about 160,000,000 feet; for 1908, about 210,000,000 feet; for 1904 it is expected to amount to about 200,000,000 feet. _ The output of logs in Canada for the winter of 1903-4 was excep- tionally large, causing a scarcity and consequent high cost of labor and supplies and a correspondingly high cost of logs. The unexpected drop in the price of lumber this summer was a great disappointment and will cause a shorter cut of logs the coming winter, perhaps 25: per cent less than that of last winter. _ A large part, perhaps 75 per cent, of the lumber cut in this district is shipped to the United States. The shipments amounted in 1901-2 to the value of $1,604,120, and in 1902-3 to $1,941,985, and in 1903-4 to $2,413,541, an increase for the three years of $809,421. Pulp.—The manufacture of pulp is steadily increasing. A statement recently issued by the Dominion government shows that there were 39 pulp mills in Canada in 1903, which had an output of 275,619 tons of wood pulp, an increase over that of 1902 of 34,630 tons. Of this quantity 187,871 tons was mechanically ground wood, 84,848 tons of sulphite, and 2,940 tons of soda. The pulp was valued at $5,219,- 892, of which the United States took $1,890,448, Great Britain $865,826, and other countries $248,107, leaving $2,206,451 for home use. NORTH AMERICA: DOMINION OF CANADA. 475 Because of the immense areas of standing spruce timber and the numerous waterfalls, making cheap power practicable, the pulp inter- ests of Canada must increase very rapidly as the timber in other countries becomes exhausted. The shipment of pulp from the Sault Ste. Marie district for the last three years was as follows: For 1901-2 it was $239,249; for 1902-3, $400,352, and for 1903-4, $400,500. Only one mill has been running for the last six months, but two others will be in operation at least part of the coming year and the shipments will probably be much larger. Practically all the pulp manufactured in this district is shipped to the United States. MINES AND MINERALS. Mining enterprises showed a considerable falling off, especially during the last half of 1903, but development has continued on the most promising iron, copper, and gold mines, and the prospect of the district becoming a large producer of minerals is not diminished. Nickel—Only the nickel mines of the Sudbury district seem to have kept the pace of the year preceding. They have been greatly im- proved in the last year in the process of smelting ores and in mining machinery and facilities, and are very profitable. The output of nickel for 1902 was valued at $2,210,961 and for 1903 at $2,499,068. This product is now reduced at the mines into matte of about 80 per cent pure metal, consisting of about 25 per cent copper and the balance nickel. It is shipped in this state outside, mostly to the United States, for further treatment. It is expected that these mines will rapidly increase their output and will soon be the largest producers of nickel in the world. Oil.—Petroleum has recently been found on Manitoulin Island, in this district, at a depth of about 400 feet. The wells do not overflow, and as none of them have been “shot” it is not known yet in what quantity oil may be obtained. The exploitation is being done by Chicago parties, who have secured a large body of surrounding lands. HARBOR IMPROVEMENTS. The Canadian government is widening, straightening, and deepen- ing the approaches to the Canadian locks here to a depth of 22 feet. It is also building 800 feet additional to each pier at the upper and lower ends of the locks. These piers are being built of cement from just below low-water mark. The government is also building a dock for the general commercial use of the public of this city. This dock is new in construction, being finished in concrete. It is built of wooden cribs to within about 18 inches of the top of the water, and from there up the walls will be solid concrete, 6 feet high by 64 feet at the base, and sloping on the inward side to 4 feet at the top. The space between the con- crete walls is to be filled with stone, with crushed stone for top finish. This dock, as are other like ones in Canada, is under the con- trol of the government and managed by a government officer. A dock charge is made for freight over it, but this charge is 25 to 40 per cent less than is usually charged by private docks. 476 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. TORONTO. [From Consuu B. N. GunsauLus, Toronro, ONTARIO, JANUARY 26, 1905.] TORONTO FIRE. The only check to the commercial interests and trade activity of the city was the disastrous fire which swept the wholesale district of Toronto on April 19 and 20, reducing to ruins the principal wholesale and jobbing houses and destroying numerous manufacturing estab- lishments as well. The loss resulting from this conflagration, which was by far the greatest and most damaging in the history of the city, is estimated at $10,500,000, and added to this was the temporary loss in trade during the period required for finding other quarters and restocking. The situation, disastrous and discouraging as it was, was met with a most commendable spirit of enterprise and determination on the part of the sufferers, who promptly secured tem- porary quarters for carrying on business until new buildings could be provided. As a result much of the fire-swept district, embracing an area of 16 acres of compact buildings, has been rebuilt, while other sections of the city have vastly profited by. the purchase of ground and the erection of buildings for the occupancy of firms which found it advantageous to locate elsewhere. The necessities resulting from this fire, together with the natural growth of the city, created an ‘unprecedented building boom, and all fines of the building and contracting trades have been and are now taxed to the utmost to meet the requirements for houses for business and residential purposes. POPULATION OF TORONTO. The population of Toronto, as recently estimated by the publish- ers of the city directory, is placed at 290,000, and while this estimate may be slightly in excess of the actual figures it is probably not far from being correct. The city is growing at a rapid rate indus- trially, as, in addition to the enlargement of factories and constantly increasing capacities for larger outputs, new industries, many of them being branch concerns of United States plants, are being estab- lished to meet the demands of the Canadian trade. This condition not only applies to Toronto, but to the other cities and towns of Ontario. : MINING IN ONTARIO. The following, relative to the condition of the mining industry in Ontario, is taken from the report of the director of mines, recently published : The total mineral productions of the year amounted to $12,870,593, and the wages paid to $4,222,386. Of this total $7,628,018 was of the nonmetallic class and $5,242,575 in the metallic. The total production of gold was 10,383 ounces, valued at $188,036, giving employment to 493 persons, who were paid in wages $245,490. Including the cost of supplies it required an expenditure of almost $2 to extract $1 worth of ore. The total quantity of silver produced was 16,688 ounces, the value being $8,949, and the wages paid $8,000. NORTH AMERICA: DOMINION OF CANADA. 477 The operations in pig lead were still more unprofitable, although restricted. The amount mined was 25 tons, valued at $1,500, at a cost of $5,189. Copper and nickel properties, on the whole, gave an excellent return. With a combined value of $3,215,794 the wages paid aggregated $872,302, leaving a large margin for supplies and a satisfactory profit. In the nonmetallic class a good showing is made by petroleum and cement. The wages paid for the production of petroleum amounted to $165,700, while the value of the product was $1,586,674. The expansion of the cement industry is a marked feature of the mineral development of the Province. “The rapid growth in output 1s indicated by the figures. In 1899 the increase was 45 per cent over 1898 ; in 1900 it was 38 per cent over 1899; in 1901 it was 14 per cent; in 1902 it was 49 per cent over the previous year, and in 1903 there was a further increase of 33 per cent over 1902. Notwithstanding this remarkable expansion we imported in the year ended June 30, 1903, 2,572,088 hundredweight, valued at $901,063, upon which the duty paid was $271,004. As the uses to which cement is put have multiplied and the industry grown the price has fallen. It was $2.50 a barrel in 1891 and $1.70 in 1903. The erection of new plants is proceeding in Canada at a rate that promises an era of overproduc- tion in Ontario, with attendant curtailment or extinction of profits. STRATFORD. [From Consun A. G. SEYFERT, STRATFORD, ONTARIO, OCTOBER 6, 1904.] INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AND PROSPERITY. No city in the Dominion with a population of less than 15,000 has made greater industrial progress during the year 1903 than Strat- ford. Ten years ago there was not an industry worthy of ‘mention here, outside the repair shops of the Grand Trunk Railway. Now the smoke from numerous tall chimneys indicates many prosperous industrial works. During the past summer large buildings were con- structed for the Stratford Knitting Company; also a chair factory and carriage works. When these factories are completed they will employ several hundred more men. The extensive addition to the Grand Trunk Railway locomotive works cost over $200,000, and an additional force of 300 men will be employed. It is expected to give steady employment to 1,200 men in building and repairing engines. The new machinery installed is the most modern and improved to be had, and much of it is of American production. One gratifying aspect of the year’s industrial record is the fact that there was not a strike in any of the many shops or factories. Full time was made by all, and for many employees it was the most prosperous year they ever had. Generally speaking, the workingmen are well paid, the skilled as well as the unskilled, and are contented. Many of the railway employees own their homes, and hence are good permanent citizens. The unprecedented prosperity of the city has caused a great demand for new and a better class of houses for the working population. This want has been supplied in the erection of 478 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. blocks of tenements that rent from $12 to $15 a month. Scores of private residences are being erected, many of them palatial in appear- ance. The work on these has been much retarded, however, by the scarcity of bricks. the supply of which has not been equal to the demand. USE OF CEMENT IN BUILDING. Concrete has been resorted to very largely as a substitute for both brick and stone. One of the factories now in course of construction is built entirely of concrete, five stories high, without any steel frame skeleton. This is an experiment in the building line here. The addition to the railway repair shops is also entirely built of concrete, with but little iron framework. A syndicate has lately been organ- ized here to manufacture rough concrete blocks for building purposes, to take the place of natural stone. A handsome new church building is now being erected from this material, and will be the first edifice of the kind in the city. The blocks are made with an opening in the center so as to make a hollow wall, which is claimed will prevent dampness, even if plastered direct against the wall. Concrete will be the building material of the future in this country, and will cause a large increase in the demand for cement. The plant lately put in operation at Durham to manufacture Portland cement will increase the home production, but the supply will not be equal to the increased demand. Another source from which there will be a constantly increasing demand for cement is replacing all wooden sidewalks with concrete. The immediate lumber supply is fairly exhausted and too valuable for board walks. The municipal authorities have recog- nized this fact for several years, and are replacing all wooden walks with concrete as fast as they are worn out. : PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS. Arrangements were made during the early part of the summer to pave two of the principal business streets. A controversy arose over brick or asphalt as material for the paving, which delayed the work until it was too late to commence this season. The indications are that the work will be done next summer. Many of the residential streets were macadamized during the year 1903. That the city is extremely prosperous in all avenues of trade is indicated by the moral prosperity of the population. Two of the leading churches installed each a pipe organ costing $5,000. Another of the churches was repaired at an expense exceed- ing the above sum. Another congregation is erecting a costly new church edifice. The new Young Men’s Christian Association build- ing, costing $25,000, was dedicated free of debt during the latter part of September. EXPORTS AND IMPORTS. The exports to the United States from this consular district, in- cluding the consular agency at Palmerston, for the year ending June 30, 1904, were $93,414 less than the previous year. 'This decrease is largely due to a falling off in the shipments of lambs and flax. The imports from the United States to the district were the largest in the history of the country. Much of this increase is due to the NORTH AMERICA: DOMINION OF CANADA. 479 Import of anthracite coal. The hope held out a few years ago that peat would be a source of fuel supply has not been realized so far. The effort made in this locality to manufacture peat briquettes has been abandoned. _The fuel in demand is anthracite coal, and -a steady increase in its import can be looked for from year to year. PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND. CHARLOTTETOWN. [From Consut D. J. Varn, CHARLOTTETOWN, Princr Epwarp ISLAND, OCTOBER 15, 1904.] INDUSTRIAL CONDITIONS. As the industries of the Province of Prince Edward Island consist almost wholly of agriculture and fisheries, there are but few changes to report from year to year. The past season has been one of pros- perity to those engaged in the foregoing pursuits, as prices have steadily advanced and a quick market has been found for the products. The imports cover all classes of goods manufactured in the United States, and I would advise our manufacturers to canvass this trade rnore thoroughly. The exports are wholly agricultural and fishing products. DAIRY PRODUCTS. There was received at 52 factories in the province 42,373,301 pounds of milk in 1903. The value of cheese was $220,769, and the value of butter was $87,707. The value of the fisheries for the year ended December 31, 1903, was $1,099,510. RAILWAYS. The Prince Edward Island Railway, owned and maintained by the government, runs the whole length of the island, a distance of 1544 miles and, including extensions, has a total length of 211 miles. The gross earnings of this road for 1903 were $217,714, showing an in- crease over the past fifteen years. The number of passengers carried was 205,265. ; Continued improvements are noted in all branches and depart- ments of the road. The rolling stock has been increased, and the modern Westinghouse air brakes are now being applied to the cars. The Murray Harbor branch is nearly completed and will soon be in operation. Tenders for branch lines to Vernon River Bridge and Montague are now being called for. CHARLOTTETOWN. Charlottetown, the capital of the Province of Prince Edward Island, is most quickly reached from Boston by the Boston and Maine Railroad and connecting lines. There is also steamer service from Boston, Montreal, and Halifax. 480 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. QUEBEC. MONTREAL. [FRoM VICH-CONSUL-GENERAL PATRICK GORMAN, MONTREAL, QupBEc, OcTOBER 31, 1904.] HARBOR IMPROVEMENTS. The enlargement of the harbor works, which includes the construc- tion of new piers and building high-level wharves, was begun in 1888 and is continued with great activity and expense. Contracts for steel wharf sheds have just been made, the cost of which will amount to over $2,350,000. A grain elevator of 1,000,000 bushels capacity is being built by the Grand Trunk Railway. ; Up to the close of last season 36,658,660 cubic yards of material, clay, bowlders, and shale rock had been excavated from the harbor, at a total cost of $4,910,158 for dredging and $2,331,527 for plant. It is one of the greatest dredging works in the world. Fortunately for the enterprise, the clear St. Lawrence water deposits little or no material, nor is the stuff dumped into the shallows swept back into the tideless channel by the always outflowing current. Thus one of the gravest fears of the fathers, who thought the work might need perennial redredging, has proved groundless. About $10,000,000 will have been spent on the deepening when finished. Already it is lighted and buoyed, so as to insure safe and easy navigation day and night. NAVIGATION. « The minister of marine is announced as having made preparations for the employment of an ice-breaking steamer on the St. Lawrence in order to prevent the jam that occurs every season about 20 miles. above Quebec. The experiment may lead to navigation of the river later and earlier than is usual under present conditions, and perhaps solve the problem of entire winter navigation. RETURNS OF SEAGOING VESSELS. Steamships. Sailing vessels. Total. Years. INumber.| Tonnage. |Number.| Tonnage |Number.| Tonnage. 190 aco eeee aitsee es se seca cesteacicuen 561 | 1,185,874 24 8,130 585 1, 144, 004 ae 555 | 1,155,589 26 8,189 581 1, 163, 778 609 | 1,461, 644 1t 6, 881 624 1,468, 526 623 | 1,470,207 22 6,790 645 1,476, 997 INLAND SHIPPING RETURNS. Years. Vessels. | Tonnage. Years. Vessels. | Tonnage. WOO) eee sue ccncceseseeesseess 6270 | 1,278,144 |) 1008. n-ne eccescanuaanen 2 19022 2c eccncccce snare seeess 6,965 | 1,427,100 |) 1904 ..2 22222 LT ITLIITTT 74083 Pe La NORTH AMERICA: DOMINION OF CANADA. 48] AMERICAN CAPITAL IN MONTREAL. During the past year a large amount of American capital ha invested in and around Montreal. se ar ene strong bid that American car builders are making to capture wie Increasing business which is expected to originate in Canada dur- ote the next few years is shown by the rapidity with which officials of the Pressed Steel Car Company and the American Car and Foundry Company are pushing through their plans for the estab- lishment of a plant in the city. The announcement made a short time ago that these interests had formed the Canada Car Company was followed by an announcement that negotiations had been concluded by which the new company secures a splendid site, containing between 35 and 40 acres of land, for their plant. The site is between the Grand Trunk Railway tracks and the Lachine Canal, about half a mile west of the Céte St. Paul road, Montreal, and is immediately adjoining the site now occu- pied by the plant of the Electric Fireproofing Company of Canada. Closely associated with the American interests in the new company are some of the leading officials of the Grand Trunk Pacific Rail- way, and it was an official of the latter company who carried through the deal by which the company secured its site. The Canada Car Company has been incorporated with a capital of $3,000,000, and has started work on the erection of a car plant which will be the largest of the kind in Canada. The contract for the entire plant, which was designed by Messrs. Hutchison & Wood, has been awarded to Messrs. D. G. Loomis & Sons, the contractors for the new Canadian Pacific Railway Angus shops at the East End. A fact showing the scarcity of laborers in the city is that the con- tractors advertised extensively for 500 men to go to work at the new plant and were able to get only a few more than 200. LOCOMOTIVE AND MACHINE COMPANY. The purchase of the plant of the Locomotive and Machine Com- pany, situated at East End of Montreal, by the American Locomotive Company was concluded last March. It was announced that the plant would immediately be put in shape to build from 150 to 200 locomotives a year, and that it will, when in full operation, employ 2,000 hands. The works include a large plant for the manufacture of structural-steel bridges. In order to complete orders, this company was obliged to send to its locomotive works at Dunkirk, N. Y., thousands of dollars worth of parts of locomotives there to be put together and brought back to Canada complete. SIMPLEX RAILWAY APPLIANCE COMPANY. The Simplex Railway Appliance Company, which, on coming into Canada a few years ago, employed 50 men and supplied one railway, has now decided to spend $2,500,000 in the erection of a gigantic lant in Montreal that will comprise fifteen different shops and mills, and will give employment to 1,500 men. Besides giving employment H. Doe, 481, 58-3——31 482 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. to men at their plant here, their orders are large factors in keeping the Pratt & Letchworth Casting Company, of Brantford, and the Smith Falls Malleable Iron Company running to their full capacity. The plant that is to be erected will include a bolster and brake-beam shop 410 feet long, cost, $80,000; a steel car shop over 700 feet in length; a machine and blacksmith shop, a truck shop, a paint shop, an erecting shop, a saw and planing mill, an engine and power house, a foundry, and a stores department. MONTREAL STEEL WORKS, The Montreal Steel Works was established in 1882 by Mr. K. W. Blackwell, president of the present company, who called the business by his own name, and engaged merely in the manufacture of rail- road springs. Mr. Blackwell was largely interested in the Canada Switch Manu- facturing Company, which commenced in 1889 the business of making frogs and switches, and in a few years the switch company acquired Mr. Blackwell’s business and took the title of the Canada Switch and Spring Company. The original Blackwell firm started in a factory about the size of a three-story house. The switch and spring company ten years ago occupied less than half of the block in which that building stands. In 1903, so enor- inously had the business expanded, the company was converted into the Montreal Steel Works (Limited), with a capital of $800,000 pre- ferred stock, $400,000 issued ordinary stock, and $300,000 ordinary stock held in treasury, to be sold at par in event of later extensions. The plant of the new company now covers two city blocks of the finest manufacturing site conceivable, on the banks of the canal, one block 297 by 230 feet and one 300 by 230 feet, a total of 137,310 square feet. The company manufactures special steel castings, railroad springs of all kinds, electric-railway tracks, frogs, switches, interlocking devices, signals, car couplers, safety brakes, and various specialties. Ten years ago it had about 60 men in its employ. This year it is employing 450 men, and last year, when there was a “boom” in railway appliances all over the continent, it gave work to a good many more. Its product sells very extensively in Mexico and in the British West Indies, and would sell to electric railways in England were it not that most of the street railways there are municipal and are compelled by popular opinion to buy at home. The Montreal Steel Works has always made it a policy to provide the government with a statement of the circumstances of its business, and in consequence has seemingly had no reason to complain of its fiscal treatment. It is the one firm in Canada to which steel rails are raw material, and it is therefore seriously affected by the new duty on that commodity. The rebate provision on rails already contracted for will, it is stated, carry the company safely through into next year, and after that it looks with complete confidence to receiving from the government precisely such consideration as the situation merits. It is interesting to note that the Montreal Steel Works was in the midst of endeavoring to secure from the Dominion government a pro- vision for rebate of duty on locomotives made in the United States to the extent to which such materials supplied by the Canadian company NORTH AMERICA: DOMINION OF CANADA. 4838 were used in such locomotives when it was relieved from the necessity of that step by the purchase of the Longue Pointe works by the American Locomotive Company and the practical classification of the importation of American locomotives. The Longue Pointe works is now among the best customers of the Montreal Steel Works. BREADSTUFFS AND PROVISIONS. EXPORTS. ” 1903. 1904. Increase Articles. (+); de- Quantity. | Quantity. |crease (—). 11,155,720 | 5,414,911 | —5,740, 809 4,648,495 | 1,004,357 | —3, 644, 138 118° 210 70,887 | — ' 477375 i 650,531 | — 68,015 ‘i 803,050 | + ; 557,615 4,105 | — 558,510 : 10,855 | — 12) 1, 868, 811 758,851 | —1,109, 960 88, 4 129,556} + 41, i 1,524 | — 3, 163, 674 209,954 | + 46,280 1,465,850 | 1,210,551 | — 255,299 128, 374 187,383 | + Fs 127,615 116,688 | — 10,927 i 50,892 | — 37,329 IMPORTS. Wihéd tisccgsicec cic ee teceaems esGens emcees, bushels..| 13,551,752 | 7,628,412 | —5,'723, 340 do... 5,199,668 | 1,162,424 | —4, 037,244 209, 091 124,804 | — 84,287 1,869,170 | 1,476,128 | — 393,042 407,81 304,080 | — 103,729 553, 918 6.912 | + 547, 64, 450 58,340 | — 11,110 796, 706 646,784 | — 149,972 9,009 48,448 | + 434 182,178 112,014 | — 159 875, 254 430,011 | +. 64,757 2,391,414 | 1,318,401 | —1,078,018 81,171 + 111, 464 116, 882 151,751 | + 34,869 ST. JOHN’S. [From ConsvuL CHaRLEes DEAL, S87. JOHN’s, QUEBEC, AUGUST 30, 1904.] INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITY. St. John’s is enjoying a healthy boom. The Singer Manufacturing Company is establishing a plant covering 68 acres, which when com- pleted will cost $1,500,000 and will give employment to 1,000 hands. There are eleven manufacturing and industrial plants located here, with a capital of over $1,000,000, whose sales in 1903 amounted to over $1,212,000, and which paid out in wages $215,000, employing 630 hands. a There are large pottery buildings and machinery, and large cream- ery buildings and machinery, for sale or rent, which would be a good investment for American capital. ; . The wages of all classes of labor are increasing, unskilled labor receiving $1.50 a day, and skilled labor from $2.50 to $3.50 a day. 484 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. There are four banks, with a combined capital of $10,123,205; note circulation, $7,125,987; deposits, $4,021,394. The rate of exchange is from one-eighth to one-fourth of 1 per cent. There is also one deposit and loan bank here with deposits aggregating $134,609.27. SHIPPING FACILITIES. St. John’s has a population of 5,000; is situated on the Richelieu River at the head of the Chambly Canal, which, with the Richelieu River, connects Lake Champlain with the St. Lawrence. The canal, with the six railroads, makes it a fine shipping point. It does the largest shipping business between Montreal and the States of New York and Vermont. It is in the center of a large agricultural dis- trict, the population of which is composed of 80 per cent French and 20 per cent English. Boats cleared from this port for the year ended June 30, 1904, were 1,794. The experiment of free tolls expired May 1, 1905. EXPORTS AND IMPORTS. Hay, lumber, and pulp wood are the principal articles of export from and through this district, and the chief imports are coal, agri- cultural implements, carriages, hardware, and potter’s clay. The imports are now reported to Ottawa and therefore can not be given in detail as formerly, but it is gratifying to report a steady increase in the import from the United States of agricultural imple- ments, potter’s clay, boots, shoes, hats, hardware, canned goods, and fancy groceries, the latter principally bought through importers and jobbers in Montreal and Toronto. The customs collections for the year ended June 30, 1904, were $96,730.65 ; postal collections, $10,000. No license is required of commercial travelers and no duty on their samples. No special marks are required on home or foreign ship- ments. Merchants are steadily increasing their purchases of Ameri- can-made goods, and the trade could be largely increased if more agents were sent here. Commercial travelers with certificates of association membership are allowed a reduced rate on all railroads. There are no laws discriminating against United States goods, no canal tolls, and there has been no change in port regulations, wharf- age dues, or customs rules. PUBLIC CONSTRUCTION WORK. The government has appropriated $20,000 for a new post-office and $5,000 fs a dock. St. John’s Evangelist Church has purchased of Casavant & Bro., of St. Hyacinthe, a $10,000 organ. The town is improving its streets at an expense of $40,000, build- ing concrete and stone walks. There is a general improvement in building and repairing. The gevernment barracks and buildings have been under thorough repair and improvement, and a large brick drill shed has been erected. The exposition grounds have been enlarged, new buildings erected, and all put in an up-to-date condition. There are rumors of a large body of cavalry being permanently stationed here. NORTH AMERICA! DOMINION OF CANADA. 485 SCHOOLS. The schools in this district, from primary to academic, compare favorably with those in the United States. “There is no compulsory education law. The per cent attending, both Protestant and Cath- olic, is large. . The Commercial Academy has an attendance of 500 and the St. John’s High School 100. There are two convents—black and gray nuns—with an average attendance of 530, and a black-nun convent in Iberville, with an average attendance of 180. There is also the Holy Rosary College, conducted by the Mariste Brothers, average attendance 175; a Mariste Brothers scholastic college, 50 pupil teach- ers and 60 brothers; and a parish school, average attendance 125. RIMOUSKI. [From CoMMERCIAL AGENT E. H. DENNISON, RIMOUSKI, QUEBEC, OCTOBER 15, 1904.] CONDITIONS OF TRADE. This consular district is situated in the counties of Temiscouata, Rimouski, and Matane, lying along the St. Lawrence River, contain- ing thirty or forty small French-Canadian towns, most of which are on the Intercolonial Railroad. This is essentially a lumbering and agricultural country, and the past year has been a prosperous one for these industries. More logs have been cut and more lumber sawed than ever before. Excellent crops were reported and good prices were obtained for the farm products. Owing to the small potato crop of last year in the United States, many American buyers appeared last spring and bought all the potatoes obtainable, 65,494 bushels being shipped to New England oints. - Opportunities for employment have never been better, the demand for labor being greater than- the supply, with a consequent rise in wages. For this reason emigration to the mill towns of New Eng- land, which in the past was so great, is decreasing. Prosperity has brought improvements. Many houses have been erected; the district has been entirely covered by an excellent tele- phone system, connecting it with the city of Quebec; many of the larger towns have installed electric-light systems, and Rimouski has just contracted for a waterworks system to cost $70,000. Although there are a number of wharves along the St. Lawrence River in this district, which have been built and are kept in repair and improved by the federal government, the shallow water, extend- ing from 1 to 3 miles from shore, prevents seagoing vessels loading or discharging cargo at the wharves and lighters are used for this pur- pose. ‘There are no vessels which clear for United States ports. LEADING EXPORTS. The leading articles of export are lumber and shingles. Most of the former.going to England and the higher grades of the latter to 486 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. the ‘United States. In spite of the poor market afforded in the United States, the past year has been a record breaker for shingle shipments thereto, the value being $394,280, a gain of nearly $10,000 over the previous year. Every sawmill ran full time the season through. - Small butter and cheese factories are scattered over the district. Their product is shipped to. Montreal and Quebec, and from these points the surplus is reshipped to British markets. \ TRADE WITH UNITED STATES. American goods are much admired and sought. Such things are sold as agricultural implements, tools, boots and shoes, cottons, canned goods, guns, and ammunition. I have no means of ascer- taining what this American trade amounts to, there being no direct importations, the local dealers purchasing everything from Quebec, Montreal, or Toronto. : The district: is traversed by the Intercolonial Railroad, built and operated by the federal government at a cost of $70,500,000, and which has never earned a cent of interest. Moreover, four years out of five it doesn’t earn enough money to cover’ the running expenses. No changes have taken place.in currency values and the monetary unit is the same as in the United States. The rate of exchange is one-fourth of 1 per cent, and interest is 7 per cent. No licenses are required of commercial travelers nor is there any duty on their sam- ples. The only discrimination against American trade is the tariff, with its British preference. Credits are the same as-in the New Eng- land States and American currency is passed at face value. The district is visited by many American sportsmen and each year sees an increase in the number of leases obtained by them for hunting and fishing privileges. The streams abound’in salmon and trout, and great numbers of moose, caribou, and deer roam the forests. wo SHERBROOKE. [From Consu, Paut Lane, SHERBROOKE, QUEBEC, SEPTEMBER 29, 1904.1 BUSINESS PROSPERITY. As the center of a rich and fertile farming region, this city has benefited by the bountiful crops of the present season, which were more plentiful than in many years. The hay cut was double that of last year, and all the other crops show a corresponding increase. The farmers were compelled to buy hay for feeding purposes last winter, which made them short of money, and consequently trade suffered somewhat, but the present year’s abundant harvest will remedy this trouble and bring returning prosperity in all branches of local business. . Wages are about the same as last year. Laborers, a day, $1.25 to $2; domestic servants, a month, $8 to $16; mechanics, a day, $2 to $4; clerks, bookkeepers, a month, $30 to $75. ' NORTH AMERICA: DOMINION OF CANADA. 487 MINES. The mining interests of this section increase year by year. The report of the inspector of mines for the Province shows that the mining laws have been well observed, and that only one workman was killed during the year. The Eustis and Nichol mines at Capleton yielded 23,644 long tons of copper ore, worth $109,875 at the mines, out of which 14,770 tons were shipped to the United States, while 8,874 tons were treated for sulphuric acid at the Nichols Chemical Company’s works in Capelton. These two mines employ 300 men. The Eustis company has recently installed a new electric plant on the Coaticook River, 2 miles from the mine, which supplies 450 horsepower and can be increased. The asbestos mines at Thetford, Black Lake, and Danville were phere with the same activity as last year. The output for 1904 was as follows: Quality. qan- | Value. Tons. Crude Gtst ClasSsssu ci codwadueciacive cs acened cS asben Perec aie sales a Lense 930 | $117,847 Crude, second class. -.....-.-.--- BE ELE AN tema ed See See inae Spee 2, 354 227,919 MDOP .2ssiccsscecnses : 9,650 ei Paper’ stock 2.6.0 csniccdcivaewize ei sseene Bee sees aman sas nebaidaase ee abe eeEeaess 16, 327 259, 956 WASbeSt06 aas4-doeeesseciee Hesse ccdesemsacinemstis aebeecisne eesciemoas ee cies tmomeisleciase , 90 18, 292 Motel vececwecee seeay am vitehs det edison cedsce snelscaisceeie cl senciccee ae Neeeeehcs 39,167 | 930, 262 This represents the output of several companies in asbestos mining, employing 1,300 men, and paying $412,000 annually in wages. AMERICAN GOODS. Many American goods are finding their way to the Canadian markets, and more should. American farming machinery and tools are largely used through the eastern townships, and their sale and use is increasing. The concerns manufacturing this class of articles have competent agents to show and sell them and this, with the excellence of the goods, accounts for their rapid introduction and sale. More American commercial travelers have visited this section dur- ing the past year than hitherto, which indicates a greater effort on the part of the American wholesale merchants to place their wares on this market, and is being accompanied with considerable success in such lines as agricultural implements, books and periodicals, boots and shoes, brass goods, drugs, dyes and chemicals, electric goods, fancy goods, fruits, furniture, hats and caps, machinery, kerosene oil, paper goods, and watches. THREE RIVERS. [From Consut J. H. Worman, THREE Rivers, QueBec, OcropeRr 31, 1904.) Three Rivers, a city in the Province of Quebec, the seat of the American consulate, is in many respects one of the most important Canadian seaports. It is situated at the mouth of the St. Maurice 488 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. River, at an almost equal distance from Quebec and Montreal, at the head of natural deep-water navigation of the St. Lawrence River. It has an unobstructed channel to the sea and must therefore, in the near future, become one of the strongest competitors of Mon- treal, now that Ganada has put on her working clothes, and is ex- erting herself for the expansion of commerce and industries. Nature has done more for this port than for Montreal, and the wonder is why Three Rivers was not devolped instead of Montreal when Cana- dian pioneers first began to further their country’s shipping interests. The railways of this Province began to realize that they have too Jong ignored the port of Three Rivers, and devoted themselves to their own detriment to the sole development of Quebec and Montreal. Quebec has not fulfilled their expectations; neither has Montreal, as a shipping port, furnished sufficient facilities for the vastly growing demands of recent Canadian expansion. HARBOR FACILITIES. Most expensive alterations and additions are in progress now to improve properly the harbor of Montreal and provide for needful room and proper channel depths, while at Three Rivers the channel is navigable for any water craft and is conceded to have accommo- dations for miles of quays, making the extensions almost boundless. Vessels of any size and draft enter and leave during the season at ~ any hour of the day with full cargo, without being affected by the tide or violence of currents. The route from Three Rivers to Quebec is always clear. Along the whole city front, down the St. Maurice estuary, the 30 to 50 feet deep ship channel of the St. Lawrence runs only a few fathom lengths from the wharves, actually touching part. of them; the width of the channel opposite to the wharves being for the most part 1,200 to 1,500 feet, and in the narrowest portion 800 to 900 feet. Steamers coming down the river merely swing upon their anchors to reach or leave their berths. No piloting or tug is ever used or required for any such purpose as maneuvering a vessel in the harbor, while in Montreal no steamer can enter or leave her berth without the assistance of a tug. The harbor improvements, which the government has been carry- img on since 1882, extend from the mouth of the St. Maurice River up to the ice breaker, a distance of about 5,500 feet, partly completed and partly under construction. The main wharves now in use consist of some 1,200 feet cribwork, with 30 feet water in front, the balance, including also private wharves and ranging with from 20 to 25 feet, are, together with the main wharves, utilized for ocean, local Canadian, and United States traffic. The longshoreman strike at Montreal in the summer of 1908, when the traffic of that port was not only blockaded, but the entire ship- ping of Canada threatened with a complete standstill, caused the Canadian Pacific Railway to turn to Three Rivers for another navi- gation center, and the facility with which men were to be had here, and ship cargoes laden and discharged, decided’ probably the fate of this port, leaving no longer any room for doubt as to a rapid and healthy expansion hereafter. NORTH AMERICA: DOMINION OF CANADA. 489 The company has already constructed a loop line from its station that reaches the river front. One of the tracks runs about 30 feet from the edge of the wharves, along the vessels, unloading and handling freight coming from or going in any direction, in an easy and most economical manner. The work of loading often goes on at night, and a steamer, sailing from Montreal in the afternoon and reaching Three Rivers before dark, may take in a full complement of cargo and leave at daybreak without the loss of an hour from the usual working day. . Three Rivers is entered, aside from the Canadian Pacific on the north, by the Grand Trunk at Doucets Landing, on the south of the St. Lawrence, and by the Intercolonial Railroad only a few miles away in the interior to the south. Three Rivers is therefore, by rail as well as by water, not only in direct connection with eastern and western Canada, but also with the United States and_the far west and north of the American continent. . There is another section of wharf now under construction by the government which will add to the larger ones by the spring of 1905 another 2,000 feet of wharfage, with a uniform depth of 30 feet water in front, intended exclusively for the more important and growing ocean shipment of live stock. The proposed Main Grand Trunk Pacific line is a new railroad projected to the great northwest and the Pacific, which is often denominated “The National Trans- continental Railway.” This project, one of the greatest of our day, promises in all respects, if carried out, to effect as much for the great undeveloped northwest of Canada as did American railroad enterprise in the last three decades for our vast western prairies. But not only to those distant regions of the north and northwest will the benefits accrue. Right in this very territory the result will be largest, both in import and export, for those rich agricultural and mineral lands of the north once opened up and duly settled will require supplies for their people and give back returns that must very materially swell the gains in commerce and’ navigation in this section of the St. Lawrence. The port of Three Rivers, with the projected railroads realized, will, therefore, within the next decade come at last to occupy in Canadian commerce and navigation the very place for which nature has so richly fitted it. By its exceptional and unique situation it will form one of the most valuable links in Canada’s transportation problem via the great Canadian maritime route of the St. Lawrence and the Great Lakes. DEVELOPMENT OF THREE RIVERS. Three Rivers is the second oldest town in Canada and, between Montreal and Quebec, the largest in the Province, with over 12,000 inhabitants. ‘The consular district has over 250,000 people. It was founded by the settlers of Quebec on July 4, 1634, and became in the autumn of that year headquarters for numerous missionaries. A echool—the first in Canada—was started here as early as 1616 by the Recollet Fathers. To this day Three Rivers has remained a retreat \ «for religious congregations and monastic orders of the Catholic Church. 490 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. RAILWAYS. MN The Canadian Pacific Railway, whose large fleet of first-class steamers to Antwerp, Liverpool, and the ports of China and Japan are no insignificant portion of its carrying capacity and transporta- tion outfit, and which virtually controls transportation traffic here, contemplates making Three Rivers, as soon as the new section of wharf is completed, the principal shipping point of the St. Lawrence for cattle and live stock, as well as all the products of the West and Northwest. AMERICAN CAPITAL AND ENTERPRISE. Some fifty years ago the first American came into Three Rivers, and thirty years later enterprises under American auspices really started, and since then Americans have been actively engaged in developing the rich natural resources of the district. Indeed, Ameri- cans were the first to perceive clearly the possibilities for commerce and navigation and to make available the remarkable natural resources of this district, until now American capital is so largely invested that it amounts to over $6,000,000. : NATURAL RESOURCES. The country about Three Rivers is a rich agricultural region and commands to the south a considerable section of the fertile belt of the south shore and the eastern township and to the north, besides the no less fertile section surrounding Lake St. Peter, the vast and largely undeveloped but very resourceful territory of the St. Maurice River, with its forests and minerals and its incalculable wealth in water power. The resources of this territory afford, therefore, besides its remarkable shipping advantages, also rare facility for industry. IRON INDUSTRY. The iron industry of Canada, which dates back to the French régime as far as the seventeenth century, had its very origin in Three Rivers. The iron ores of the Dominion have a wide range both geographically and geologically. In the Province of Quebec there are rich and valuable deposits of magnetic ore. In the county of Beauce a bed of granular iron ore, about two-thirds magnetic, in a vein 45 feet wide, occurs in serpentine. During the year 1895 large productions of chromic iron were found in Coleraine, Province of Quebec. The ore averaged over 50 per cent. It is easily mined and has a market in the United States. In Lac 4 Tortue, in this district, is gathered an iron ore that_is used by the Canada Iron Furnace Company, of Radnor, of this district, and is principally consumed at that furnace. There is virtually no iron ore exported now to the United States. Pig iron, of which there was a very large export in 1903, has ceased to go out of Canada and is now largely imported. FURS, HIDES, AND SKINS. The fur trade, with its widespread ramifications in Canada, got. its start mainly in the territory of Three Rivers. NORTH AMERICA: DOMINION OF CANADA. 491 _The Indians, who were numerous in the territory, were frequent visitors of the town and brought skins in such large numbers that a big traffic developed. Later, when the Hudson Bay Company organ- ized, furriers were attracted hither from France and even from Germany. The Balcer Brothers, who by their descendants are still identified with the fur trade of this district and as exporters to the United States. of moccasins and snowshoes, came here about the middle of the last century from Lorraine because they had learned of the abundance of valuable fur skins that trappers and Indians were bringing into Three Rivers. Hides and skins are still largely exported from here. LUMBER. The lumber interests, which are the largest by far, naturally make a grand showing because of the abundance of forests in this section of Canada. Annually the sawmills of this district cut between 125,000,- 000 and 150,000,000 feet of lumber, and of this quantity about one- third is shipped to the United States and Great Britain. The cutting of pulp wood on the Crown lands and by private parties is an industry second only to that of lumbering. WATER POWER. The water power enriching this district is, next to the Canadian Falls at Niagara, the best in the Dominion, and is such as to haye given development both at Grande Mére and at Shawinagan Falls to large industries, but as yet less than 20 per cent of the electrical power there centered has been made use of. PROBABLE DEVELOPMENTS. The principal cause for the slow unfolding of Three Rivers as a port will be removed at once when the projected new railroad to the Pacific takes form. That enterprise has been much misjudged by the ultra conservative Canadians, and is by them declared to be mainly in the interest of the United States. It has even been pointed to as a “ Yankee scheme ” to enrich the port of Portland, Me., because in the winter months that American port has to do duty for the less favored northern ports of this Province. The new Pacific road, if built, and it seems to be only a question whether the Grand Trunk Railway or the government will build it, will open up the country for 150 miles to the north of Three Rivers, and naturally force prod- uce to seek an outlet to the sea by this the nearest and the most desirable port. Such a direct connection with the projected “ great natural highway of the north ” would add materially to the shipping trade of Three Rivers. It would also afford direct railway connec- tions with the already founded and rapidly growing industrial cen- ters along the St. Maurice River, which now are reached with diffi- culty by a branch of the Canadian Pacific Railway, known as the North Shore Railway, and built before anyone had a conception of the development of water powers at Shawinagan or Grande Mére. | A conception of the possible freight traffic alone that must ulti- mately center here is readily gained from the fact that at present 499 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. 50,000 tons of coal, besides marble and other raw material, have to be carried as supplies to Grande Mére annually. AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS. With a population of 110,000 in 1850, the value of products of field and farms in this district averaged $2,400,000; whereas, in 1880, with a population of 170,000, an increase of 54 per cent, the same products averaged $7,500,000, or, in other words, the increase tripled in the course of thirty years. In 1850, 41,000 milk cows produced 9,033 pounds of cheese and 842,- 700 pounds cf butter. In 1880, 62,000 cows gave 3,000,000. pounds of butter and nearly 2,000,000 pounds of cheese. The latter is the prod- uct of 23 factories. To-day cheese and butter factories exist in every locality; the stock of milk cows has more than tripled, not only in number but also in quality and capacity of production. The export of cheese alone exceeds 7,000,000 pounds, and the export of butter has reached 500,000 pounds. Hay also, which in 1850 figured with 97,000 tons, attained, in 1880, 200,000 tons. About 30,000 tons were shipped to the United States in 1885. To-day a number of American localities are still buyers despite the duty. The principal market is Montreal, both for export and for home consumption. A considerable quantity of hay is taken at. Montreal from this district, more particularly for the feeding, in stockyards and on board the steamers, of the 150,000 heads of cattle and horses that are shipped annually from that port. Cattle come to a great extent from the United States, principally from Chicago and Kansas City, and go in bond through Canada to Great Britain, the Continent of Europe, and elsewhere by reship- ment, i. e., transfer from rail to water transportation at Three Rivers. The transcontinental shipping of meats brought from the West by refrigerator cars is likewise effected here to a considerable extent. INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS. The products of the greater part of the industries of this district are: Pulp and paper, aluminum, boots and shoes, furs, hides and _ skins, gloves and moccasins, leather and leather goods, confectionery, cast Iron, axes and tools, metal goods, cabinet wares and furniture, coffins, carriages, tubing and tiling, agricultural implements, etc. The sale of these is directly effected by commercial travelers all over the Dominion and part of the United States, and these articles take generally the more rapid transport by rail. But the products of the forest—lumber, pulp wood, etc.—intended for home or neighboring markets go by the river and canal boats and to foreign markets by ocean carriers. CAPITAL EMPLOYED. The capital engaged in industries, the St. Maurice Forges not in- cluded, averaged in “ the fifties ” $400,000, with an annual production of only $250,000. Between 1870 and 1880 the capital engaged was $3,500,000. To-day American capital alone invested in the lumber, pulp, and paper industries exceed by far the last-mentioned figures, and the total amount invested in industries is estimated at $6,000,000 or more. NORTH AMERICA: DOMINION OF CANADA. 493 NAVIGATION. During the season of 1893, 106 vessels made use of the wharves of Three Rivers, and of these, 80 steamers registered over 185,000 tons. The rest did their loading in the stream, registering altogether 252,406 tons. The increase over 1902 was 15 steamers, or 16 per cent in number, and 83,080 tons, or nearly 50 per cent in tonnage, an increase of 44 per cent and 80 per cent, respectively, over the average of the last half decade, 1898-1902. Four hundred and twenty-nine American canal boats and 39 barges, with a tonnage of 46,835, also entered the port of Three Rivers in 1903. The port transactions affecting directly or indirectly the products of this district in 1903 amounted to at least $4,000,000. The total transactions at Three Rivers for the district will undoubtedly reach the $6,000,000 mark. EXPORTS. The direct exports to the United States invoiced at Three. Rivers and the two agencies connected with it, Grand Mére and Victoria- ville, show for the fiscal year 1903 a total of over $1,000,000. Many of these exports were carried on American canal boats. There is a record of 36,800 cords of pulp wood carried by. them, and 81 boats carried 4,500,000 feet of lumber. There was also shipped by rail 28,000 to 30,000 cords of pulp wood, bringing the quantity up to more than 60,000 cords, exceeding in value $350,000, with wood pulp falling little below that figure. The export to other countries was placed in the 106 vessels that entered the port and outports of Three Rivers during the season of 1903. Eighty of them, which moored at the wharves, shipped 54,632,000 feet of lumber, valued at $748,890, an increase of 16,000,000 feet and $200,000 over the quantity and value shipped in 1902. The average price of this lumber amounted to $14.50 per 1,000 feet, board measure. Of the lumber export, Great Britain received 67 cargoes, totaling 49,000,000 feet, at a value of $670,000. Of the balance, four cargoes, with a little over 2,000,000 feet, went to Spain. Portugal received three cargoes, with 1,333,000 feet; France, two cargoes, with about 1,000,000 feet, and Belgium and South Africa each one cargo, with 500,000 and 333,000 feet, respectively. Another 5,000,000 to 6,000,000 feet has to be added to the export to Great Britain, from lumber shipped by rail, via Quebec, by some of the mills along the Great Northern line. Se aye Out of a total export from this district to Europe and Australia of at least 75,000 tons from the ulp and paper mills, exceeding in value $2,000,000, only a trifle of over 4,500 tons, partly for Great Britain and partly for Belgium, did actually go in bottoms from this port. The same is true of nearly all other exports that go from this district. Particularly is this true of the products going from the various industrial establishments situated along the St. Maurice River. It needs but the instancing of the imports and exports by sea of the pulp and paper mills of Grand Mére to make evident the incompleteness of the export figures given. The same is no less true of Shawenigan, where Belgian capital is invested to the amount of $3,000,000. 494 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. IMPORTS. The direct imports into this district by sea exceeded in 1903 $500,000 in value and consisted principally of anthracite coal. American canal boats and barges brought 50,000 tons of coal and 35,000 tons of sulphur, some timber from the Southern States; also, pig iron and general merchandise. Since the adoption of the new customs regulations it is even more difficult to obtain accurate compu- tations for imports than exports. The records of this port show that duties were collected on goods coming from the United States exceeding in value $500,000. CONSULAR INVOICES In 1904. Up to October 31, 1904, the number of invoices at this consulate exceeds those of last year for a like period by 112; the amount of ex- ports exceeds that of the same period by $75,000. At the two consular agencies—Victoriaville and Grand Mére—the same favorable conditions for Canadian export to the United States prevail. TRADE CONDITIONS. There are no special taxes or licenses whatever required of ‘for- eigners doing business in this district. Americans are at liberty to come and compete on the same conditions as the Canadians. Longer credits are usually given here than in the United States. Ninety days, and in many instances as much as four and five months, are conceded by Canadian and British merchants. American mer- chants wishing to do business in this district should grant equally favorable terms. '" The rate of exchange is one-eighth of 1 per cent. United States money passes current at par, and much is circulated here. The wages paid in this district are a trifle lower than in the United States, and the supply of labor, with the exception of domestic serv- ants, is greater than the demand. YUKON TERRITORY. For statistics covering the commerce of the Yukon Territory (imports and exports; mining, transportation, and postal facilities; and customs regulations) see report by Consul Leo Bergholz, of Daw- son, in Daily Consular Reports for December 21, 1904, No, 2138. MEXICO. [FroM ConsUL-GENDRAL J. R. PARSONS, CITY oF MEXICUO, DECEMBER 31, 1904.] INTRODUCTION. It is possible that the newcomer, while liable often to reach erro- neous conclusions, receives some impressions of a more sharp and definite character than one who has lived so long in a country as to take as a matter of course conditions which surprise the stranger. NORTH AMERICA; MEXICO. 495 Though Mexico and the United States are next-door neighbors, though every year adds more strands of common interest to the bond of neighborhood, it is a curious fact that the average American, even the average American of intelligence, is grossly ignorant of conditions in Mexico. As a trifling proof of this statement, ‘take the matter of postage. During the few months’ experience at this consulate-general I have noticed that quite a large proportion of the miscellaneous letters received from the United States bear excessive postage, betraying the writer’s ignorance of the fact that rates of postage to Mexico are the same as to any point in the United States or Canada. Under the head of “ Means for enlarging American trade with Mexico ” will be found a repetition of the recommendation made in former reports that travelers representing American houses should visit the Republic at least once a year. If this recommendation had borne proper fruit it would be superfluous to correct impressions which are now prevalent at home. The general impression of the American who has never visited Mexico as to its climate is notoriously erroneous. The traveler who comes here from the United States during the summer months receives the commiseration of his friends as to the uncomfortable heat he is expected to encounter, even though his visit be to the table-lands where the thermometer rarely rises above 70° F. in the shade and often falls far below that figure. In fact, both in the temperate and in the cold regions, variations in temperature are small throughout the year, though daily changes are often considerable. _ Unless the traveler to the table-lands of Mexico has provided him- self with such clothing as he would need in our Middle States in October, he is apt to suffer discomfort. During the past summer at my home in the suburbs of the City of Mexico I have often wished for the luxury of an open fire, a luxury almost unknown in Mexico, and have found the petroleum stove an inadequate substitute. In summer, while exercising at midday, one can wear clothing that would be suitable in New York at the same season, but when quiet in the shade and in the early mornings and late afternoons warm clothing is essential both to health and comfort. In the United States the impression is prevalent that life in Mex- ico is unsafe as compared with life at home, especially outside of the civilizing influences of the cities, owing to the supposed lawless char- acter of the Indians, who form such a large part of the total popula- tion. I myself have heard that a pistol was a wise precaution at almost any time. The agreeable truth is, that in my experience the average Mexican peasant, man or woman, is gentle and courteous to a surprising degree. The answers to one’s greetings as he rides or tramps through the country are marked almost invariably by a grace and kindliness that form a pleasing contrast to the rather gruff salutes of our own people of like status. Even the little children seem born with this gift of gentle courtesy. The rude homes of the poorer Indians, constantly adorned with rows of carefully potted plants, and brightened often by the songs of many captive and appa- rently well-cared for birds, give evidence of, unexpected refinement of taste. Apart from this impression of the gentle nature of the people, one’s sense of personal security in Mexico is enhanced by the unusual 496 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. efficiency of the pe system. At night the presence of the gens- @arme with his lighted lantern at short regular intervals along the streets of the cities and in the smaller towns, and the half-hourly recurrence of his long, shrill whistle during one’s hours of wakeful- ness, would give even the timid a sense of constant protection quite unknown in the United States. To many travelers in Mexico one of the agreeable surprises is to find, even in extremely small and rude Indian villages, the well-built, well-kept schoolhouse. Of late years, as is shown by the interesting article on education in the last message of President. Diaz, the Gov- ernment has taken a deep and effective interest in education. School attendance 1s compulsory and the school apparatus is, in many cases, good. There is, however, in this direction a wide field for the enter- prising manufacturers of school apparatus, and more especially for the publishers of modern school text-books. The message of President Diaz at the opening of the National Con- gress in September is an interesting statement of the actual develop- ment of Mexico during the past fiscal year. The omission of all reference to the proposed change in the monetary standard created at first some uneasiness, but this was quickly allayed in November when the minister of finance submitted to Congress the bill for mone- tary reform, which is discussed briefly elsewhere in this report. IMPORTS AND EXPORTS. The imports and exports for the entire Republic are given in the tables following for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1904, compared with those for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1903, the imports in gold valuations, the exports in silver valuations. The figures for 1903 have been finally revised; those for 1904 are subject to simi- lar revision. The revision of the figures in 1903 subtracted only $3,052.62 ¢ gold from total imports, but it subtracted $4,739,475.09 silver from the total exports, taken from bullion gold and gold in other forms, thus throwing entirely out of proportion the compari- sons in the last report from this consulate-general of total exports, and particularly of exports of mineral products. This mistake arose, as stated in a recently published supplement to the Boletin de Estadistica Fiscal, through errors on the part of many Mexican customs officials in rating bullion gold and gold in other forms at its commercial value instead of at its legal value, and was discovered as a result of a special inquiry to explain the extraordinary figures first given. Though slight differences in the first and final revisions will doubtless continue, it is not probable that a mistake like this, pronounced by the Mexican officials a “ lamentable error,” will ever occur again. IMPORTS IN GOLD VALUATIONS. Mexico’s imports in 1903-4 amounted to $78,308,442.60, as com- pared with $75,904,807.58 in 1902-3, an increase of $2,403,635.02, or 3.17 per cent. The increase over the preceding fiscal year in 1902-3 was 14.61 per cent. «Increases: Animal substances, $5,916.96; arms and explosives, $680; equals, $6,596.96. Decreases: Vegetable substances, $7,327.30; mineral substances, $1,426.28 ; dry goods, $74; paper and its products, $81; machinery and apparatus, $25; vehicles, $680; miscellaneous, $36; equals, $9,649.58. Net decrease equals $3,052.62. NORTH AMERICA: MEXICO. 497 All eeneral divisions of imports show increases in 1903-4 except mineral substances, in which the decrease was $1,528,947.87. Except im animal substances ($961,500.89) and vehicles ($512,243.38) the increase 1n no general division amounted to half a million dollars. Of the foreign goods imported into Mexico in 1903-4 the United States supplied 54.41 per cent, or $42,608,768.87, as compared with 53.74 per cent, or $40,795,956.45, in 1902-3, a gain of $1,812,812.42. In 1902-3 the gain over 1901-2 was only $344,915.01. In 1901-2, however, our imports ‘amounted to 57.89 per cent, the highest figure yet reached. There are comparatively few countries with which Mexico carries on important commercial relations. With the exception of the United States ($42,608,768.87, or 54.41 per cent), Great Britain ($10,016,- 151.838, or 12.78 per cent), Germany ($9,541,081.40, or 12.18 per cent), France ($7,472,073.20, or 9.54 per cent), Spain ($3,271,660.82, or 4.17 per cent), and Belgium ($2,179,948.12, or 2.78 per cent), Mexico did not buy of any country in 1903-4 foreign goods to the value of $1,000,- 000 gold. Italy, for example, sold only $594,994.69 in value, and Austria-Hungary only $501,186.32 in value. The United States, France, and Spain show substantial gains. Great Britain and Bel- gium fall off considerably, and Germany a little. The countries of Europe together supplied Mexico with 44.12 per cent of her foreign commodities, or 10.29 per cent less than was supplied by the United States alone. 3 A Increase (+)or Classification. 1903-4. 1902-3. decrease (_). Animal substances ...-...--.-.---------------------+- , 695, 938.47 | $4,734, 437.60 | + $961,500.87 Vegetable substances 5 owen -.--| 18, 787,995.73 | 18,582,548.79 | + 255, 446.94 Mineral substances. -- ‘i ees 22,487, 474.94 | 24,016, 422. 8. —1,528, 947, 87 Dry goods ...._--.---. -- 2.22 =e oe ene e nent eee 9, 920, 268. 9,766, 154. 64 154,113. 69 Chemical and pharmaceutical substances .. -- -| 8,158, 202.61 2,791, 622.83 | + 366,579.78 Spirituous, fermented, and natural beverages --..- 8, 393, 021. 81 8, 183, 238.06 | + 259,788.75 Paper and its products- -.---.---..------------- --| _ 2,336, 451.40 1,925, 361.46 | + 411,089.94 Machinery and apparatus -- ----| 10,622,475.64 | 10,337,085.06 | + 285,390.58 Vehicles -.-<2.2+<.-5-s25-- 25 2, 225,913.06 | 1,'718,669.68 | + 512,243.38 Arws and explosives. 2,179, 611. 75 1,796, 311.85 | + 388,299.90 Miscellaneous ---..---- 2, 501, 088. 86 2,157, 954.80 | + 348,134.06 EA oc ccc avanaucuscsanaodcar daa Keaesenener 78,308, 442.60 | 75, 904,807.58 | +2, 408,635.02 Increase(+)or 1903-4. 1902-3. decrease (--). ' $9,541,081. 40 | $9,569,088.95 | — $27,957.55 501, 186. 32 , 396. + 47,790. 08 2,179, 948. 12 2,589, 773.93 | — 409,825.81 3, 271, 660. 82 3, 029,649.97 | + 242,010. 85 7,472, 073. 20 6,537, 289.18 | + , 184. 02 10, 016,151.83 | 10,331,115.71 | — 314,968.88 , 306, 52 254,752.40 | + 5, 554. 12 594, 994. 69 493,164.01 | + 101,880.68 103, 708. 82 86,105.89 | + 17,602. 93 54,898, 39 52,345.75 | + 2,552. 64 5, 904, 75 230.00 | + 8, 674. 75 328" 120-30 | 46°01. 11 | 58,680.81 ane i nods =: 26,318.75 18,383.08 | + ° 985.7 Boll oc awidanararhenneneea ada iaaden oor Rae 84,551, 924.43 | 33,912,035.82 | + 639,288. 61 PE Oh 9 apnea Leroi ate SE 112,284.00} 71,530.00} + 40,754.00 ORLai Gotn Hridg once cy ees ence aeceunn 4, 634. 00 81818.69 | — 4, 184. 69 MPRA oc canis ten nen nkne soe aE eRe rem hes 116, 918. 00 80,348.69 | + 36,569.31 32 H. Doe. 481, 58-3. 498 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. Increase (-+ or Whence imported. 1903-4. 1902-3. a ie Asia: Wa ook noon erecta acme etee aa eenceaseeecoe Ste $173, 974.75 $96,099.74 | + $77,875.01 Hinduslan 395, 257. 25 521,454.59 | — 126,197.3 Japan... 525 essece z 67, 697.40 71,817.08 | — 4,119. 68 Other countries -_...-....--2..20065 = eeeeee eee 15, 782. 62 | - 6,766.05 | + 9,016, 57 Otel ese ce es Waa nen witocleee '@52, 712,02 | 696,137.46 | — | 43,425.44 at a cada day Needs EER ATES \ 30, 156. 50 18,058.25 | + 12,098.25 United States._....--.2..--- 2. eee eee eee eee | 42,608, 768.87 | 40,795, 956.45 | + 1,812,812.42 — cas ests ds cennendanene “79,638, 925.87 | 40,814, 014.70 | + 1,824, 910.67 Central America: 1 Oe aa a alee ick ak 17,987.59 12,924.54 | + 5,063.05 British Honduras eiomde 2,472. 5, 833.00 | — 3,361.00 Other countries - 9, 839 593.50 | + 9. 245. 50 Mtl eed capt Rete craceele eet |___ 30,298.59 19,351.04} + 10,947.55 South America: BYragil) ocn.ccsdsinsceacnrqaieeiusernceveereescesics | 14,522. 20 15, 106.00 | — 583.80 Colombia - 24,992.00 22,875.50 | + 2,116. 50 ile --..-- 6, 283, 40 7,094. ~ 810. 60 Ecuador -- 109, 527.00 108, 766.99 | + 5, 760. 01 Peru..< c=: 20, 346. 00 16, 829.50 | + 38,516. 50 Argentina -- 4,327.67 1,512.00 | + 2,815. 67 Venezuela __-. -- 12,624.10 26,242.95 | — 18,618.85 Other countries 1,670.50 2,017.25 | — 346. PO GE ejoete np merrier nos AS agtonisApcinieins See sieecieemaaiae 4 194, 292. 87 195, 441.19 | — 1,151. 32 Antilles: ‘ Cuba _..---.-- ee ' 108, 703. 00 121,102.98 | — 12,399.93 Other countries -- és 8,317.00 8, 452.00 | — 135.00 MOA sect che Se bacd oe acme abate Seance ' 17,020.00 129,554.93 | — 12,534.93 Oceania: { AMBIVOHA, oc2.. 22 noon amscuen ts desseeensenese ecicieeee 120. 32 57,888.75 | — 57,268. 43 Other Countries 222... epee en en renee eoeess ' 6, 831. 00 532.00 | + 6,299. MRO tales ox rises Sate atunig emesis enciceaueoee 6,951 32} . 57,920.75 | — 50, 969.48 Recapitulation: E "34,551,824. 48 | . 33, 912,085.82 | + 689, 288. 61 696,187.46 | — 43,425.44 80, 348.69 | + 569. 3 40, 814,014.70 | + 1,824,910. 67 Central America _....-- aisdtianane : A 19,351.04) + 10,947. South America.....-..- emrnidionte : . 195, 444.19 | — 1,151.82 Antilles cco cepecesresce - 117, 020. 00 129,554.98 | — 12, 534. 93 Oceania <2 222 eseueee se o 6, 951. 32 57,920.75 | — 50,969. 43 Grand total_........-....-.-------+--.----- +--+ 78, 808, 442.60 | 75, 904,807.58 | + 2,403, 635. 02 EXPORTS (SILVER VALUATION). In 1903-4 Mexico exported $196,690,510.60 in value (silver) as compared with $192,989,493.68 in 1902-8, a gain of nearly 2 per cent. The Sieben ieee 71.96 per cent of the total exports as compared with 72.32 per cent in 1902-3, 81. i a 78.86 per cent in 1906-1901. poe eminent The destination of exports confirms the statement made with refer- We to imports that there are comparatively few countries with which lexico carries on important commercial relations. it = tion of the United States ($141,537,181.05, or 71.96 ie a Gast Britain ($24,991,465.66, or 12.91 per cent), Germany ($10 900,414. 88 or 5.54 per cent), France ($6,261,698.53, or 3.18 per cent) Belgium ($5,589,142.95, or 2.84 per cent), Cuba ($4,260,288, or 2.17 per cent) and Spain ($2,401,064, or 1.22 per cent) Mexico did_not sell in any country in 1908-4 goods amounting to $300,000 in silver valuations. NORTH AMERICA: MEXICO. The United States took 71.96 per cent, Europe 25.56 Antilles 2.17 per cent, and all other countries of the world one-hundredths of 1 per cent. 499 er cent, the thirty-one Classification. 1903-4. Mineral products: Gola— Mexican coined gold __- Foreign coined gold. Bullion gold __._._. Gold in other forms. Increase (+) or 1902-3. decrease (—), aes, see $107, 668. 00 $106,630.00} + $1,038.00 _ 2,926. 00 329. = » £03. 10, 084, 658.10 8, 928,067.51 | +1,156,590.59 531, 187.39 425, 86.67 | + 105,900.72 Total gold __.... 22222222220 00-22-0222... 10,726, 489.49 9,469, 313.18 +1, 257, 126. 31 Silver— Mexican coined silver__......______ Jeepare Foreign coined silver __.........____.. DBaaOn SEV OR soc ecu dais caves satan Silver in other forms .....-_.. _.__..- e Ss go ZES mee oO ec be 21,098, 739.00 85, 46, 857, 391.36 10, 018, 042. 01 +2, 463, 144. 00 — _ 1,457, 457. 93 — 569, 284. 42 +4, 551, 147.17 CR SEO a oe word Lueine candaecowsee _ 79,074, 889.72 | 77,554,713.04 | +1,520, 176.68 Total gold and silver. ......-_............... 89,801, 329.21 |- 87,024,026. 22 +2,777, 302. 99 Copper .._..--..2-- 2222222222222 eens -e--- =... 28,284,216. 35 | 20,122,338. 42 +8, 111, 877.98 Lea -| 4,825, 637. 87 5, 669,070.21 | — 848,432.34 Other mineral products_...........-........--).. 1,358, 979.52 1,176, 766.95 | + 182,212.57 Total mineral products ._...... ......_.... 119, 220, 162.95 | 113, 992, 201. 80 | +5, 227,961.15 Vegetable products: ' OCG urnemmepat yeas Wclids aesadies Sie gocgeneacs 8, 676, 239. 26 9,021,501.09 | — 345, 261.83 Raw henequen . 81,525,156.75 | 32,620,579.50 | —1, 095, 422.75 Lumber..-.....-. Z . 2,618, 560, 85 1, 837,736.50 | + , 824. 35 Dyewoods -.._-.-_..- 551.52 964,015.46 | — 116,463.94 Raw tobacco (leaf). _____ . 1,899, 623.93 1, 383,301.36 | + 516,322.57 Other vegetable products __..._.............--.. 14, 981,547.19 | 12,022,783.00 | +2,958, 764.19 MOtal. sac sasenene stectaeae oe cls haiecieten weadon | 60,548, 679.50 | 57,849,916.91 | +2,698, 762.59 | 8,625,548. 50 7,000, 676.50 | ~3,375,128.00 Raw hides -_.-..---.- | 6,554, 088. 63 7, 466,481.50 | — 912,392.87 Other animal products. -__----.--_..--..-.-.-----. ; 691, 681. 09 795,672.99 | — 103,991.90 BOG scat sae cnt ee seb eee | 10, 871,318.22 | 15, 262,830.99 | —4,391,512.97 Manufactured products: ; Pene Dae een ee 1, 065, 522. 00 1, 355, 653.00 | -— 290,181.00 Manufactured tobacco---__.-- 5 340, 861. 46 654, 229.09 | — 313,367.63 Other manufactured products 4,121, 689. 51 3, 123,783.94 | + 997,905.57 Totals)... cc setae sees cole aceon | 5,528,072. 97 5, 133,666.03 | + 394,406.94 Miscellaneous exports _ -.---.----------------.------ 522, 276. 96 750, 877.95 | -— 228,600.99 1 rtation: TO an Tootsie a cneoraat Soiyssciewcpereeeeeiset Siese 89,801, 329.21 | 87, 024,026.22 | +2,'777, 302.99 Other articles cjoc cic ett eciciaecci seins seinen: yaeawiecs 106, 889, 181.39 | 105,965, 467.46 | + 923,713.93 Grand total_.......-... ..--....-..-.-....-..| 196,690,510. 60 | 192, 989,493.68 | -+3,701, 016.92 Increase (+) or Exported to— 1903-4. 1902-3. decrease (-—). BE me eee PT sles, $10,900, 414.88 } $9,491,363.30 | +$1,409, 051.58 Austria-Hungary - @ , 618. 00 872.00 | + 25, '746. 00 Belgium --_....------ ---| 5,589,142. 95 5, 634,407.88 | — 45, 264.93 Spain -_-- eae 7 ..| 2,401, 064.00 1, 163, 798.00 | + 1,237,266. 00 PACS cc asc pecntere ani daccrenisgans ommimamaed was enemas 6, 261, 698.53 | 3, 653,948.44 | + 2,607, 750.09 Groat: Britain 2 c.c0.:.22 22252 2 he eccscccinrsceeccice 24,991, 465.66 | 26,764,607.82 | — 1,773, 042.16 Holland. ....ssssseeoscers steeer Seee steels oeged 72, 962. 00 89,166.00 | — 16, 204. 00 Wtaly: ccc.cscccce penta scnstee testes saees ketene 7,126.00 300. - 12,174.00 RUSSa ones as seescanemace she gee eee seceusee _ 12, 900. 42,870.58 | — 29,970. Switzerland 2... ieee aocamsenenresiine) vhs manlehe sr depenaae 109.00 | — aur Other countries ---.-. .--------.-------- pan 1,675.00 |..---- Bebe Asse + 675. 46, 860, 334. 02 | + 8,404, 733. 00 POA Soka veg soa rane AGA aes. ee cage, 8 “50, 2855 067.02 500 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. Increase (+)or Exported to— 1908-4. 1902-3. decrease (—). Asia: = 29, 288. Chine sian sn oO hae oasis + : 5, Lt Japan F 806.00 |.--------------- ag . Total 6, 129. 00 30,000.00 | — 23, 871.00 North America: : 12, 376,00 11, 350.00 | + 1,026.00 BTR goose > area cero RT 181.08 | 109, 081,088. 88 |, 2+ 1,070, 08T. ga otal --- 2-22 cece ccc cce cence ccceceeeeeeececeeeee- 141,549,557. 05 139,578, 433.33 | + 1,971, 123.72 Central America: 279, 918.13 253,631.45 | + 26,286.68 a oa = 141, 534. 40 61,750.00 | + 79,784.40 OP her COUBLTIOS 6 o cceac o-cannvencncersareawene Decrease. In the total value of exports is included the premium on gold ex- ported, calculated at $675.416 per kilogram. The value of silver is calculated at the rate of $40.915 per kilogram. On this basis, as is seen, the excess of exports is $32,415,022.12. In commenting on this Finance Mirister Limantour writes as follows: On former occasions similar to the present explanations have been given in to th® apparent insufficiency of our exports to meet the value, of our ane plus the payments that have to be made abroad for the service of the 502 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. debts of the Federal and some State governments and the interest and dividends of many concerns established in this country with foreign capital. There is no reason, therefore, for dwelling now on this feature, save to repeat that if a trade balance is understood to mean merely the shipments and receipts of mer- chandise there can be no doubt that our balance is unsatisfactory, but if it is understood to mean the entry and outgo of values of all kinds, including those procured by the use of international credit, Mexico need have no fear that she is parting with her substance to the benefit of other nations, for undoubtedly the investment of capital, which flows hither from all sides to develop our natural resources and to create new sources of production, will always enable us to settle with ease our indebtedness to foreign countries. BALANCE OF CHARTERED BANKS, NOVEMBER 30, 1904. ASSETS. a o Cash. - . L Capital un- eres ee __| Bills receiy- cans On Banks. = = eo er: subscribed, Coin. Bills. ae. | Pert Nacional de México __..-.._|_....2. 22.2222. $35, 866, 968. 89 |$2, 171, 348.00 ($30, 624, 350. 43 1833, 750, De Londres y México = --| 18,986, 206.03 | 1,194,522.00 | 34,849, 180.68 | 12,948 089, 00 Central Mexicano -......-.-|...-.......-..-| 1)320,254.88 | 1,917; 634.00 | «4? 646,057.81 | 2°6167 798.19 Internacional 6 Hipotecario| $1,500,000. 60 231,732.31 | "382,870.00 492,941.71 | "708, 632. 82 Agricola é Hipotecario. ....) 2... -0 21.2... 5 oO BB. 80 nga can ca cis a 569,774.70 Yucateco ......-..-... i ‘ 568,164.00 | 9,512, 680.22 | 4,943) 497.5 Oriental de México. _- 231, 983.00 4, a6, 303. 15 "438" 615,13 ANOPO on sce ses 006. , 046, 203. 62 : Mercantil de Yucatan a 10,405.00 | 4,933; 636.28 | 2. Bae ano oD e Jalisco ....-....--.-.---- ae 63,918.00 | 5,715,317. "399, 637. Mercantil de Monterrey --. 143,810.00 | 2, ioe oF a ieee a De Durango __.............- 561, 405.72 81,836.00 | 2,786,299.04 | 9397411. 93 Mercantil de Veracruz. ___. 4 03 j 73, 065.00 4 026; 076. 40 ss De Nuevo Leén.__...... valteeteon --| 841,599.09 | 74,435.00 | 2,843041.98 |” 606,014.73 De Coahuila ....7-02117! aver. --| 627,416.03 | 18,801.00 | 279201113,92 | —100'254' 42 Del Estado de México ci --| 962,008.11 | 74,350.00 | 3/465, 052. 54 47,508. 92 Occidental de México 915,527. 90 6,839.00 | 13035; 882.93 | 114’ 032. 97 De San Luis Potosi Ai; 040, 22. 3 78, 744.00 | 4127899272} — 711'260. 97 e Campeche... -- 013. 045. , 565, i De Guanajuato. 728,941.41 | 89,920. 00 2, foe a 6 61, 6or'50 De Morelos . .. 601; 873. 21 9,555.00 | 1,052; 778.40 | 945.796. 87 Det NBeL 160.84 | Setet0O | Baer eces | ee De Tabasco ._._- =; 200,000.00] — 536;368:66 | 27732000 | 123367173. 28 17 95.91 De Tamaulipas - 360,000.00 | 646,801.25 | 31820.00 | 1:794;861.14 | 114°617.50 De Zacatecas ._- “400,000.00 | 536; 624. 53, 898.00 |b 2; 329/184.00 |...-..-.. De Querétaro..__. -| 400,000.00} 503,495.77 | — 18°825.00 | 15358'505. 48 55, 765. 68 De Aguascalientes --222221.)..2222..2.- 1... 336,145.94 | 19,070.00 | 1,204, 084.53 72,145. 74 De Michoacan ..... 22] 270751335 7,390.00 | 15055, 777.98 000. 00 De Hidalgo ... eb sasemcteneeecs 504; 124. 6 3,675.00 | 582'599.22 26; 455.30 De Chiapas _.92- 2772772 245,000.00 | 129,981'28 |...) 266, 619. 18 wus Comercial Refaccionario...| 100,000.00 11, 893.78 |” 64,150.00 133,973.93 | 94, 663. 42 Total sccccicwadaeseee |_3,795, 000. 00 | 74,585, 291.53 | 7,576,589, 25 (141,807,478. 00 | 64,092, 119. 98 Total on Oct. 31, 1904... .... 4,014, 720.00 | 72,115, 767. : 3 Total on Nov. 36, 1903 | 3°94’ 000.00 | 58° 473° ios Ba 6 dos bet 00 Lay sae eae 62316; 808,78 Total on Novy. 30,1902 53, 553, 022. 72 | 7; 681,536.00 [127'703' 665.48 | 47'341’ 665.77 Total on Nov. 30, 1901 4, 869, 063. 29 | 4°859) 827,00 | 98377’ 064. 45 | 38837" 741.91 Total on Nov. 30, 1896. 7, 139; 000; 00 (o) 38, 467, 000.00 | 93.061; 000.00 Hypoth : : Current Furnitur Banks. eaten Sight bills. | debtor ac- and { pag Total. count. tures. Nacional de México _ me lietek x crsrers ane meme ate 42 Seal « De Londres y México $3,049) 054. 44 7227777777777 a ee iy 209.16 |$167, 325, 006. 51 Central Mexicano - 68,614.00 $3,804, 848.97 | 715: 644’ 650.03 | ged 448-38 | 75,805,306. 10 Internacional é Hip 11, 205,493.98 43" 400' 938 Be 405, 000. 20,513, 859. 88 Agricola 6 Hipotecario. 2, 464’ 616.19 2, 487/50'| "San age ae | See? Be. 9 1 eon’ are ucateco -....-..-..-- 200, 000. 923; 208. 82 a8" 9 OO. £9 , 898, 878. 84 Oriental de México. 70° 000.00 | 2,868 ooo e ae | a 458.25 | 20,08, 37-18 inero_..._........... “| ek Pa 218) 4° arte 1908, 1 VEO, DOW. Me tne de Yucatan __._... eee ‘ ay ia o how oars ae is 280 ear 18 @ Jalisco ..222-.0---. 0. 338, 829.82 | 291,630.19 | 2/366,171.97 | 108'491.5 , 463, 160. : , , 366, 171. 491.53 | 10/463; 160, 39 Mercantil de Monterrey ... 20,200.00 | 502,515. 00 862, 050. 89 304; 033; 60 5, 854. 196, 45 «Including $47,396.64 of demand loans. > With and without per t : «Included i coin ont he canal or hypothecary secur ity. neludin; 6,418 i i «Loans secured b 5 ea nel pu becrbed and unissued. neluding 153.75 in refactiona 9 Including $625,470.80 sight deposits, > oe z 4 NORTH AMERICA: MEXICO. BALANCE OF CHARTERED BANKS, NOVEMBER 30, 1904—Continued. ASSETS—continued. Hypothe ‘ ‘ Current Furnitur Banks. eerie Sight bills. GentOe Re: ane fix. Total, ie ures. De Durango ____-_...---_..- 1 O81 . = Mereantil de Varactua 2$0'120.50 | *arerrel.ss | *eiost’ gee. os | S1ra'see:os | SS'san' tay oe Sea | | Se) | ee) eee 2. gta. ° d * > mS , ied ty ? - , % ? . ~ Rel Hetade ge Mari. 14,700.00 359, 198. BT 295,072.03 | 34:706.28 | 5, 252) 586. De San Luis Potosi. | bee Tare) SBD OD || Bee 308 be eCampeche......._........ 10,771.17" * u - 7 oe i fae eee iD 7 200, De Guatajuata 13ST? | mas'soa.00 | 2,sis0oL.ar | 10:00:00 | Boas yee. o2 © Morelos . . 46,000.00 | 1927399146 | ~’711'182.33 oa » 859,515, De Sonora . 154’ 000.00 1099. Lbasireh ce Wa goa 2, 859, 515, 7000.00 |.....-..-.-.. , 055, 798.33 | 75,093. 75 : 3 De Oaxaca - dees tore 59,510. 00 271;590.99 | 32/058.89 3 160088 A etre ne 86, 858.38 138, 288.97 704,561. 81 De Zacatecas _....._.--.....|------- ee 423; 308.79 2 toe" ta. 2 De Querétaro. ._. 13,000.00] 151,629.00 | —' 49,314. 41 De Aguascalientes 11,505.00 | _81}773.25 840, 880.09 De MichoacAn ... 3'000.00 | 106,843.17 388, 188.56 De Hidalgo .........--. 12. --e--e- = 119; 099.70 141; 082.51 De Chiapas -----_ 29,400.00°, 83,026.00 168, 964. 06 ad Comercial Refaccionario... .......-------- 25,015.00 162; 357.84 | «3,633.69. Totaliee eget assy hee | 18, 862,057.77 |14, 807, 148. 42 | 136, 222,195.27 4, 498, 814.89 | 466,336,145, 15 Total on Oct. 31, 1904. ...... 18, 670,471.11 |15,547, 268.90 | 133, Fotal on Nov. 8, 1908. a 17, 941, 602. 5 15,412, 277-21 Lit 4967716. 06 3 6ae add, 2a 408 203" 842. Of "30, 1902___...; 17,261,708. 39 | 9694'884.95 | 83; 752’ 953.71 |2' 699,619.88 | 354,609,066. 90 Total on Nov. 30, [901.......| 14.718,057.23 | 5,509; 447.50 | 62/274; 062. 14 [2'128; 087.23 | 287,239) 550. ; \718, 057.23 | 5, : ” 274, 062. 14 |2, 126, 087. 23 | 287,239, 550. 75 Total on Nov. 30,1896. .--...| 0) (cy *090;,000. 00 |1;124'000:00 | 139/021;000; 00 LIABILITIES. ; Soni id = Banks. Capital. See etay Meneeee Sight deposits. Nacional de México_...........------ " $26, 000, 000. 00 | De Londres y México_- 575" 000" 000 00 ae RBI 163,00 a ier “a $4; 646, 406.19 Central Mexicano...._........ 10,000}000.00 |. $1, 797,500.00 | °6,582;971.38 lapernacieng) 6 Hipotecaric as 8,00. 000.00 Seenoeei cect] 910, 681, 800. 00 "502) 865.97 cola 6 Hipotecario...... _- 27000, 000.00 |.-.--- 2 @ 951, 000. 00 aes Yucateco........--.-.------------ ~ 8,000,000.00 | 4. ; Sota re 27, 927.72 Oriental de México 6,000;000.00 | 3, ie ie wo |. 2 aD nero --...-.------- soe 5,000, 000.00} 3,578,760.00 , - ; Mereantil de Yucatan -.--. __- 4,000;000.00 | 2°740;305.00) De J aHsco'j- 2 cesccesesecscniesa 3,000, 000. 00 1, 921,500. 00 | Mercantil de Monterrey .-.-....----- _ 23500,000.00 | 1) 329,745.00 |. De- Durango... .--=- .222 -<20e0 22222305 | 2,000, 000. 00 946, 975.00 Mercantil de Veracruz -- 2,000, 000. 00 3,710, 935. 00 De Nuevo Leén d 2,000, 000. 00 2, 431, 926. 00 De Coahuila_...-------- 1,600, 000.00 } 1,125,510.00 |- Del Estado de México ._- 15500;000.00 | 1,805, 900.00 | - Occidental de México. ... 1,500, 000. 00 1, 457, 440. 00 |. De San Luis Potosi 1,100, 000. 00 1,945, 195.00 |. De Campeche -...-.------------ 1,000, 000. 00 463, 430. 00 De Guanajuato 1, 000, 000. 00 1, 445, 655. 00 De Morelos. .----- 1, 000, 000. 00 1,037, 795.00 | De Sonora-.-.- 1, 000, 000. 00 2,581, 975.00 - De Oaxaca-- 1, 000, 000. 00 521,365.00 | De Tabasco. - --. 1,000, 000. 00 818,100.00 - De Tamaulipas. - - 1; 000,000.00 | 1,132, 210.00 | De Zacatecas. -..- 1, 000, 000, 00 914, 235.00 © De Querétaro _...---- 1, 000, 000. 00 860,695.00 - De Aguascalientes - -- 600, 000. 00 581, 685. 00 De Michoacan. .---- 600, 000. 00 488, 520. 00 De Hidalgo. -.-- 500, 000. 00 844; 065.00 De Chiapas._-..-- eee 500, 000. 00 235,900.00 Comercial Refaccionario .-....-.----: PU CON certains mecieces: mpricsa acm ainsien ei Motalwcceaisietesenssceuseguces 109, 600,000.00 | 83,368, 500.00 | 13,380,300.00 | 12,236,849. 28 Total on Oct. 31, 1904.....------------| 109, 600,000.00 | 81,852,747.75 | 18,205,400.00 | 12,774,503. 33 Total on Nov. 30, 1903.....----------- 105/850, 000.00 | 84254/191.75 | 13,008,900.00 | 18, 785,313.06 Total on Nov. 30, 1902...--...-..----- 86, 850, 000. 00 °275, 427.75 | 13,148,100.00 | 16,046, 968. 06 Total on Nov. 30, 1901.... -...------- 80, 300,000.00 | 68,936, 451.50 | 10,552,100.00 | 12,908, 231. 72 Total on Nov. 30, 1806---..-.--------- 40, 550,000.00 | 40,916, 000. 00 (h) (4) a Furniture, fixtures, etc. b Included in loans on personal property. ec Included in accounts debtors. adTime deposits. e Cash bonds. hInclude f Of this sum $1,586,568.48 are time deposits. 9g Mortgage bonds. in notes in circulation. iIncluded in accounts creditors, p04 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. BALANCE OF CHARTERED BANKS, NOVEMBER 30, 19v4—vontinued. LIABILITIES—continued. — ea — Current cred- tal. Banks. itor accounts. Reserve fund. Total. pe i i 0.74 271, 063. 77 $167, 325, 006.51 Nacional de México --..-----------------0770777 te eT eo $3500" 000. 00 "75, 805, 308. 10 De Londres y México -------------- ------------ ” O95 485, 82 1) 037; 902. 73 29,518, 859, 88 Central Mexicano -.------------ 10, 095, 485. , 037, 902. , 513, 859. i i 1, 982, 294. 84 225,000. 00 18, 341, 960. 81 Internacional é Hipotecario---- 500 749.37 57129. 47 3) 898° 878. 84 See ee ee : oye 404.38 | 1, 667°806.03 | 20,093, 307. 13 Gronen do Mex ee =. #408 2977 41 "114'279,45 | 16,948 552. 25 ey eles ana ; pee oro. 72 | —1,1721944.47 | 15,070,507. 33 Minero.....-.--------------------- 00 rrr 5, . 94 ’ 693° ig 95 2 260; 937 19 Mercantil de Yucatan..-----.---- sche 4,826, ean oe 8 1 TaPree HE De Jalised....- 22-2 - sss se-c2et-s--8 A 5, 323, 086. Oe ad Lt ee Mercantil de Monterrey - -------- 1, 933, 101. 79 12 $5076 Geet ar Be De Durango _.....---------------- 2, 443, 623. 26 The Oa 3s 3133) 99 Ge Mercantil de Veracruz. 8, 348, 365. 26 oe AB BPR ae ga De Nueva Leon. -... 906, 035. 95 441,966. B , 186, 662. De Coahuila ------- 8, 625, 087. 95 109, 302. 6, 503, 818. 14 Del Estado de Méxi: 1, 837, 427. 92 67,631.68 5, 252, 586, 23 Occidental de México 1,878, 089. 47 134, 044.51 » 4,975, 573. 58 De San Luis Potosi 4, 989, 277. 40 2 ee 32 8,127, 362. 84 Be Geee pais 3, 630,088.25 ravage | 6088" 798.98 Tee Morales ee eae "798; 138. 49 1; 964. 22 | 2} 859, 515. 27 Dé Sonora)... -.22esceeeemceve steko 8, 074, 369. 06 500, 463. 03 | 7, 184, 898, 22 De Osaka CAisc..c+c-n deere: seseteees ase 1,586, 479. 65 56, 249. 09 3, 169, 098. 74 De Tabasco 1, 310, 858. 17 18, 103. 28 38, 147, 372.07 De Tamaulipas ---- 2, 693, 832. 36 7, B49. 24 4, 843, 012. 21 De Zacatecas ---..-.-------------------- 3, 741, 183. 41 265, 000. 00 5, 965, 326. 76 Die QU Gr Gta Oicnccnc ene coven enn eRESE 748, 093. 583. 21 2, 609, 372. 11 De Aguascalientes....-.--.--------------- 1,471, 767.78 |.-.------------2-- 2, 608, 452. 73 De Michoacan ....-.----------------- «--- 5 685. 4,507.59 1,834, 713. 06 De Hidalgo «22655. c0s20022eeccce-nosse0+ 475, 446.19 6,525. 22 1, 827, 036. 41 De Chiapas - ._-.-.-----.---------------- 83, 966. 1,546.17 922, 990. 47 Comercial Refaccionario. .-__-..-------- 368, 194. 37 2,626. 93 595, 687. 66 TOtS] eee ke Sourclseecinsaedmcaescseeee 225, 674, 171.06 22, 076, 324. 86 466, 336, 145. 15 Total on Oct. 31, 1904 .......-------------------- 215, 473, 016. 14 22, 076, 324. 86 454, 982, 082. 08 Total on Nov. 30, 1908. --..---..----------------- 431, 19, 894, 132. 81 408, 228, 842. 04 Total on Nov. 30, 1902_.--.-..------------------- 134, 893, 417. 05 16, 395, 156. 04 354, 609, 066. 90 Total on Nov. 30, 1901. _-._...-...---------------- 100,394, 589. 06 11, 148, 178. 47 -287, 239, 550. 75 Total on Nov. 30, 1896...........-....-2---s----+ 50, 829, 000. 00 ” 726,000.00 | 139,021,000, 00 PROSPERITY OF MEXICAN BANKS UNDER LAW OF MARCH 19, 1897. ASSETS. : . Loans on per- Cash hold- | Bills receiv- Hypoth Current debt- Years. Banks. ings. able. a Moa oF accounts, 1904 seer 82 |$65, 983, 512.56 |$128, 702,504. 23 /$64, 152, 065. 19 ($18, 961, 163.53 $120, 785, 531. 40 1897 __.- 10 | 43,915, 447.45 | 38, 639, 832.91 | 12,909, 525.09 | 2, 604,205.92 | 24,101, 347.10 Increase in 7 years ...... 22 | 22,068, 065.11 | 90,062,671. 31 | 51,242,540.10 | 16,356,957.61 | 96,684,184. 30 LIABILITIES. Years Capital. See re Sight deposits. | Reserve funds. NQ0G is oso 22 ciate ks See ceetes $108, 850, 000. 00 2, 938, 122. 75 egos eee 11'080°000.00 | "39,638; 063.98 |" Pbaraeeon | Se San Ste te Increase in 7 years....... 67,800,000.00 | 43,205,057.50} 12, 922, 584. 85 18, 277, 174. 55 FINANCIAL OUTLOOK. Since the introduction into Congress, November 18, 1904, of Finance Minister Limantour’s bill proposing the standardizing in value of the Mexican peso at 50 cents gold, the prospects for investment of foreign NORTH AMERICA: MEXICO, 505 capital ADEERE to be better than ever before in the history of the Re- public. In view of the fact that Mexico possesses undeveloped re- sources of a most remunerative nature it is easily seen that the enact- ment of the proposed legislation would tend to stimulate that which is most essential in the progress of the country, the exploitation of these wonderful resources. Owing to the enormous amount of Mexican coin now in foreign countries where it has been accepted at its bullion value an act was recently passed by Congress levying a duty on the reimportation of such coin, this to prohibit the great influx of pesos which otherwise would follow naturally their appreciation in value. This is the only item in the bill which has been ratified. The remainder of the bill is now before the Senate, having passed the lower house, and the prev- alent opinion is that it will be sanctioned by the former body during the early days of the new year. Minister Limantour states that a gold reserve of $40,000,000 would be necessary to take care of the increase in value of the Mexican dol- lar provided a reserve should be decided upon. Such action is, how- ever, in his mind, an unnecessary one, entailing an uncalled-for bur- den on the Republic, and he does not contemplate the establishment of any reserve for the present at least. On the 14th of December the minister submitted his fiscal report for the year ending June 30, 1904, in which he shows the estimated reve- nue for the year 1905-6 to be $88,104,000, whereas the estimated ex- penditure for the same period is $85,474,315. This leaves an excess of $2,629,685, which the minister states is intended principally to allow for the reduction in the mining taxes under the proposed mone- tary reform. The budget of expenditures for 1905-6 is nearly four and one-half million dollars greater than for the current year. The condition of the banking interests of the Republic also shows up well. The available cash on hand at the end of last June amounted to nearly $30,000,000. Here it is pertinent to insert that the official statement of the monetary conference of 1902 showed $130,000,000 Mexican currency in circulation in the Republic. The Mexican Journal of Commerce estimates that this amount has now increased to $150,000,000, though one of the prominent bankers puts it at $100,000,000. fie total national debt on June 30, 1904, amounted to $286,501,453, an increase of almost $12,000,000 over the debt of the preceding year. This is explained by the minister to be due to the great amount of public work in the course of construction, the payments made on the purchase of railway lines, etc., and he does not think it at all great in view of the circumstances; but, on the contrary, is much pleased with the treasury showing as explained by him with great detail in his al report. Pacing te year 1904 a $40,000,000 gold loan at 4 per cent was floated in New York without any Federal guaranty having ee given. The placing of this loan away from home appears on See : eration to have been a good move. Forty million dollars gold at 214, a fairly low rate of exchange for the year (the average rate of ex- : 3-4 was 221.46—the new Mexican mint change for the fiscal year 190 wa : Ta hav ate is 202.84 as against 212.07, the preceding one), wou ave arougted to over $85,000,000 silver. As stated above, the total amount of cash in circulation in the Republic is estimated at from 506 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. $100,000,000 to $150,000,000, and such an enormous percentage of this total withdrawn from circulation might have created serious diffi- culties. Again, money loaned in Mexico on good security earns 8 and 9 per cent, and it would not have been feasible, therefore, to have effected the loan here at 4 per cent, the rate paid in New York. The saving of this large amount of interest thus proves to have been a wise consideration. MEANS FOR ENLARGING AMERICAN TRADE WITH MEXICO, This subject has been covered quite fully in previous reports from this consulate-general, but there are a few suggestions that merit repetition. American manufacturers and wholesalers should issue price lists and catalogues in Spanish and see that they are placed in the hands of merchants interested in their wares. Travelers familiar with Spanish and with trade conditions in Mexico should visit the Republic at least once a year. Furthermore, there should be judi- cious advertising in reliable journals of known circulation among business men in the interior of the country. By these means, and with proper care in determining credits by the use of reliable mer- cantile reports, American houses should be able to place themselves in contact with Mexican merchants with mutually satisfactory results. Those American houses which find it impracticable to send trav- elers throughout the country should secure reliable representatives, and if such representatives are properly supported by advertising matter, catalogues, price lists, etc., in Spanish, good results may be obtained. It would appear that little has been done as yet by the American manufacturer in the way of consulting with Mexican customers regarding shapes or styles of articles of merchandise for the Mexican trade. It is a well-known fact that German manufacturers have taken more pains in this respect. Many lines of American merchan- dise, such as hats, shoes, mechanics’ tools, etc., please Mexican cus- tomers, and American styles are readily accepted, but in other lines there can be no satisfactory sales without modifications in American styles, and in such cases American manufacturers should consult the wishes of Mexican customers. In packing and forwarding goods leading American houses dealing with this country are showing a disposition to comply with the requirements of the Mexican trade. Some complaints, however, are still heard of carelessness in packing fragile goods, such as glassware, etc. Some dealers state that Ger- man houses are much more thorough in this respect, and that Euro- pean consignments, notwithstanding rough handling at sea, reach here in better condition than goods of the same kind from the United States, and that, besides, they are more neatly packed and in less bulky form. According to the Mexican division of R. G. Dun & Co.’s Mercantile Agency, with branches at Mexico City, Guadalajara, Torreon, and Monterey, credits in Mexico, generally speaking, are considered rea- sonably safe. A careful investigation shows that losses through fail- ures do not exceed from 1 to 24 per cent, with a tendency to decrease, due to more systematic methods in the extension of credits and greater facilities in obtaining information relative to customers, NORTH AMERICA: MEXICO. 507 Formerly, in the absence of railway and banking facilities, it was not uncommon to give a full year’s credit in many staple lines of merchandise. In fact, in the case of goods from Europe this practice was often considered necessary. Now that the difficulties in the way of shipping and remitting have been largely removed, there is a tendency to reduce the time allowed purchasers. In considering the long credits extended by European houses, it should be borne in mind that these credits date from the issue of the invoice, and that the time required for transit of goods and of remittance reduce considerably the actual credit period. The contention is now made that the large American houses selling in this country are disposed to allow rea- sonable periods of credit. It is clear, of course, that the proposed monetary reform will remove what has acted as a restriction on imports, and will reduce the necessity for such long credits. With a stable currency the merchant will not find it necessary, as heretofore, to defer the settlement of his accounts till the rate of exchange is to his advantage. LAW OF CONTRACT IN MEXICO. Care should be taken where credit is given to have contracts and notes drawn according to Mexican law. While it is true, generally speaking, that the form or place of execution of the contract does not affect its validity here, still, as a matter of procedure, much time is gained and trouble avoided if the instruments comply with Mexican forms. For example, according to the commercial code of Mexico promissory notes must contain the following requisites: (1) Date | and place of issue; (2) name and signature of maker; (3) sum of money (state whether Mexican or American); (4) date and place where payment is to be made; (5) name of payee; (6) the commer- cial operation involved, unless the note is drawn by one merchant in favor of another; (7) whether the value is received, understood, on account, or proceeds from some other operation. Notes not made “to the order of ” are not mercantile documents and can not be indorsed. Notes can not be payable at sight or to bearer. All instruments executed in Mexico must bear documentary stamps, and all instruments executed abroad must be stamped before suit can be brought on them in Mexico. Another point often overlooked is that the Mexican law does not know a chattel mortgage. Again, difficulties occur not infrequently through ignorance on the part of purchasers of real estate of what is known as “derecho de tanto,” where property is held in undivided interests; if one coowner wishes to sell, he must extend to the other coowners the right of preference—that is, right to purchase his inter- est on the same terms that he proposes to sell it to another. — If this formula is not complied with, the purchaye of an undivided interest, even though it might amount to 99 per cent of the whole property, has no legal effect. TRANSPORTATION. In 1827 H. G. Ward, at that time England’s chargé Vaffaires in Mexico, described the difficulties of communication between the table- lands and other parts of Mexico. Then, as now, the wagon roads were so bad that vehicles could not be used to any extent. Every- thing was, therefore, conveyed on mules, donkeys, or horses, or on the 508 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. backs of men, women, and children from one point to another, thus increasing enormously the price of articles of general consumption. Mr. Ward thought it possible that this disadvantage might in time, to a certain extent, be removed by establishing lines of road from north to south, but the precipitous descent to the east and west made it appear to him very questionable whether it would ever be possible to construct a road sufficiently good to open a communication with the coast to the landowners of the table-lands. : To-day in those parts of the country reached by railways the diffi- culties described by Mr. Ward have been surmounted in a way that would have seemed to him absolutely impossible. With the lines of railway entering Mexico from the north, with those connecting the - capital with the centers of population, commerce, and production, and with important seaports, with the Tehuantepec Railway connect- ing the Pacific and Gulf coasts, and with the steamship lines oper- ating along these coasts, practically the whole Republic has been made accessible, leaving to be solved the problem of good roads for wagons and other vehicles. It would appear at present that prompter dispatch is obtainable at the ports of entry at the northern frontier than at some of the Gulf ports. It is also understood that at least one of the railway lines entering the country from the north- has under contemplation the ee of a fast-freight service from the border to the City of Mexico. The extraordinary development of railways in Mexico since 1875 . is shown by the following figures: In 1875 there were 578 kilometers 285 meters of road; in 1886, 5,915; in 1888, 7,940; in 1892, 10,238, or, including tramways and other local private lines, 11,067 kilometers. In 1903 the railways of the Republic aggregated 15,918 kilometers; in 1904, 16,495 kilometers, or, including tramways and other local private lines, about 19,000 kilometers. Mexico is a country of unusual interest archeologically, historically, geographically, and ethnologically, and the tide of travel is setting in her direction. This tide would run more rapidly if hotel accommo- dations were better. Recently there has been decided improvement in the City of Mexico in this respect, but still many experienced men believe that in spite of the problem of service and other difficulties a new up-to-date hotel in the City of Mexico would yield large profits, especially if constructed with a ballroom or banquet hall large enough for the public functions now given in quarters arranged temporarily for the purpose. Not only in the City of Mexico, but throughout the Republic, suit- able hotel accommodations with the conveniences to which we are accustomed at home are needed. Such hotels would do more, per- haps, than any other one thing to encourage inspection by northern capitalists of the great agricultural and mineral resources of Mexico, and this inspection would Jead to a great increase of American invest- ments in Mexican enterprises. If built in some of the beautiful and picturesque spots, known now only to the few, they would also attract many lovers of nature and seekers after health who have never cues as yet to brave the discomforts of the journey through ex1co. NORTH AMERICA: MEXICO. 509 EXTRACTS FROM MESSAGE OF PRESIDENT DIAZ TO CONGRESS, SEPTEMBER 16, 1904. FOREIGN RELATIONS. For the first time «a Mexican minister has visited the capital of Paraguay in acknowledgment of the courtesy of that country in sending a plenipotentiary to Mexico three years ago. For the first time, also, Mexico has received a repre- sentative of the Chinese Empire and has designated 2 person to represent Mexico at Peking, thus establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries. There has been promulgated in this country a convention entered into between Mexico and Great Britain for the interchange of postal money orders, enabling the Mexican public to avail itself of this mode of remittance with any other country in the world through the instrumentality of the British post-office. Two conventions with the Republic of Cuba, one for the interchauge of cor- respondence and the other for the interchange of postal packages, have also been promulgated. RURALES AND POLICE. Public safety continues to prevail throughout the country, and in order to render it still more thorough the status and pay of the rural guards of the federation have been improved. In the Federal District the personnel of the police force has been modified and increased in order to render its action more efficacious. Measures have also been taken to repress vice and to afford safety and convenience to the inhab- itants, for which purpose various regulations in regard to municipal services have been issued. The telephone system of the district has been expanded in the municipalities of Guadalupe Hidalgo, Tlalpam, and Milpa Alta. IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CAPITAL. The public works of the capital have been carried forward in a very satisfac- tory manner, as is demonstrated by the following figures: The sanitation works have been extended, 2,780 meters of sewers, according to the new system, and 2,080 meters of drains having been built; 38 manholes have also been put in, and 94 lamp pits. In regard to water supply, 141 new grants have been made to private persons; the city’s system of piping aggregates 110 kilometers, and through it during the last five months 7,500,000 cubic meters of water were dls- iributed. Gardens have been laid out on either side of the Paseo de la Reforma, and in the gardens of the city 26,300 shrubs and flowering plants have been set out; moreover, 170,000 plants have been received at the Mixcoac Botanical Garden. Macadamized roads of an aggregate area of 42,000 square meters have been laid. The new market in the Plazuela de la Lagunilla has been completed and will soon be inaugurated. Sixty thousand five hundred square meters of asphalt or stone-block pavement and 16,200 square meters of cement or flag sidewalk have been laid. : Inasmuch as the contracts with the asphalt-paving companies had come to an end, a new one was entered into with one of them for the laying of more as- phalt pavements, and it will be submitted by the ministry for the approval of Tess. / aE a view to providing for the safety of masons a body of regulations for the erection of scaffolding was issued on July 11 last. PUBLIC. HEALTH. The measures which the superior board of health began last year to enforce for the extirpation of the germs of yellow fever in the several localities where that malady had prevailed have been maintained with absolute thoroughness, and have been extended to all places where a case of the disease has occurred. Special sanitary campaigns are being conducted to stamp out and prevent the reappearance of the epidemic in fifteen different towns, which include our chief ports and other points most exposed to infection. The results of these efforts have been satisfactory, for, with the exception of a few isolated cases at Vera- cruz, Merida, Tehuantepec, and Salina Cruz the epidemic has nowhere made its appearance this year. 510 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. At the request of the government of the State of Coahuila, the superior board of health took special sanitary measures at Torreon to combat an epidemic of smallpox which developed there with some degree of severity. The efficacious use of vaccination, the isolation of patients, disinfection, and other measures resulted in the epidemic being gotten under complete control. When the per- sonnel which the board had maintained at Torreon for this purpose was with- drawn, it left behind it a staff for the preservation and application of vaccine. A course has been established in the offices of the superior board of health at this capital for practical instruction in bacteriology in relation to interna- tional sanitary police measures, so that the delegates of the board at ports and frontier points may acquire- knowledge that will conduce to the better per- formance of their mission. CHARITY. By virtue of the authorization granted to the Executive by decree of May 24 last, a law relating to private charities was issued on 23d of last month, amend- ing the previous law of November 7, 1899. The ministry of the interior will in due course report to Congress in regard to these amendments, which have been inspired by the desire of insuring compliance with the will of persons who destine their property for the behoof of the needy. Since the law in question, of November 7, came into force the following beneficent institutions have taken advantage of its provisions and are subject to the vigilance of the charity board: Seven homes for children or old people: 10 educational establishments; 5 associations and foundations for the relief of the needy in various forms; 2 savings banks; 3 hospitals; 2 cemeteries; a mont de piété and an endowment for the awarding of prizes for the best scien- tific treatises on endeniic diseases; in the aggregate 31 foundations and associa- tions of a benevolent character, representing a capital of more than $4,000,000. Worthy of note also is the ever-increasing volume of the transactions of the National Mont de Piété, an institution which, though not regarded as coming within the scope of the law in question, is nevertheless an establishment of private benevolence. During the fiscal year which ended in June last, the loans made aggregated more than $4,500,000, and the redemption of articles pawned amounted to $3,800,000. The deposits received in the savings department amounted to more than $2,500,000. The department of pubic charities has continued to improve and expand its work within the measure of the means at its disposal. The 13 establishments which this department sustains made the following showing during the last fiscal year: The number of patients entering the hospitals was 21,584, and the average daily number of patients being cared for was nearly 2,000; in schools, homes, and the foundling hospital the average daily number of inmates was 1,500. This department involved an expenditure of $604,101. , CODIFICATION OF LAWS. The codification of laws hitherto uncodified in the department of justice is proceeding with the care demanded by interests so delicate, and very shortly, perhaps before the termination of the present year, the task will have been completed. EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS. Convinced as is the Government of the important results in connection with its plans for the reorganization of national systems of education likely to accrue from sending instructors abroad to familiarize themselves with scholastic inethods and processes destined to be implanted in our schools, it has entered on the execution of a plan which will be still further developed later on, and at present, without including alumni in receipt of pensions, 4 professors of the arts and 9 belonging to professional colleges are in Europe and the United States on missions confided to them by the Government, With respect to primary instruction, the appointment of inspecting lady teach- ers for the girls’ schools of the capital is producting wholesome effects. One specialist or technical superior school, a general superior school, and 3_supple- mentary night schools have been added. The roster of pupils in the Federal district increased by 3,803, and at present consists of 53,009 alumni, distributed among 347 schools, of which 2 are specialist, 23 superior, 248 elementary, 51 mixed, 22 nightly, and 2 for infants, served by 1,500 instructors, Unfortunately NORTH AMERICA: MEXICO. 511 the attendance is not on a par with the roster, a fact which points to the exist- ence of a defect either in the law of compulsory education or in its enforcement, a defect which in either case must be remedied. Among the 318 buildings used for school purposes and of which 162 are national property, there have been distributed 1,053 desks, blackboards, abacuses, etc., and 13,176 books. ‘There have been issued 17 numbers of the official journal of the general bureau of primary instruction, and the academy of professors, having now been converted into an official institution, has renewed its important labors. In the Federal territories there are in operation at present 176 schools, with 12,015 alumni. ; In the normal school for lady teachers, destined to be enlarged soon by the incorporation of the entire building now occupied by the law school, important improvements have been made. A medical inspectress has been appointed for the hygienic examination of the pupils and for the purpose of giving con- sultations free of charge to the instructresses. Thirty-four lady pupils have this year completed their professional studies and in the normal school for men 6 alumni will offer themselves for the professional examination of the second degree. In the National Preparatory College the system of day boarders has had good success, and in the coming scholastic year it may be regarded as haying been definitely established. Extensive and important alterations are being made in the college building, in accordance with a general plan for the thorough adapta- tion of the edifice to the needs of the establishment. In the law school the conferences have been modified with a view to rendering them more efficacious and the annals of the establishment are being published. The College of Medicine is also publishing its annals. The Pathological Institute continnes to conduct important researches and experiments in regard to the typhus fever and to prepare antiplague vaccines in accordance with processes that are continually being improved. Even before undertaking the reorganization of the College of Agriculture, it has been considered obviously expedient to create special and wholly practical courses for poultry raising and the dairy industry. In the School of Fine Arts a wider scope has been given to the class of ornamental drawing. In the Conservatory of Music a special class for opera choruses has been created. The department of public instruction has arranged for Mexico’s representa- tion at various international congresses, such as the Congresses of Architects at Madrid, the Congress of Education at St. Louis, Mo., the Congress of American- ists at Stuttgart, and the Congress of Zoology at Berne. PUBLIC LANDS. Between January and June of the present year the department of fomento issued 452 title deeds, by means of which there were reduced to private property more than 1,529,000 hectares of vacant land and spare lots, having a total value in excess of $1,260,000, of which the Government received in cash $196,540, and the balance in the shape of the land which the Executive saw fit to repurchase in Sonora and Chiapas from the Land and Colonization Company. In order to perfect the title deeds whereby the Government owns certain tracts of land on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, and at the same time to encourage the development of the oil industry in the country, a contract was entered into with a London firm of good standing, according to which said firm obliged itself, on its own behalf, to fulfill all the requirements which the laws impose upon possessors for the obtention of their title deeds, in consideration of the right to exploit the subsoil. A contract has also been entered into with the Land and Colonization Company for the colonization of a portion of the Jands which were sold to it in Chiapas. Another contract was entered into with the Land and Irrigation Company of Lower California, with a view to the establishment of colonies of Mexicans in an important portion of that territory watered by the Colorado River. SCIENTIFIC WORK. i. The commissions having charge of the exploration of the national territory continued their labors with zeal and obtained important results in the short period to which I refer. 512 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. The geodetic commission has pushed its surveys in the two extremities of the chain of triangles covered by the ninety-eighth meridian west of Greenwich, as far as the State of Oaxaca on the south, and the State of Tamaulipas on the north, and has at the same time been engaged in the study of various technical qustions that arise in the case of measurements of high precision. The geographical exploration commission has completed its field labors for the maps of Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, and Veracruz, and the map of the last- named State is in the press. The surveys of Chihuahua, Hildago, and some others of the neighboring States were continued. The graphic work on 24 sheets of the general map of the Republic, in the scale of 1 to 100,000, was com- sleted. ‘ The Sonora scientific commission proceeded with the location and excava- tion of canals for the irrigation of lands on the Yaqui and Mayo rivers, the distribution of lots among the residents and the study of works for the develop- ment of the agricultural wealth of that important region. The meterological system of the Republic has been continuously improved, thanks to the zeal of the federation, the important contingent of the states and the disinterested enlightenment of some private persons. In order to improve the weather prognostications which are telegraphed to our coasts, it was nec- essary to form a code of signals, which was promulgated on July 21, last. In regard to the work assigned by international convention to the Astro- nomical Observatory of Tacubaya for the purpose of cataloguing the stars and mapping the skies, I may inform you that the results obtained from the meas- urement of the plates exposed in order to determine the parallax of the sun were sent to Europe. The work relating to this subject has just been published and it contains the data supplied by Mexico. DYNAMITE FACTORY. Among the new industries that have been introduced into our country by virtue of Government concessions, I must make special mention of the factory of dynamite and explosives situated at La Tinaja, near Ciudad Lerdo, which commenced operations on July 30 last. The important company which has taken up this new industry has made a successful search at home for the nec- essary raw materials, and it is probable that it will afford to us complete independence in regard to this article from foreign markets, and at the same time a reduction of prices whereby mining and other industries consuming its products will be benefited. PROGRESS OF MINING. The mining industry has held to its accustomed course. From January 1 to June 30, 1904, there were issued 1,600 title deeds, embracing a surface of 23,845 hectares, which, when taken in connection with the rectified data of the pre- vious half year, yield a total of 3,420 title deeds, embracing 60,822 mining claims for the fiscal year 1903-4. In addition to grants for conducting explora- tions for precious and ordinary metals, as to which I previously reported to you and which constitute the bulk of the title deeds issued during the period under review, it may be remarked that during recent months title deeds were obtained for deposits of mercury and turquoises recently discovered. Our metallic output continues to increase, but the increase has been par- ticularly marked in regard to copper, placing Mexico second in the list of copper-producing countries. WATER CONCESSIONS. Concessions have been granted for the establishment of irrigation works and water powers at different points on the Moctezuma, Laja, Sabinas, Guayalejo, Atoyac, Nexapa, Ameca, San Lorenzo, and Colorado rivers, demonstrating the growing interest of private persons in these enterprises which tend to the development of public wealth. PATENTS AND TRADE-MARKS. During the second half of last fiscal year 3896 patents were granted, 485 trade-marks were registered, and 49 commercial names and advertisements were recorded. wpa Saree = tyne ee ee ts ites imal NORTH AMERICA: MEXICO. 513 . Having been invited by the international association for the protection of industrial property to be represented at the congress held at Berne to unify the procedure and documents required for the protection of that property, Mexico sent delegates thither to attend the sessions of the congress during the early days of August last, after having visited the patent offices of the United States, Canada, and the chief nations of Europe. IMPROVEMENTS AT PORTS. The works for the sanitation and water supply of the city of Tampico are well advanced, for, whereas the aggregate length of the sewer system is to be 12,500 meters, 10,000 meters with connections have already been laid. With regard to the water supply all the mains have been laid as well as 10,500 meters of distributing pipes. The canals of Chijol and El Médano, between Tuxpan and Tampico, having an aggregate length of more than 10 kilometers, have been connected. The bridge spanning the Tamesi River, connecting the city of Tampico with the isle on which the custom-house is situated, has been completed and opened to public service. The custom-house building at Veracruz has been completed and the erection of the building intended as a post-office and telegraph office is progressing. At Coatzacoalcos the western jetty has been built out a length of 330 meters, and the piers to be used for loading and unloading the rock for the eastern jetty have been completed. The work of dredging the harbor opposite piers 4 and 5 has also been completed. Six kilometers of track have been laid on the piers and the terminal station of this port. At Manzanillo 410 linear meters of the breakwater nucleus have been com- pleted, as well as 270 meters of the exterior coping and 398 meters of the con- crete capping. The dredging work that has been done in the bay totals 16,000 cubic meters of sand and 2,500 tons of hard material. At Salina Cruz 10 linear meters of the western breakwater, 110 of the eastern breakwater, and 800 meters of.the wall of monolithic blocks have been con- structed. Three kilometers of track for the terminal station of the port were Jaid, and a shed for locomotives is being built. The repairs of mattresses 10 and 12 and on the connecting wall between mnattresses 2 and 3 on the Bravo River at Matamoros have been completed. The light-houses at Punta Jerez and Xcalac have been started, and soon th: Atalaya light-house at the port of El] Carmen will be in service. DRAINAGE OF THE VALLEY OF MEXICO. The grand canal, the tunnel, and the cut of Tequisquiac in the drainage of the valley of Mexico have rendered good service, in spite of the exceptional character of the rainy season. Had it not been for that service the situation in the valley, and especially in the City of Mexico, would have been awkward. The railway running alongside the drainage works is in good condition, and in order to render its operation more economical and to keep abreast of its growing traffic its gradients are being altered. WORK ON RIVERS. Care has been given to the conservation of the Cuautitlan River, the Nochis- tongo cut, and the dike of Lake Zumpango. The Santo Tomas and Vertederos canals have been cleaned, and the deviation of the Churubusco River has been completed. The bridge over the Consulado River on the Guadalupe Hidalgo road was opened to traffic. Proper attention has been given to the conservation and improvement of the rivers and canals of the valley which, owing to the unusually heavy rains, have carried great volumes of water. RAILWAY PROGRESS. The increase of the railway system was 273 kilometers, contributed chiefly by the National of Mexico, the United roads of Yucatan, the Nacozari, the Pan- American, the Oaxaca to Ejutla, and the Hidalgo. The railways of the kepub- lic now aggregate 16,495 kilometers. ; : On the National Tehuantepec Railway the laying of the new 40-kilo rails, in lieu of the former ones, has been kept up, and such rails have now been laid for H. Doe. 481, 58-8——_33 514 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. ki rs. The progress of bridge work has been great, having been com- tee for 6 caneiaeratiie nee At Rincon Antonio the erection of the shops was completed, and two blocks of 1G houses for employees were erected. The erection of tanks, for the storage of mineral oil at Coatzacoalcos, Juile, Santa Luerecia, Rincon Antonio, and Salina Cruz has been definitely completed. With respect to rolling stock, four new freight engines, equipped for the consumption of oil, were purchased and put into service. Traffic has increased, especially passenger traffic, and income and expenditure have almost heen equalized. ROAD MAKING. That part of the road from Victoria to Tula which is situated in the canyon of Palmillas has been completed, and in the canyon of Monte Redondo kilo- meter 73 was reached, 2 kilometers having been laid since April. POSTAL MATTERS. The improvements that have been effected in the post-office department are the creation of 11 offices, 4 branch offices, 14 agencies, and 4 itinerant offices, and with these additions the number of post-offices totals 2,355. The quantity of mail matter handled by these offices was 95,000,000 pieces, which, added to the matter handled in the previous half year, give a total of 174,000,000 pieces for the year. Iniernal postal money orders were issued to the value of $23,187,000, and to the value of $44,787,000 for the entire year. The interchange of postal money orders between Mexico and the United States aggregated $575,000 in Mexican money, of which $320,000 represent orders: issued in Mexico and $255,000 orders issued in the United States; the total for the year was $1,134,000. In the period under review the general earnings of the post-office were $1,536,000, which, added to the earnings of the previous half year, yield a total of $3,025,000 for the year. FEDERAL TELEGRAPH LINES. With regard to telegraph lines, I have to inform you that the newly strung lines of the Federal system aggregate 1,500 kilometers. Nine new offices have been opened and a subterranean cable 1,530 meters long has been laid between the city of Campeche and the station of the Gulf submarine cable. The system of communication by wireless telegraphy between Cape Haro, Sonora, and Santa Rosalia, Lower California, has continued to be operated with fair success. The earnings of the Federal telegraph lines, as compared with those of the previous fiscal year, have increased more than 10 per cent, and the service of drafts has been continually expanded to meet the public’s demands, so that now nearly one-half of the 485 offices of the system have been authorized to provide the service in question. REVENUE RETURNS SATISFACTORY. It is gratifying to me to inform Congress that the results of the fiscal year ended on June 30 last were satisfactory, notwithstanding the scarcity of cash and available capital which prevailed in the chief markets of the Republic during the greater part of the fiscal year in question, and in spite, too, of the fact that the burdens which in general weighed on the tax-paying class were lightened through the reduction of the Federal contribution from 30 to 25 per cent. The total revenue for the year exceeded $85,000,000, and although the final auditing of the accounts has not yet been completed, it is undoubted that the collections exceed those of the previous year by more than $8,000,000. It must be observed, however, that the proceeds of the municipal revenues of the Federal District, which for the first time were incorporated in 1903-4 with the revenue of the Federation, represent nearly $4,000,000. With particular reference to the two great branches of revenue, which repre- sent more than 80 per cent of the total revenue of the Federation, I have the honor of informing you that the import duties, apart from the surcharge author- ized by the law of November 25, 1902, show an increase of nearly $2,000,000 while a proportional increase may be noted in the collections from export duties and port dues. In regard to the ensemble of taxes which are paid in the form NORTH AMERICA! MEXICO, 515 of stamps, the gain in receipts as compared with those of the previous year was more than a million dollars. These results show that the condition of public finance is prosperous and cor- reborate the hope that the development of the nation’s wealth and the general prosperity of the counry will be continually accentuated. PURCHASE OF RAILROAD SHARES. The purchase of shares of the Veracruz and Pacific Railway, effected by the, Executive with the approval of the Chambers, has been sufficiently explained in a note on the subject sent to you by the department of finance, and if I mention this operation it is to state that the stipulations of the contract of purchase and the other arrangements flowing from it have for the most part been carried out. r also desire to inform you that the railway is receiving the most careful atten- tion on the part of the new administrative personnel and the firm resolve is held of using the pecuniary resources that have been provided in order to create, in the shortest possible time, a first-class route connecting the National Tehuan- tepec Railway with the general system of railways in which the Government has a controlling interest. CUSTOM-HOUSE REGULATIONS. The amendments that have been introduced in custom-house legislation have been well received by the public and they simplify in a marked degree the work to be done by those offices. These modifications affect almost all the chapters of the custom-house ordinances and have been inspired by an earnest desire to afford facilities to the commercial community by suppressing all formalities and requirements that were at variance with modern ideas and exigencies. Some of the innovations may appear timid, but as soon as experience proves that it is possible to go further in the course initiated, without jeopardizing fiscal interests, the necessary steps will be taken. WAR AND MARINE. The Mauser armament, ordered from a Berlin factory, has been received and approved by a commission appointed for that purpose and is now at this capital. The installment due to the manufacturing firm, according to the contract, has been paid. The batteries of Schneider-Canet cannon have also been received and give entire satisfaction, the balance of their cost having been ordered paid. Shortly the regiments of artillery will be equipped with them. The commission appointed to inspect and receive the St. Chamond-Mondragon and Bange batteries, transformed into rapid-fire guns, has reported that the process of transformation is well advanced. Soon the guns in question will begin to be received at the capital, and the installments due to the manufactur- ing firm have been paid. At the factory of arms a beginning has been made in the successful manufac- ture of the repair pieces for the regulation rifles and carbines in our army. A commission of technical artillery officers has departed for the United States to study a smokeless powder that has been offered to the Mexican Government, and at the same time bids have been invited from foreign firms for the erection of a factory of smokeless powder from nitrocellulose. Inasmuch as the Government considered that the state of war against the Maya Indians in rebellion against the authorities in the territory of Quintana Roo had come to an end, the campaign in question was declared to have termi- nated by decree of June 1 of the current year. In consequence the benefits granted by congressional decree of November 9, 1901, and decree issued by the executive on July 17, 1902, are also at an end. : dors : : With a view to the definite establishment of the military service in said terri- tory, two regional battalions have been organized, which will be recruited from among acclimated persons capable of enduring the hardships incident to the peculiar conditions of that region; and in view of the trying character of that service it has been considered fair to offer special inducements and advan- tages to all superior officers, officers, and privates who desire to enter said battalions. 516 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. The necessary material, apparatus, and instruments have been forwarded to said territory in order to establish a meteorological observatory at Vigia Chico and meteorological stations, respectively, at Puerto Morelos and at Xcalac. ; In the first military zone a telephone system, having 24 stations, affording connection between the military posts in the Sierra de Bacatete, State of Sonora, has been erected, so that it has become possible to hunt down more efficaciously the few miscreants who still carry on marauding operations in that locality. ‘ ; : The combined gunboats and transports Veracruz and Tampico, built at Eliza- beth, arrived at Veracruz on June 15 last without any incident worthy of note beyond some slight damage to their boiler tubes, and inasmuch as said damage has been repaired the new war vessels have begun to render efficacious services for transport purposes between the ports of Veracruz, Progreso, and Quintana Roo. The gunboats Bravo and Morelos, ordered in Italy, have been completed and will shortly arrive in home waters. The superior officers, officers, and sailors who are to man them in their voyage to the Republic have already departed for Italy. An order has been placed in Italy for the construction of a new war trans- port of 1,600 tons. DURANGO. {From Consut J. A. Le Roy, DuRAanGo, MExIco, OcToBER 24, 1904.] BUSINESS CONDITIONS. As the Durango consular district lies wholly in the interior of Mexico, on the great plateau and along the Sierra Madre, it is im- possible to furnish figures of imports and exports to all countries and to give precise data as to the increase or decrease of trade with the United States. In general, the district has not shared with the country as a whole in the increase of trade during 1903-4. In the eastern part of the district, the business relations of which center around Torreon, there has no doubt been an increase in general trade, and perhaps more than a proportional increase of importations from the United States as compared with the country as a whole. In the western and central parts of the State of Durango, those regions centering in the city, there has been a visible decrease in busi- ness. This particular section is now dependent upon the building of railroad extensions, to make practicable the working of mines now abandoned or whose value in ore is not sufficient to justify develop- ment at all under present conditions of communication, and to: stim- ulate the realization of forestry and agricultural values in the west- ern and southern parts of the State of Durango. The one new rail- road, which now reaches the central and northern parts of the State, has, since it entered here thirteen years ago, lessened the importance of Durango as a trading center by fostering the industrial develop- ment in the eastern part of the State and by drawing in that direction some of the trade that used to center here. The decline of Durango as a business center has been visible for several years, and has been accented during the past year. While its revival depends mainly upon the railroad extensions, it would also be helped greatly by the building of a smelter now projected. . Although one suspects some decrease in the population of Durango and some decline in its general trade during the past year, there is no reason for supposing that the products of the United States have NORTH AMERICA: MEXICO. 517 not at least relatively held their own in this market. The wholesale and retail trade is dominated by German firms, however, and they have a natural tendency to buy in their home markets when the in- fluences of proximity, an established line of trade, or, as in some few res! lower prices do not naturally turn their orders to the United ates. _ The prices ruling in this market in two out of every three lines of imported goods are absolutely unjustified. Twenty-five per cent would seem to be the lowest profit figured on, at least 50 per cent the average, and 100 per cent not so uncommon as one might suppose it would be. The mass of the population has a low purchasing power, and in some lines of virtual necessities is compelled to pay twice the price that should be paid. There is more than one line of American manufactures which sell here at prices out of all proportion, con- spicuous among such being shoes, ladies’ coats, sewing machines, typewriters, neckties, soaps, and toilet articles. The prices on shoes and sewing machines in particular are excessive. EXPORTS TO THE UNITED STATES. The export trade of this district with the United States is almost entirely in bullion. The total declared exports of 1903-4 were $2,250,861 (United States currency), as against $2,405,198 for 1902-3. The bullion exported to the United States in 1903-4 was valued at $1,885,962, as against $2,050,794 for 1902-3. The decline was due to a falling off at Durango of $200,273 in bullion exports, and $29,779 in exports of animal and vegetable products. Torreon showed a gain of $35,441 in bullion exports and of $40,275 in other exports to the United States, and the large gains in_ship- ments of cotton-seed cake, dynamite, glycerin, and cattle and goat hides more than counterbalanced a total failure of live cattle expor- tations or of vegetable products. The exports of ixtle fiber amounted to $705. b: the $407,889 in bullion exported from Durango, silver consti- tuted 90 per cent of the value in the bars, lead 6 per cent, and gold 4 per cent. Of the $1,478,072 declared for export at Torreon, 65 per cent in value was silver, 17.7 per cent lead, and 17.3 per cent gold. There were also shipments of $30,229 in copper matte from Tor- reon. Such shipments are, however, only casual. Copper matte is now being used as a base or collector of ae and silver in siliceous ores in some of the smelters of the central part of this country, pos- sessing for this purpose many advantages over lead. This causes a mand for copper ores. ; : ae at reesnt has relations almost entirely with the United States, but it seems probable that in the future, with railroad connec- tions now promised, it will send most of its copper to the central Mexico smelters, there to aid in the extraction of gold and silver from certain ores, and to proceed thence to the refineries. EXPORTS OF BULLION. bullion of this district having lead values, the lead alone being table is in large part exported to the United States in bond for treatment in New Jersey refineries, and is then reexported to Europe. 518 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. There are no exports of ore. The United States Treasury decision of 1892, whereby lead in ores was adjudged dutiable at 13 cents a pound, is one of the chief causes of the rapid development of the smelting industry in Mexico since that time. Perhaps $40,000,000 (United States currency) have been invested in smelters. Aside from the smelters of the Pefioles Mining Company at Mapimi, which on a capital of $250,000 paid $400,000 in dividends during 1903 and showed a profit of $2,303,000 in silver, there are commercial smelters in this district at Torreon and Velardefia, both recent establishments, the latter greatly improved and enlarged during the past two years, or since it came into the hands of the Guggenheim Exploration Com- pany, which is financed by American capitalists. « : The project now on foot to establish a smelter at Durango is under- stood to have produced a favorable report as to the amount of lead ores available. It would make possible the exploitation of many mines bearing low-grade ores in this region and immediately increase the exports of bullion. AGRICULTURAL EXPORTS. Of vegetable products no corn or chili peppers and a small quan- tity of beans and ixtle were exported during the year. Torreon sent $20,207 in cotton-seed cake to the United States, though the stock raisers of this region might well use the entire product. The large glycerine factory at Gomez Palacio exported $13,630 in crude and $103,815 in dynamite glycerine. Shipments of the latter dropped almost to nothing at the end of the year and, supposedly, the new dynamite factory near that place will now absorb the output. INCREASE IN HIDE TRADE. Exports of hides and goatskins amounted to $191,283, a large in- crease over the preceding year, but not so much as some years back. Higher prices in the United States and the failure of the large shoe factory at Gomez Palacio to tan as much leather as formerly, and the buying of more tanned leather from the United States, will explain this item. RATE OF EXCHANGE. _ During the first half of the fiscal year 19034 the rate of exchange in Mexico quite steadily, though with occasional violent fluctuations, declined, owing to a gradual increase in the value of silver and of the Mexican dollar. On July 1, 1903, the rate was $2.35 to $2.40 Mexican to $1 United States currency. At the beginning of the year 1904 it ranged from $2.20 to $2.25 Mexican to “$1 cold.” as the more common expression is. When the Russo-Japanese war came on sil- ver again marked a slight advance, and the rate of exchange sym- pathetically went a little higher than the rise of silver called for.’ It has remained at about $2.15 to $1, with occasional fluctuations, for six months, though showing a slight upward trend ; The relative steadiness in the rate of exchange during most of the calendar year 1904 has resulted in a closer approximation of the ex- change rate to the rate which should rule if fixed by the market price of the silver in the Mexican dollar: At times during 1903 fae NORTH AMERICA: MEXICO. 519 was an almost inexplicable discrepancy between the bank rate of exchange and the theoretical rate as fixed by the market value of sil- ver. Many influences are at work to produce a discrepancy of some degree between the rates, among them being the general movements of individual trade balances dependent upon the shipment of crops, the importation of cotton in excess of Mexico’s production, the tendency of merchants to rush to liquidate their accounts in the United States or Europe at the time of a falling rate of exchange, ete. But, with full allowance for such influences, there are times, as there were frequently during 1903-4, when it is difficult to explain how the exchange rate is so unfavorable to Mexico as compared with the price of the silver in her dollar. In the Orient one expects the exchange rate to follow quite closely the market quotations on silver ; indeed, the Chinese changers are often said to “ pay by weight ” for the dollars they receive. Yet in the country which is the chief source of silver trade dollars, the exchange rate is frequently more unfavora- ble to the man who purchases with silver. NEED OF GOLD STANDARD. Herein lies one more of the arguments used by those who favor a “reform of the currency” in Mexico with a view primarily to the stabilization of exchange. It was predicted during 1903 that the Government would adopt measures in this direction with the begin- ning of 1904. It did not, however, and the much-discussed subject of last year almost dropped from sight during 1904. Perhaps the rise of silver, with a consequent more favorable rate for Mexico and a considerable lessening of the evils of fluctuation, had something to do with this. Another of the influences mentioned, because of the Government finance department being thereby involved, was the entrance of the Mexican Government into a sort of silent, but controlling, partner- ship in the new National Railway of Mexico, comprising the former systems of the Mexican National and Mexican International rail- ways, the Interoceanic, and, more recently, the new Vera Cruz and Pacific Railway. MEXICAN CREDIT. The bonds necessary to carry out these transactions have been issued on much more favorable terms than Mexico ever before secured, as were also various recent issues of bonds for the purpose of refunding part of the country’s outstanding debt. This debt was about $110,000,000 gold in 1901, besides an internal debt of $135,000,000 silver, but the recent operations mentioned, together with extensive and other improvements, have somewhat increased it. Nevertheless, the refunding operations of the past two years have revealed the excellent state of Mexico’s credit in Europe and the i tates. oe of 4 per cent bonds to the amount of $40,000,000 gold has been recently placed with a New York firm, which replaces in art old 6 per cent bonds. In part, also, the money thus raised will be devoted to harbor improvements on the Pacific coast. There have been rumors also of a large issue of bonds for the construction on a 520 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. great scale of reservoirs and dams for irrigation on the semiarid plateau. It may be significant that, in connection with the favorable terms at which Mexican credit is now rated and the talk of future internal improvements by the Federal Government, there arises again the project of stabilizing the currency. ; ; If a nonfluctuating currency is to be established it must be by the issuance of a “50-cent dollar,” backed, in the final analysis, by Mexico’s credit and ability to obtain the gold always to redeem it at two for one, if not actually by a deposit of gold. The fact that the production of gold in Mexico has been increasing at a notable rate for a few years past, is another circumstance pointed out as favorable to the new system. In general, it may be said that the industrial and larger commercial interests of the country, all those who deal directly with the export and import trade, and all capitalized interests which meet their interest and other fixed charges in gold, are in favor of any new currency scheme which promises to do away with the evils of a fluctuating exchange rate. On the other hand, the land-holding interests which have their values on a silver basis, the interests which are recipients of the benefits of exporting on a silver basis into markets on a gold basis, and to some extent the silver-mine interests, are in favor of the status quo. There is a good deal of an argument for the country which is the chief source of supply of silver desiring to do nothing which may hinder the rise in value of its principal product. In any new currency scheme it is to be assumed that a place would be made, apart from the national currency circulating internally, for the “ Mexican trade dollar,” still so large a factor in the Orient. Whatever be the merits of the arguments pro and con, it may be said succinctly that “ Young Mexico” favors the reform, rather because identified chiefly with industrial and commercial progress, while ‘““Old Mexico” opposes the change, not only because of a fear of a shrinkage of values of certain “ vested interests,” but also because it is by nature conservative. TARIFF. A large number of schedules of the tariff were revised last Febru- ary, the new duties taking effect March 31. TRON AND STEEL INDUSTRY. The increase in the duties laid upon manufactured iron and steel, designed primarily, it has been said, to furnish protection to the new steel industry at Monterey, resulted also in stimulating to some extent the demand for the output of the National Iron and Steel Company’s plant at Durango, the company owning a large part of the famous “iron mountain,” on the outskirts of the city, and operating a blast furnace, foundry, and rolling mills at its foot. The high price of fuel, owing largely to the prevailing freight rates, which also hinder the marketing of the product of this plant, still constitute obstacles to a really effective development by the American capital interested in this remarkable deposit of iron. It has been rumored that the United States Steel Company would acquire this property, finding its market for manufactured steel in NORTH AMERICA: MEXICO. 521 Mexico restricted by the increase in the tariff and desiring to operate a plant inside this protective barrier. However this may be, cer- tain conditions will have to be met before this surface deposit of 300,000,000 to 500,000,000 tons of iron, known to the Spaniards for three hundred years before Humboldt wrote about it, will be exploited to the degree and with the success which it invites. F irst, the modern conditions of the iron and steel industry demand that very large capital shall be employed; second, the exploiting com- pany should own its own deposits of fuel; third, it ought to own the single railroad that brings its fuel and carries its product, or be operated more or less in connection with this railroad, or else assure itself of railroad competition from Durango. Whether or not the time is ripe for the realization of these conditions, and whether, if so, Mexico is yet ready to be the scene of such an undertaking, are separate questions. DYNAMITE MONOPOLY. _What is in effect another instance of a tariff regulation operating adversely to American exporting interests—viz, the new “ dynamite monopoly ” of Mexico—has been reported somewhat in detail by this office during the past year. The tariff on dynamite, $30 Mexican per metric ton (or 2,204.6 pounds), under which imports of dynamite and black powder amounted annually to about 3,300 and about 1,000 metric tons, respectively, has not been changed; but now that the new dyna- mite factory in the eastern part of the State of Durango is completed and has been running since August 1 the new “ duty for interior con- sumption ” of $210 Mexican per metric ton will apply to imported dynamite and explosives as soon as the factory has accumulated suili- cient stores in advance and distributed them throughout the country. There is at present American dynamite to the value of about $250,000 in the American deposits in this country. What remains unsold will be returned to the United States when the new “ consumption duty ” is imposed, as all imported explosives will then have to pay 5 cents gold a pound, a charge which is prohibitive and which confers upon this new enterprise virtually monopolistic privileges. The new fac- tory has a capacity of 12 tons daily. ‘The mining industry is appre- hensive of higher prices for explosives, but presumably the Govern- ment, which has made this new enterprise possible, will not permit its chief industry to be injured. RAILROADS. Despite many rumors as to the railroad extensiofis upon which, as stated, central and western Durango’s immediate future largely depends, there has been during the year no actual laying of track except for one or two mining tramways, and there is no definite assur- ance that construction will soon begin. For the portions of the State lying along the Sierra Madre, the most important extension would be that of the Mexican International from the city through the moun- tains to Mazatlan, on the Pacific coast. The surveys have been so far leted that a route has been selected with a maximum grade of 2 par cont and detailed estimates of cost have been made. The Federal Government has expressed its readiness to subsidize the undertaking, but thus far the only positive indication that it may be begun in the 522 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904, near future consists in the fact that the engineers are still kept at work along the proposed route. The International Railroad, which is now merged into the system of the National Railroad of Mexico, has made a favorable showing. The gross receipts increased from $2,331,897 in 1893-94 to $5,224,396 in 1902-3, a gain of 125 per cent, the net receipts from $420,124 to $849,609, a gain of 100 per cent, having declined from $1,189,463 in 1899-1900. Since that period the falling off in net receipts has been due to the decline in value of the Mexican dollar, which has recov- ered considerably during 1903-4. As the fixed charges, as well as a portion of the charges under the head of “ operation,” are in gold, this decline of the money on which receipts are based has similarly affected the net earnings. DURANGO EXTENSION. The city of Durango itself and the southern portion of the State are especially interested in the proposed branch of the Mexican Cen- tral Railroad northward from Gutierrez, in Zacatecas, to this city. Besides putting all this region more than a day closer to Mexico City, it would, supposedly, result in a lowering of freight charges, which are such as to retard the development of this region. Unfor- tunately the present financial condition of the Mexican Central does not favor the building of extension. Instead, the large new shops on the Central’s main line, for which exemptions and privileges have been secured at Gomez Palacio, in the eastern part of the State, may not be built at once. The Central has suffered a shrinkage in its sub- sidy receipts(paid silver)in consequence of the decline of the Mexican dollar, and in addition its fixed charges have been increased the past few years by issues of bonds for the various improvements and.-ex- tensions. For the year 1902-3 its earnings fell short of paying its fixed charges by $1,241,438. The International is the only trunk line in Mexico not built with the aid of a Federal subsidy. The entry of the Government into a sort of controlling partnership of the new National System resulted in the laying down last year of a new governmental policy as to railroads under which concessions for competing lines are in general not to be granted and subsidies will no longer be paid. THIRD LINE PROJECTED. A third line at present projected, running from Parral, in Chihua- hua State, to Guanecevi, in Durango, would especially benefit the northernmost section of the State of Durango, where there is growing up around Guanecevi a new mining camp of importance in which American investments have increased very rapidly the past year. It would tend to unite that district still more closely with southwestern ae especially Parral, but, geographically, this connection is natural. The Mexican International has not extended from Tepehuanes to Guanecevi its branch running north from this city, apparently be- cause of topographical difficulties. To help Durango merchants in their efforts to retain the trade of the Guanecevi district, into which a wagon road has been constructed from Parral, a wagon train has recently been established between Tepehuanes and Guanecevi, oper- NORTH AMERICA: MEXICO. 523 ated in conjunction with the railroad. This “ caravan route,” which dates back to old times in Mexico, is the only actual extension of the lines of common carriers in the district during the year. Several of the roads and trails running west into mining camps in the Sierra have been improved by government and private efforts. On the eastern border of the district the electric street railways between Torreon, Gomez Palacio, and Ciudad Lerdo have been extended and improved. FREIGHT RATES. The freight rates west of Torreon are virtually prohibitive of cer- tain lines of agriculture and trade which might find development in this region under more favorable conditions. CASTOR BEANS. For instance, the castor-bean plant grows wild like a small tree on the table-land, and produces luxuriantly, and yet parties who have given some attention to the project of exporting it to oil manufac- turers in the United States find that it can be laid down in New York by the tramp steamers from India cheaper than they can place it in New York, with a haul of rail only to Tampico and shipment thence by water. They might be able to extract the oil and ship it to New York or Europe with some profit, but the freight rates are such, and, considering the investment necessary for machinery, *that they are not encouraged to try. There is still a project on foot in Durango for manufacturing the oil into soap for domestic consumption, an industry which offers excellent returns in Mexico at present. The lack of a certainly successful process is the chief obstacle at present. In the United’States and Europe other kinds of oil, costing half as much, are used for making soap, and castor oil is used mainly for medicinal purposes and in some lines of textile manufacture. TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE EXTENSIONS. There have been a few minor extensions of the Federal telegraph in the district during the year. Telephone extensions, usually made by private parties, especially mining companies, have been less than in recent years, and are unimportant. A former concession of the Fed- eral Government for the use of its poles and wires for a long-distance telephone service between Torreon, Gomez Palacio, and Ciudad Lerdo, contemplating extensions to Durango City on the west and Monter- rey on the east, has been renewed and taken by a new concessionaire ; but no work in that direction has actually been done. POINTERS FOR AMERICAN MERCHANTS. American commercial travelers are scarce in this district. The most successful ones are high-class men, equipped with the Spanish language and knowing the business ways and the social courtesies of the country. Of the comparatively few who come, comparatively few in turn are so equipped. But catalogues (more often than not in English) seem to be the chief reliance of American business firms just beginning to cultivate a foreign field, and even those which have 524 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. already developed some trade overlook the importance of having energetic and capable representatives on the ground, both to improve the opportunities they have won and to add to them. Traveling men frequently wander over the border from Texas as if sent on a sort of hit-or-miss plan to see if they can “ pick up ” some trade in Mexico in ten days or two weeks, generally without a knowl- edge of Spanish. Where, as in Durango, the largest wholesale and retail houses are in the hands of the Germans, they can almost in- variably talk with the proprietors in English; but they are handi- capped from going outside those lines of trade, which are already in communication with the United States and. buy there only when they can do so to greater advantage than in Germany. ‘Travelers who enter the country in this helter-skelter sort of fashion also fre- quently overlook the fact that in many of the States of Mexico there are license fees for “drummers.” The State of Durango is one of these. Two Americans were recently overtaken while soliciting busi- ness in this city without a license, and had to leave on the first train in order to get a large fine waived. In looking for a new avenue of trade American firms quite gener- ally fail to extend as favorable terms of credit as European houses. This is an old complaint. QUARANTINE. A quarantine placed by Texas against all Mexico, ostensibly on account of danger from yellow fever, proved quite troublesome for a time in the spring of 1904, until the restrictions at first placed. on freight traffic were removed and those on passenger traffic were modi- fied. Aside from the fact that the yellow fever did not reappear in 1904 in Mexico to a degree worthy of mention, it would seem moder- ately plain that there is much more danger of yellow fever coming from the southern United States to Durango than from Durango or any other place on the Great Plateau, at an altitude of 5,000 feet or more, to the United States. Aside from the danger to American business interests, the feeling aroused in Mexico over some circum- stances connected with this quarantine did not tend to promote good relations. The refusal of the Texas health authorities to accept the usual consular certificates for travelers coming from uninfected places is entirely consistent. Consuls are Federal officers, and as such can only voluntarily carry out the regulations as to quarantine laid down by a health board of a State. LIVE STOCK. A census is taken each year by the State governments of Mexico of the number and value of live stock within their limits. The returns for 1903 show that the State of Durango, which is on the northern plateau and an important grazing country, as well as a great mining State, headed the list in number and value of horses and mules. The State of Jalisco leads in cattle, having over one- sixth of those in the country in number and value. In sheep the State of Zacatecas leads; in goats, Nuevo Leon; in hogs, Tepic, and in donkeys, Guanajuato. The following table shows the number and NORTH AMERICA: MEXICO. 525 the value in United States currency of animals in each of these classes for the State of Durango and for the country as a whole: Durango. Mexico. Kinds. (Number.| Value, Number. | Value. 233,041 | $1,767,509 | 5,804,065 | $38, 587, 009 -| 104,674 449, 580 872,544 | 5, 082,731 82,931 365, 562 340,016 | 4,920,054 -| 584, B04 439,031 | 4,258,870 | 3,386,623 383, 947 295,945 | 3,458,134 | 2,792,008 28,109 128, 674 298,516 | 1,131,260 21, 684 28,010 640,074 } 1,005,061 ’ o This gives an average value in United States currency per head for the country at large as follows: Mules, $14.47; cattle, $7.27; horses, $5.83; donkeys, $3.80; hogs, $1.57; sheep, $0.80; goats, $0.78. In some districts in particular and elsewhere on the part of cer- tain individuals, there have been efforts in recent years to improve the stock, especially of horses and cattle, by importations from the United States and Europe. This effort at “breeding up” has already resulted in marked improvement in places. Speaking of the country in general, however, only a beginning has been made in this direction. : ENSENADA. {From Consuy E. E. Battey, ENSENADA, MEXICO, SepremMBeR 30, 1904.1] GENERAL CONDITIONS. There has been but little change in general conditions since 1903. A dry season, and consequent failure of the wheat crop, and the retarding of mining operations have caused a falling off of imports. There are no factories in this consular district that manufacture any articles of export. The exports, raw materials, all of which go to the United States, are abalone meat and shells, bullion (gold), beeswax, copper concentrates and ores, cattle, guano, onyx, orchilla (dyestuff), deer and goat skins. Ensenada is 60 miles by water from San Diego, Cal. Commercial travelers regularly visit here, and the trade seems to be well lopked after in most lines. It is the only port of entry on the Pacific side of the peninsula and is the distributing point for a large, though sparsely settled territory. No European salesmen come to this town. Salesmen are charged $3 for a license, and their samples require a bond for duty. Banking facilities are adequate, exchange on Los Angeles and San Francisco is at regular rates, and credits extended by American firms seem satisfactory. When Mexican silver was at 40 and below merchants advanced | prices and have made no reduction since silver has risen. IMPORTS AND EXPORTS. There is an overwhelming proportion of imports from the United States—hardware, tinware, granite ware, groceries, provisions, drugs 526 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. and medicines, mining and farm machinery, notions, and the better class of hats and shoes. Articles for sale in stores are about evenly divided between domestic and foreign manufacture. Domestic wool- ens, cottons, and prints, especially the coarser and cheaper grades, have the advantage. Some improvement is noticed in the packing of American merchandise, though it is still generally inferior to European, where boxes are of heavier material, dovetailed, and iron bound. Packing for this particular locality is not so important, as little or no freighting is done by pack animals, distances being short and by wagon. The value of imports into Ensenada from the United States during the year ended June 30, 1904, was $141,507. For 1903 it was $166,927; a decrease for 1904 of $25,220. The exports to the United States from Ensenada during the year ended June 30, 1904, were valued at $168,874, and in 1903 they aggre- gated $161,226; an increase in 1904 of $7,646 over 1903. COMMUNICATION. There are no railroads on the peninsula. The Lower California Development Company’s steamer (English) makes six trips monthly between San Diego and Ensenada, and twice monthly makes landings as far south as Cedros Island, about 300 miles. The steamer sails from San Diego on the 2d, 5th, 8th, 16th, 19th, and 27th of each month; Ensenada, on the 3d, 6th, 14th, 17th, 25th, and 28th; and San Diego, Cal., via Ensenada, for lower coast, on the 8th and 19th of each month. The passenger fare from San Diego to Ensenada is $5 first class and $4 second class (gold). The freight rate from San Diego to Ensenada is $4 a ton (gold). The Pacific Coast Steamship Company’s steamer touches here monthly from San Francisco to Gulf of California ports. It sails from San Francisco on ‘th, arrives at Ensenada 9th; returning to Ensenada on 25th, arrives San Francisco 27th. The passenger fare from San Francisco to Ensenada, first class, is $20; second class, $14 (United States currency). The freight rate from San Francisco to Ensenada, general merchandise, ton, about $5.50 United States money, OUTLOOK FOR INVESTMENTS. After a series of years of lack of rain there is little to attract an American investor to this section. An expert from Los Angeles was in Ensenada recently to look over the ground with the idea of install- ing a new water system, the present one owned by the city being inadequate and the quality of water not good. Those interested can get particulars by addressing Col. Celso Vega, governor northern district of Lower California, Ensenada, Lower California. EDUCATION. Mexico has a compulsory school law which is rigidly enforced. The percentage of illiteracy is very low, especially among those of school age. é NORTH AMERICA: MEXICO. 527 MAZATLAN. [From Consut Lours KaIsEr, MazaTuan, Mexico, JANUARY 23, 1905.] COMMERCIAL CONDITIONS. The effects of the scourge of last year, the bubonic plague, are slowly but surely disappearing, and business, industries, and improve- ments are showing signs that Mazatlan will soon take its accustomed place as the most important commercial center of the west coast of Mexico. The many and great improvements which were predicted in 1902 and 1903 are materializing, and this year the city will advance more in the general line of business than it has done in any of the preceding five years. There has been an influx of well-to-do Americans from all portions of the United States, who seem to be provided with ample means and determination to profit by the new era of prosperity. The principal investments are made in mines. SANITARY IMPROVEMENTS. The Government of Mexico has come to the relief of Mazatlan and. has agreed to furnish that portion of the funds, which the State and city were unable to furnish, necessary to supply the city with such a complete and modern sewage system as will make it one of the most. healthful places in the Republic. The estimated cost of this improve- ment is over $1,000,000, Mexican silver. Mazatlan has been earnestly at work during the last two years to induce the Federal Government to build a modern sanitary station at this place where all passengers, as well as their baggage, landing here on vessels infected by contagious disease can be thoroughly dis- infected, with as little discomfort as possible. The minister of the interior has approved the plans of the proposed station, on which the estimated cost is $40,000 Mexican, of which amount $35,000 is now available. ; All the buildings of the contagion hospital, or “pest house,” located on an island opposite Mazatlan, were burned by order of the sanitary commission after the stamping out of the bubonic plague. The hospital has been rebuilt with a larger number of buildings, each of which is designed for a special purpose. Should there ever be another outbreak of any contagious disease the new hospital will do much to mimimize the horrors and distress of the situation. The Government expended over $50,000 on the buildings. RAILROAD PROJECTED. The Durango and Mazatlan railroad will be an extension and the Pacific outlet of the International Railroad of Mexico, and will give Mazatlan direct railroad connection with the United States. The distance of this extension is 175 miles from Durango to Mazatlan. Owing to a supposed 34 to 4 per cent grade the construction of the extension was practically abandoned, but through the continued 528 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. efforts of the engineer corps a 14 to 2 per cent grade was procured. The final survey is nearly completed, and the Government has assured the boards of trade of Durango and Mazatlan that it will assist in the building of the road. ; : At present Mazatlan is without railroad connection, and stage lines are the only overland means of transit for passengers. Freight is either sent by a convoy of mules, or in wagons drawn by mules or oxen. Both methods are expensive, both in money and time. The lack of railroad transportation to the United States, as well as to the interior, has been the main obstacle in the way of Mazatlan’s progress. During the rainy season the stage lines discontinue their regular trips, and the mail and small parcels are carried on mules. OCEAN TRANSPORTATION. The Pacific Steamship Company has_three steamers a month stop- ping at this port, en route from San Francisco to Ancon, Canal Zone, and return. The steamers leave San Francisco each Saturday at 12 o’clock, noon, arriving here six days later. The price for a first-class passage to Mazatlan is $45, gold, and steerage $22.50, gold. The steamer Curacao leaves San Francisco on the 7th of each month at 10 a. m., and arrives here on the 13th, departing on the evening of the same day for ports in Lower California, calling in the ports of Altata, La Paz, Santa Rosalia, Guaymas, and Topolo- bampo. On the 20th of each month the steamer returns to this port and sails the same day for San Francisco, by way of San Jose del Cabo, Bahia Magdalena, and Ensenada de Todos Santos. The steamers of the Kosmos Line run from Hamburg, Germany, to San Francisco and Puget Sound. They are freighters, and call here twice a month. La Compania Naviera del Pacifico, a consolidation of two Mexican coast-line companies, has a capital of $1,058,000, Mexican silver. Its fleet consists of ten steamers, of which three or four are modern, English-built boats. The general offices are located in this city. The steamers make regular trips between Guaymas and San Benito, Mexico, and way-ports, and all ports on the Lower California coast, and do a large and profitable business. SAILING VESSELS. Nearly all of the American sailing vessels arriving here come from San Francisco, and are loaded with dynamite, powder, fuse, and lum- ber, while a few carry a general cargo of merchandise. During the jast few years a few American sailing vessels have come here from ports in Australia loaded with coal. The foreign vessels are mostly German, manned by German officers and crews, and bring their cargo direct from Germany, England, and Spain. It takes about eight months to make the trip. The vessels coming from Australia, bringing coal for this coast, are of various nations, with mixed crews. DISCRIMINATION AGAINST FOREIGN VESSELS. No freight can be given to a foreign vessel when there is a Mexican vessel in port able and willing to carry the same, and any violation of this law is punished by a fine of $1,000, Mexican. NORTH AMERICA: MEXICO. 529 LIGHT-HOUSE. _ The Government will commence in the near future to remodel the light-house at Mazatlan, which is situated on Mount Creston, 520 feet above the level of the sea, and is said to be the second highest light-house in the world. The light at the present time is a large lamp, using petroleum for fuel, with a number of looking-glass reflectors, and was manufactured in Paris. It has been frequently confounded with the light of a star, and will be changed to a series of white light and shade, with a largely increased intensity, and will be worked by a mechanical clock. . BANKS AND BANKING. A branch of the Mexican National Bank was established here in 1889. The capital stock of the national bank is $20,000,000, and each share of $100 has a market value of $340 on which was paid 21 per cent dividend. The London and Mexico bank commenced its operations in the City of Mexico in the year 1889, with a capital of $1,500,000, which has been increased to, the present capital stock of $15,000,000. The shares of $100 are quoted at $1834 and the last dividend paid was 12 per cent. The branch here opened for business in 1897. The Occidental Bank of Mexico, a local institution, was estab- lished in the year 1898, with a capital of $1,500,000, nearly all of which was furnished by local capitalists and business houses. The shares of $100 are worth $130, and the last dividend paid was 8 per cent. SHORT FUEL SUPPLY. Excepting the local steamship company which uses imported coal, all the industries here use wood and charcoal for fuel. Within a few years the nearby wood supply will be exhausted, and it will then be too expensive for fuel, the price having doubled during the last five years. : ; ; es Some of the larger factories are now experimenting with imported coal. If it is found cheap enough it will go far toward solving the fuel question, which is becoming a serious one. | es The new Canadian Steamship Line of Victoria, British Columbia, which will commence operations within ninety days, will endeavor to supply this coast with coal and lumber. As the company has secured a subsidy from its home government as well as from the Mexican Government, it will prove a lively competitor for the San Francisco exporters. shea . ‘As coal is admitted free of duty, and the demand for it is steadily increasing, the American exporters should see to it that they are not crowded out of their share of this business. TRADE RELATIONS. The west coast is endeavoring to form closer commercial relations with the United States, and salesmen from other foreign countries complain that their prices and samples are more closely compared H. Doc. 481, 58-3-——34 580 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. than they formerly were, and that they are often compelled to make concessions which they have not before been called on to make. The majority of goods imported into Mazatlan comes from the United States, and as the location is in favor of the American market there is no reason why in the near future the amount of imports should not be largely increased. The importation of farm machinery from the United States has greatly increased. A satisfactory business is being done and it will keep on increasing if the manufacturers are careful to keep up their standard of excellency combined with lower prices than Europe can furnish. The importation of hardware and tools is also increasing yearly. If merchants would send their best men here, or, still better, would themselves visit this country and become acquainted with their customers and their ways of doing business, a marked increase in their business in Mexico would follow. IMPORTS BY ARTICLES, YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 1904. « Articles. Value. Articles. Value. Animal matter -.......-..----------- $79,316 || Machinery, and irs... Vegetable matter -- a Seis, 148, 626 || Vehicles ee feos ia a Mineral matter ....--_---__.- --| 883,597 || Arms, and explosives __- oe BY, 572 Textures, manufactures of - 267,969 || Sundries._.......-...--- 44. 877 Chemie) Ereiuee: er a O19, i ee es ae ines, liquors, and beer 466 Totalsausesexevesesec sce, Paper and stationery... 39, 178 pony Pa IMVORTS BY COUNTRIES, YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 1904. Countries. Value. Countries. Value. GORMAN. occ ens. cso) genes So oeaed $251,016 || Italy ........ Austria... was so 6, 990 Japan S i foots Belgium -- 8, 759 || Mexico i) ina....- i orway-.. Chile _-_-” : a 520 || Portugal. ato Denmark. Dapuraweeinthe ee acing! 766 || Siam _____._- a 490 Ecuador -- Seamer ssa cree 9,343 || Switzerland : 4,009 Spain: .- 2222 escc necoceeoweascsssvens es 22,354 || Sweden ___ 7,052 United Sta ahee Turkey ..__._.. a "40 ce. i i Sai eranee Various points .......2-2222222 22... es ___ 350 England -. 211, 247 Motel 5335s Sesosgcese cece sess 1,301, 332 NUEVO LAREDO. [From Consux A. B. Garrurr, Nurvo LarEDo, Mexico, SEPTEMBER 27, 1904.] TRADE CONDITIONS. The rice industry of Texas has within the last year secured the rice market and cut off entirely importations from Asia. While there is little ee for eae owing to the abundance of cheap earthen- ware in use, foreign countries paying ocean freight ca with America, the great bulk nail ttle weight of such ea ee land transportation less than water transportation. All imported whisky and beer is from America, and in the free zone, where the NORTH AMERICA: MEXICO. 5381 duty is but 10 per cent of the regular duty, American beers are much preferred to the Mexican brews. Germany undersells the United States on sugars three-quarters of a cent and gets a larger market, but it is admitted by dealers that American sugars are superior, and they are required to carry about one-fourth stock of that brand. The “ free zone,” a belt on the frontier 15 miles wide, should always furnish a market for American goods, it being without the possibility of factories, owing to tariff restrictions, and admitting, as it does, foreign goods at a nominal duty. While in some instances American wares are undersold by Europeans, yet a large part of the import of cotton and woolen goods in the form of clothing from Austria and Germany is merely for the sake of having something different from American styles. In such goods America is a successful competitor. American raw tobacco finds ready market here for the manufac- ture of cigarettes. This is due to the world-wide demand for the fine grade of Mexico’s home tobacco in the manufacture of cigars. IMPORTS. The following statement shows the total imports, by articles and by countries, into Nuevo Laredo during the year ended June 30, 1904: Articles. Value. Articles. Value. United States:- France—Continued. , Cotton goods - » $6, 000 GTOCOPIOS eeseenhn see enue eon $275 Hats necesacis 5500 Liquors --.-- 600 Shoes -.....- , 300 Perfumery . Trunks and Woolen goods MOtal -ccascccveie ssccceelecoaszes Drugs ---.----- Groceries _- Germany: Hardware -. Chinaware .........---..---- toanes Tobacco --.- 3 Dry goods -- TLAQUOPS vejcco- oes: sactesecasecesce ce Hardware -. oe BUPAT = oases cswinsecnecsededeesed DL wail Oepleculcie weiememeetnane en sats ae MPO tel skeet sane teagan sues Austria: — Cotton and woolen goods-_- 2,000 || Italy: i Enameled hardware 500 Castor oil 75 Dotal .. jecceese vesrvessncosseeeees 9,000 ai goods.....-.------------------- 1,300 Total of all imports -... QUARANTINE REGULATIONS. Quarantine regulations are lax, and as regards this district they find no enforcement except in times when yellow fever threatens from the Texas border, which is very rare. The quarantine direction is entirely in the hands of the Federal Government. 532 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. TAMPICO. [From Consuu 8. E. Maciuy, Tampico, Muxico, SEPTEMBER 27, 1905.) An epidemic of yellow fever swept over this vicinity from July to December, 1903, but fortunately only three cases appeared in 1904, as the local authorities early began a campaign of cleaning and sani- tation, including the destruction of mosquitoes. : een There are many new buildings under construction, justified by the high rents obtainable. The sewer and water system is about completed. This means much to a city which has depended for its water on cisterns, and the delivery by mules. A rival electric-light company has installed a new plant and will soon commence supply- ing its customers. This city is as well supplied in this respect as any city of its size. ; , The failure of the Mexican Trust Company involved its local branch, and took from this city its sole American bank. The two banks still remaining, the Bank of Tamaulipas and the Banco Nacional, are both prosperous institutions and have their correspond- ents in all money centers, enabling the local merchants to buy or sell exchange on any point. TRANSPORTATION BY WATER AND RAIL. During the last fiscal year the Mexican-American Steamship Com- pany has added to its fleet two steamers, which run weekly from Port Arthur and Galveston, Tex., to Tampico. A good business is developing. The Hamburg-American Steamship Company has added a monthly passenger steamer to its line to this port, thus enabling Tampicans to go to Spanish, French, or German ports direct without calling at New York. A new line with four steamers has been started to run between Texas City, Tex., and Mexican ports. This line, together with the additional steamers of the American-Mexican line, gives Texas mer- chants and manufacturers an opportunity to get into this market in competition with New York and New Orleans. Large quantities of lumber, hay, and produce have already found a local sale. The great Mexican Central System, which controls the rail com- munication with Tampico, has put large sums of money into local betterments to which largely is due Tampico’s steady growth as a port of entry. While little new mileage has been added in this dis- trict, the existing track has been improved with heavier rails and rock ballast. It is greatly to be regretted that the direct line from Mexico City to Tampico is still incomplete. The railroad management is anxious to complete the line, but fluctuating silver values make such invest- ment, at present, unwise. A new coal dock, with capacity for three large steamers, has been in use for several months past. Coal ships get prompt dispatch here The Tampico-Tuxpan Canal is nearing the completion of the first and most important part of its great work, and now 10 feet of water NORTH AMERICA! MEXICO. 5383 flows through the great sand hills which have been cut during the past two years, and two companies are building stern-wheel steamers to operate between Tampico and the shores of the Laguna de Tamiahua, thus connected with this harbor. COAL AND COKE. During the past fiscal year there have been 375,920 gross tons of coal and 151,791 gross tons of coke delivered at Tampico from the follow- ing nations, the coke from Germany and the small amount of coal and coke from England being to finish up contracts made with those countries in 1902 on account of the mining troubles in America during that year: . IMPORTS OF COAL AND COKE. Countries. Coal. Coke. ; Tons. Tons. yA OIC A essG ee nate rete ene ge eis eet ls ee eet be ee eee ee eeesee eee cael 372, 203 134, 563 England 8,717 1,328 Germany 15, 900 WUT aac cdarawiaddoamsasend winenwe LbewnwesAsicdanked aoe eer eRReuseEN 875, 920 151,791 This is a gain of 63,394 tons of coal and a loss of 25,779 tons of coke over the fiscal year ended June, 1903. The Mexican Central Railway consumed 807,920 tons of coal and the smelters throughout the Republic used the coke. , COLONISTS. There have been several colonies started in this district by Ameri- cans, chiefly from Texas and Oklahoma. None of them, however, has yet achieved any success, while many of the colonists have become dis- couraged and returned north. ; ; : Too great publicity can not be given to the difficulties Americans must encounter who come to make this their home. Land is cheap and soil is rich, but different laws and language, method and pro- cedure, soil and climate are to be faced. The Mexican “ point of view ” is far different from the American, and his application of the law does not always meet with our ap- proval, but Mexico belongs to the Mexicans and Americans coming here should know that our Government recognizes the Mexican law as furnishing ample protection to Americans here. Therefore if such are not willing to submit they should go away or stay away. LOCAL INDUSTRIES. Within the past year centrifugal sugar has been exported from Tampico to England and America. There is but one mill now in operation with modern machinery. Two others by American capital are in process of construction, one of which has the machinery on the ground. i Neat The product of the sugar cane formerly went into piloncillo, a coarse black sugar, and alcohol for intoxicants, but now cane Is being grown for modern mills and centrifugal sugar will soon be known as an important export. 534 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. Preparations are being made for large shipments of sugar from the only mill now in operation to New York during the coming year, shipments this year having been quite profitable. : : Although there are good fishing banks within a few miles of this ort, Tampico has never had a suitable fleet for that purpose, and the ball of the fish consumed in Mexico comes from Galveston. Expe- rienced men are now investigating this proposition with a view to equipping a fleet for fishing, with the necessary ice plant and storage on shore. ; Local shipments of cattle to Cuba and Yucatan still keep up, about 3,000 head going to Cuba and 2,000 to Yucatan monthly. American manufactures control this market in all important lines, except dry goods. . ee : California wines might be introduced in competition with the cheaper wines of France and Spain. American-made hardware is continually displacing that of German and English make, and the same is true of American plumbing goods, although English goods were the first on the market. TUXPAM. [From Consut A. J. LESPINASSE, TUXPAM, MEXxIco, OcTOBER 16, 1904] GENERAL IMPROVEMENTS. No improvements of a striking or commercially important charac- ter have been undertaken by the State government, corporations, or private individuals in this consular district, but among the minor improvements can be mentioned a telephone line between Tuxpam and the bar at the mouth of the Tuxpam River and a new signal station announcing the arrival and departure of all vessels entering and clearing from this port. A new and modern public school has recently been built in Tuxpam. A few unimportant improvements of a local nature have been made, and although the public highways remain in practically the same deplorable condition as in the past, an attempt is being made to improve them. TUXPAM CANAL. The first section of the completed portion of the Tuxpam Canal was recently ee The small boats which formerly were com- pelled to transfer their cargoes and passengers at the portage near Tampico can now proceed from Tuxpam to the former place without undergoing this expensive operation. It is expected that in another year the canal will be in full operation between Tuxpam and Tam- pico. The shallow-draft stern-wheel steamers now under construc- tion, one for freight and another for passengers, will be ready for work when the canal opens, and as business increases others will be added. They will ply between all points on the Tamiahua Lagoon Tuxpam River, and its tributaries to headwaters. ee NORTH AMERICA: MEXICO. 535 AGRICULTURE. Uninterrupted peace and exceedingly favorable weather conditions have enabled the agricultural classes to secure excellent harvests, but the year 1904 has not been notable for its increase of acreage, variety of crops, or new and improved methods of cultivation. A lack of farm hands has retarded all agricultural enterprises. The supply of labor which could be i i ; tak : readily secured a few years ago is now unob- tainable, owing to the high wages offered by the numerous com- panies operating the chicle districts farther south. These companies have adopted a system of advancing sums of money to all who will sign contracts binding themselves to work for them during the chicle season. This has proved so seductive to the Indian laborers, who have been in the habit of working for 50 cents a day and “ find themselves,” that they have abandoned all agricultural pursuits, and now regularly bind themselves every season to the agents of the chicle operators, who drain this and adjoining districts of all the Indian laborers they can find, frequently advancing $100 to $200, Mexican money, to individuals who at no time during their exist- ence have. possessed more than a pittance after weeks of hard labor. It is not difficult to understand the irresistible effect such large sums of money and credit produces on their narrow minds, and though they willingly enslave themselves, yet the pleasure of handling money and being their own masters to a great extent recompenses them for whatever hardships the contracts they are compelled to sign may ex- pose them to. The only hope which now exists of solving the labor problem will be to secure laborers from other parts of the world, and this is now being seriously considered. In the end the present scarcity of hands may be a blessing, providing able and reliable labor can be substituted for the kind now obtainable, which, at best, is very inferior. With good labor, improved machinery, and system- atic farming, this section will favorably compare with if not sur- pass the most fertile sections of this or any other tropical country, as its lands are remarkably rich and nature has been most lavish in endowing this beautiful valley with all that tends to make it an ideal spot for agricultural pursuits—healthful climate, abundance of rain, numerous fresh and salt water streams, and a variety of soils which can produce all tropical and a large proportion of the farm and garden products cultivated in northern latitudes. _ The Tuxpam Canal will open up the wonderfully fertile lands along the river and Tuxpam Valley, which only await proper transporta- tion facilities to start the numerous enterprises which have been awaiting the completion of the canal, among which can be men- tioned the profitable cultivation of the vanilla vine, rubber culture, sugar-cane growing, and the cultivation of tobacco. Banana, plant- ing is peottable; as a crop can be secured in twelve to fourteen months, and the plant renews itself thereafter annually without re- planting. Pineapple culture is another industry which awaits the settler, and which will be a lucrative occupation along the rich lands on the river banks, with its unequaled transportation acilities. CLIMATE AND HEALTH. Weekly vital statistics issued by the board of health of Tuxpam display a remarkably low death rate, ranging from 5 to 7 deaths in a 536 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. population of 13,000 to 14,000, including suburbs. The city of Tuxpam and the surrounding country are exempt from all epidemic fevers of a fatal character, no doubt due to the excellent natural drainage to the river, which carries off the excessive rainfall during the months of July and August and prevents excessive deposits of water, which would soon develop dangerous malarial miasmas. The climate varies from 85° to 92° in summer and 65° to 78° in winter. Although the heat in midsummer is powerful, it is not cppressive. Deaths from sunstroke are unknown and hydrophobia does not develop among animals. From October to June the climate is delightful, being somewhat similar to early spring in the United States, but more balmy and more uniform. With the exception of an occasional “ norther,” which tends to infuse vigor and life into the system after the summer months, the winter season is a long period of ideal weather, which enables the farmer to work to the best advan- tage and the pleasure seeker to enjoy his outing to the utmost limits on land, river, or ocean. BOOTS AND SHOES. Boots and shoes of American manufacture have a decided prefer- ence in this section of Mexico; nevertheless the importations from the United States are not what they should be, owing to the lack of sys- tematic and regular introduction of the latest and most -attractive patterns produced by American manufacturers, who should by all means send capable and gentlemanly representatives, speaking Span- ish, to canvass this market. The word “ gentlemanly ” is purposely employed, as the native does not permit brusque and hasty manners; he is calm, conservative, and very deliberate in his transactions. Manufacturers unwilling to consider these characteristics will meet with limited success in introducing their goods throughout this, and, in fact, all other sections of Mexico. ‘ VERACRUZ, [From ConsuLt W. W. Canapa, VERACRUZ, MEXICO, APRIL 12, 1905.] PROGRESS AND DEVELOPMENT. The Veracruz of to-day is not the Veracruz of twelve years ago. A spirit of progress has been developed and is manifest on every hand. In business everything is now conducted upon more modern lines. The first of these innovations was the drainage of the city, now to be further improved by a system of surface drainage. A new water system, with supply ‘sufficient to combat successfully any ordinary conflagration, has been completed. Had this been the case one year ago the disastrous fire that. consumed nearly five blocks of buildings and rendered 1,500 people homeless would possibly not have occurred. Naturally these improvements have been a heavy burden to the taxpayers, and rents have been raised proportionately yet it is a difficult matter to find a dwelling or building for business purposes at any figure. Old buildings are being remodeled upper stories are added to others, and several fine modern business blocks have NORTH AMERICA: MEXICO. 5387 been erected or are under construction. In the matter of hotel ac- commodations this city had nothing formerly to compare with what it now has, for Veracruz can boast of a modern hotel. During the present season its capacity has been taxed to the utmost. The retail trade also seems to have awakened from its lethargy. A greater effort at a proper display is evident in the show windows, where formerly it was wanting almost altogether. The wholesale dealers and importers are compelled to hire buildings in all parts of the city for storage purposes, the upper parts of which are occupied as pri- vate dwellings. Like nearly all Latin-American cities, Veracruz has a number of edifices formerly used as churches, convents, and monas- teries that have been put to commercial uses. Several of the largest importers occupy such buildings. ° Among contemplated improvements is the repaving of the city. At the end of the rainy season, in October, operations are to be com- menced, and the principal portion of the city will have an asphalt pavement in place of cobblestones, and the latter in turn will be ufil- ized in parts where at present no pavement exists. Then, the street- car system is to be changed from animal to electric traction, plans for which have been completed. In all likelihood the laying of this new road will be done while the repaving of the city takes place. The lighting of the city is in the hands of a private plant. Both arc and incandescent systems are used. Private parties are charged for wiring at from $50 to $200 a building, according to the number of lights required. The company also makes a charge of $30 for the meter and collects 4 cents a hundred kilowatts for the service. PUBLIC MARKET. Like all old Mexican cities, Veracruz has its public market, to which the whole town flocks every morning for its daily supply of fish, meat, vegetables, and fruit. Of the latter there is an unlimited supply nearly all the year round. During the early morning hours the mar- ket presents a most animated scene; at times the crush is so great that it is almost impossible to force oneself through the mass of people. The authorities have long since known that the accommodations are altogether inadequate to the needs of the people and that a new mar- ket is an imperative necessity. An enlarged market is under con- sideration. : ; ; Butcher shops have recently been established in various parts of the city, but, as these places do not possess proper refrigerating facilities, it remains to be seen how they will prosper during the hot term. From 50 to 60 head of beef, 10 to 15 hogs, and from 5 to 10 sheep are slaughtered daily. Venison may be had at any time. Much of the beef is purchased by the ships in the harbor. The supply of fish is furnished by a fleet of small fishing vessels that make daily trips to the fishing grounds. During fine weather prices asked, though never low, are much less than at times when the fishermen can not leave the harbor on account of bad weather. At such times exorbitant prices are sometimes demanded. Upon the return of the fishing fleet a large portion of the daily catch is packed in ice and shipped the same night to Mexico City and other points in the interior. All articles of food have risen in price, and unless a per- son is content to live like the natives housekeeping has become very costly. 5388 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. SANITARY REGULATIONS. A very marked improvement is noticeable in the general health of Veracruz. The population is about 33,000, and the total number of deaths from all causes during the year 1903 was 2,556. This num- ber was reduced to 1,884 deaths from all causes for the year 1904. The records show that during the year 1903 there were 1,081 cases of yellow fever and 369 deaths, as against 68 cases and 12 deaths for the year 1904. Sanitary inspectors make constant domiciliary visits and promptly report any infringement of the sanitary regulations. But perhaps the greatest change that Veracruz has experienced will be found in the organization of a new police force. Under the old régime the force consisted of a®few, superannuated officers who had been in the service from the time of its inception, and any five of whom were not able to handle a single refractory individual; but under the present energetic municipal government an effective force has been created. This force consists of 120 foot and 36 mounted men, who are on duty eight hours at a time. One hundred men are always available and 20 more are detailed on court service, the city expending the sum of $180,000 for its police force every year. FIRE PROTECTION. In addition to the municipal fire department the Federal Govern- ment stations two harbor tugs at this port, one of which is-provided with pumping machinery. This vessel has in several instances given valuable aid, being provided with hose sufficient to reach the center of the city. The tugs may also be chartered for towing purposes at fixed rates. BANKS. There are three banks at Veracruz. One is a branch of El Banco de Londres y Mexico, of Mexico City; the next is E] Banco Nacional, and the third is El Banco Mercantil. All of these are banks of issue. The United States Banking Company, of Mexico City, has a branch here under the name of “‘ Campania Banquera Veracruzana.” Nearly all large business houses, however, do a banking business. Orizaba also has its Banco de Orizaba. TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES. RAILROADS. Ferrocarril Mexicano.—The length of the main line, which extends from Veracruz to Mexico City, is 264 miles; branch from Ometusco to Pachuca, 29 miles, and another from Apizaco to Puebla, 30 miles. This is the oldest line in the Republic and the shortest between the coast and the capital. During the past year orders have been placed in the United States for 250 new cars and 10 new engines. This is likely to be supplemented by further orders for rolling stock owing to the heavy increase of traffic through this port. An effort is also being made to improve the Pullman service by coaches more suitable to the Tropics. project is now under consideration for utilizing the waters of the Maltrata River and other streams for developing NORTH AMERICA: MEXICO. 539 hydraulic power to generate electricity, and should the estimates now being prepared warrant the cost, that section of the line from Esper- anza to Veracruz, a distance of 112 miles, will be operated by elec- tricity. The grade on this part of the road reaches in many places 4 per cent, and an elevation above sea level of over 8,000 feet. The change from coal to electric power is expected to produce a great sav- ing in fuel. The entire road is being relaid with 90-pound rails, is being well ballasted, and when this has been accomplished the line will compare very favorably with any in the world. Ferrocarril Interoceanico.—This is a narrow-gauge road; main line from Veracruz to Mexico City, length, 295.5 miles. The Matamoros branch Morelos division, Teziutlan division, San Juan branch, and other short lines bring the total mileage up to 736 miles. It also reaches the important towns of Puebla, Atlixco, Cuautla, and Teziut- lan. Pachuca is reached through its connection with the Ferrocarril Hidalgo; Toluca with the Férrocarril Nacional, and Oaxaca with the Ferrocarril Mexicano del Sur. The road has a maximum grade of 24 per cent from Veracruz to Las Vegas; the latter at an elevation of 8,200 feet above sea level. Surveys are being made for the purpose of improving the line. During the present year the company has put down some 40 miles of heavy steel track between Jalapa, the capital of the State, and Las Vegas, to provide for the constantly increasing traffic, amounting to from 7 to 8 per cent per annum. No extensions have been made since the construction of the short line from San Lorenzo to Oriental, but about 15 miles of additional sidetracks have been constructed. During the current year the company has placed orders in the United States for 200,000 feet—long-leaf yellow pine ties—and has bought some 60,000 tons of American coal. The road is operated by the Ferrocarril Nacional, under lease. Sooner or later the road will be converted into standard gauge, thus giving the Na- cional an outlet to the Gulf. Ferrocarril Veracruz al Pacifico—This road has a_main line from Cordoba on the line of the Ferrocarril Mexicano an@ in the State of Veracruz to Santa Lucrecia, a station on the Ferrocarril Nacional de Tehuantepec. The distance between these two points is 205 miles. The road also operates a branch line from Veracruz to Tierra Blanca, the latter a point on the main line 59 miles from Cordoba and 63 miles from Veracruz. Prior to September 1, 1904, all construction work with the exception of the bridges and the raising of the grade in the Tesechoacan bottom was performed by the company’s forces. Accurate account was kept of the amount of work accomplished, and with the exception of the contract work there is very little to show for the money expended; doubtless a large portion of this was lost in operating the road, thus apparently showing profit in operating, which was not the case. At present the road is working at a loss, and receipts will continue to run behind expenses until the line has been ractically rebuilt. As the road traverses the most fertile sections of the State of Veracruz and gives direct connection with the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, it is the intention of the management to make it the t in Mexico. ba mney Alvarado.—A narrow-gauge road from Veracruz to Alvarado, a town 44 miles down the coast, 15 In good running order, both in roadway and traction, having received a new engine lately from the States. At Alvarado the line connects with the river 540 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. steamers of the same company, touching at the principal points in that section, such as Tlacotalpam, Cosamaloapam, Chacaltianguis, Tuxtepec, Alonso Lazaro for San Andres Tuxtla, and during the rainy season also at San Juan Evangelista. At the latter point connection may be made with the Ferrocarril Nacional de Tehuan- tepec. A daily service is operated between Alvarado and Tlacotal- pam. The vessels of this company are comfortable and well adapted to this tropical service. This company also operates the street railway system of Veracruz, with about 11 miles of track extending to all parts of the city and used for freight and passenger traffic. This road is shortly to be converted into an electric road. Ferrocarril Nacional de Tehuantepec.—This railroad traverses the Isthmus of Tehuantepec from Coatzacoalcos, on the Gulf side, to Salina Cruz, on the Pacific. Length of the road, 192 miles. The firm having the contract for constructing the harbor works at either end of the line, as well as for the reconstruction of the road, is operat- ing it. A branch road starts from a station named Juile to San Juan Evangelista, 18 miles long. At Santa Lucrecia the road con- nects with the Ferrocarril Veracruz al Pacifico. Ferrocarril, Pan-Americano.—A_ road is under construction and running now for a distance of 71 miles, from Reforma to Arista. Reforma is near San Geronimo, on the Ferrocarril Nacional de Tehuantepec, and Arista is located 20 miles beyond Tonala, a Gulf port on the Pacific coast. The line is to be extended to Guatemala. Ferrocarrit de Jalapa 4 Cordoba.—A short line connecting Jalapa on the Ferrocarril Interoceanico with Cordoba, on the Ferrocarril Mexicano, and Ferrocarril Veracruz al Pacifico. Length of the road, 19 miles. Narrow gauge. Proposed railroads Among the proposed new lines of railroads in the Republic are the following to points in this consular district: From Coatzagoalcos to points in the State of Tabasco, thence to the State of Yucatan, and from there into Guatemala; terminal to be at Merida, Yucatan; length of the line, 600 miles; in progress of construction. Application is to be made for a concession to construct a road through the agricultural sections of Veracruz. It is reported that a road is about to be built from the city of Oaxaca to a point on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. a distance of 250 miles. A line is to be construeted from Los Xuchiles, in the State of Vera- cruz, to San Juan de la Punta, 15 miles long, with a branch from Tierra Blanca to Veracruz. A concession has been secured for the construction of a road from Atasa to Paso del Carrizal, in the State of Tabasco. A line is to be constructed from Cardenas, on the Grijalva River, to the port of Paraiso, both in the State of Tabasco. A road has been projected from San Juan Bautista north to Naca- juca, thence northwest to a point on the Rio Seco; all in the State of Tabasco. TERMINAL FACILITIES. The project of erecting a union terminal station at Veracruz, a scheme now under consideration, may materialize in the near future. NORTH AMERICA: MEXICO. 541 A company has been formed which will alsa undertake the steve- doring business of this harbor, erect the necessary machinery on the several wharves for the rapid loading and unloading of vessels, and furnish the power to operate it. The lack of docking facilities is noted more and more every day. At times the harbor is so full of shipping that great difficulty is experienced in entering and leaving port. This would not be the case were more wharves provided, and these will in all probability be constructed by the several steamship companies making this port their destination. The principal railroads have their own wharves, tugs, and lighters and handle freight from vessels aboard cars by aid of hydraulic machinery. All exports passing over either one of the fiscal wharves to vessels anchored in the harbor pay a charge of 25 cents a ton, and when loaded on vessels moored to the wharves, 50 cents a ton. In the case of imports, the charges are 50 cents and $1, respectively. Charges by the railroads in similar cases are but one- half of these amounts. STEAMSHIP LINES. Ocean commerce is represented at Vera Cruz by the following steamship lines, making regular voyages: Ward Line—Weekly service between New York, Habana, Pro- greso, and Veracruz. Munson Steamship Line—No fixed sailing schedule; charters for- eign vessels and carries coal to this port and cattle to Cuba. West Indian and Pacific Steamship Company (Leland Line).— Semimonthly service between Liverpool and New Orleans via West Indian ports, Colon, and Mexican Gulf ports. Harrison Line-—Semimonthly service between Liverpool and New Orleans via West Indian ports, Colon, British Honduras, and Mexi- can Gulf ports, with occasional trips to Galveston in place of New Orleans. : ; Hamburg-America Steamship Company—Semimonthly freight service, with limited passenger accommodations from Hamburg to West Indies (St. Thomas and Cape Haitien), and Mexican Gulf ports. Also, one large passenger steamer monthly from Hamburg to Dover, Havre, Coruna, Habana, and Veracruz, thence to Tampico and return. La Compania Transatlantica E spanola.—Semimonthly service, one steamer leaving Veracruz on the 16th of every month for Habana, Corunna, Santander, Bilbao, and one steamer leaving. Veracruz on the 26th of every month for Habana, New York, Cadiz, Barcelona, d Genoa. * Dissent Generale Transatlantique.—One steamer on the 12th of every month for Habana, Corunna, Santander, and St. Nazaire. Austrian-American Lloyd—Monthly service between Trieste and Mediterranean ports and Habana, thence to Veracruz, returning by way of ports on the east coast of Yucatan, Mexico, Colon, and South ican ports. ; ; ae Steamship Company—Semimonthly _ service between Veracruz and New Orleans; one vessel direct for New Or- leans, returning by way of Tampico, the ‘other coming by way of Tampico and returning direct to New Orleans. 542 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. Cuban Steamship Company.—This company operates a number of vessels between London, Antwerp, Cardenas, Habana, Tampico, Veracruz, and Coatzacoalcos. Three steamers every month. Carry heavy freights for the harbor-construction works at the terminals of the Ferrocarril Nacional de Tehuantepec. Mexico-Texas City Commercial Company.—This company oper- ates a fleet of vessels between Texas City and various ports on the Gulf of Mexico. One vessel from Texas City to Progreso; others in the coasting trade calling at Tampico, Veracruz, Coatzacoalcos, Frontera, Laguna, Campeche, and Progreso. The latter service is under the Mexican flag. Atlantic and Mewican Gulf Steamship Company.—A. vessel once a month from Mobile to Mexican Gulf ports. Compania Mexicana de Navegacion, S. A—This company operates a fleet of 17 vessels, all engaged in the coasting trade on the Gulf. NAVIGATION ON THE GULF. It is a well-known fact that navigation of the Mexican Gulf coast is at times dangerous, especially so during the “ norther ” season, but at all times it is dangerous to lumber schooners from ports in the United States to the port of Alvarado, State of Veracruz. Alvarado is not a port of entry, and special permission must be obtained from the authorities at Veracruz before a vessel may enter that port. There is a bar off the mouth of the river at Alvarado where a number of vessels have been lost. COMMERCIAL STATISTICS. The information in regard to commerce was furnished to this con- sulate exclusively through the kindness of the Hon. Jose F. Castello, collector of the port of Veracruz. In former years this data was compiled from the records by the clerical force of the custom-house for distribution to those interested. Since the establishing of the Dirreccion General de Aduanas at Mexico City this practice has been discontinued, and the information is only made public when pub- lished by that department, about one year after. This will account for the delay in transmitting. IMPORTS. Veracruz is steadily advancing in importance as a seaport in the volume and value of the merchandise passing through for distribution to other parts of the Republic or for’ home trade. The records at this consulate show that the total value of all imports for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1897, amounted to $14,038,231, while the total value of all imports during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1904, amounted to $26,585,699, showing that the value of imports has almost doubled in seven years. The value of last year’s imports exceeds that of the previous year by $967,090. All commodities have been equally favored in this increase for the time mentioned above. Imports from the United States, however, have experienced a de- cline during the year 1904 as compared with imports during the year 1903. This falling off in trade is chiefly noticeable in the lines of NORTH AMERICA: MEXICO, 548 vegetable products, cloths and textures, and vehicles. The value of all imports from the United States for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1904, amounted to the sum of $5,005,982, while those of 1903 amounted to ea a decrease of $1,051,690, equivalent to a loss of 17.36 per cent. Imports from England have also experienced a decline, while other countries have been doing a correspondingly heavier trade. The imports, by articles and countries, into Veracruz during the years ended June 30, 1903 and 1904, were as follows: United States. England. France. Germany. 1908. 1904. 1903. 1904, 1903. 1904. 1903. 1904. Articles. Animal products..| $166,511 | $225,880 | $89,272 | $139,068 | $829,498 | $485,450 | $295,586 | $815,128 Vegetable prod- MCtS x22 2te gen en ee 2,105, 681 1,459,460 | 419,045 | 199,076 | 202,030] 234,415] 276,801) 339,960 ee prosacie 2) 008,008 1,615, 280 |1, 703, 832 |1, 69,102 | 574,775 | 561,537 | 1,268,267 | 1,453,163 loths an x- tures ...--....-.- 128, 626 ; 130,250 |2, 470, 292 |2, 204,877 |1,696,971 {1,578,963 | 1,049,601 | 1,055, 898 Chemical products] 174,382} 198,554 | 204,752 | 218,380! 251,762 , 607 477,156 | 556,490 Liquors, etc _-....- 21,820} 48,231 50, 158 43,599 | 726,060 | 895,941 51, 803 52,560 Paper, and manu- : factures of -....1} 123,251 | 109,298 | 32,295 | 38,644 | 266,945 | 266,089 | 287,077 | 351,607 Machinery ........| 955,704 | 856,262 | 662,983 | 747,168 | 125,766 | 271,960) 477,185 | 593,598 Vehicles. ----...... 101,625 | 116,569 | 180,482 | 34,239] 41,018] 34,366 28,840 i All other articles -| 282,208 | 251,206) 96,880 | 100,304 | 318,359 | 642,058 | 307,452 | 650,488 TOtAl ..22 200 6, 057, 672 |5, 005, 982 [5,909,991 |5, 289, 457 |4, 533,174 [5,241,336 | 4,469,818 | 5,398, 193 Spain. Belgium. Other countries. Total. Articles. 1903. 1904. 1903. 1904. 1903. 1904. 1903. 1904. Animal products-.| $317,992 | $285,344 | $95,385 | $115,212 | $165,714 | $116, 266 |$1, 460,053 |$1, 632, 348 Vegetable prod- WCB opera enneme 311,548 | 431,674 | 1,817 6,094 | 357,894 | 591,161 | 3,674,816 | 3,261,740 Mineral products.| 64,883 | 88,119 | 447,211 | 480,410 | 505,177 | 962, 433 | 6,567,009 | 6,730, 044 Cloths and tex- tures ....-.----- 151,050 | 161,232 | 139,797 | 100,918 | 878,161 | 320,226 | 6,009,498 | 5,552,367 ° Chemical products} 55,810| 51,474 15, 752 15, 678 39, 466 45,855 | 1,219,080 | 1,352,027 Liquors, etc ---...- 739,494 | 763,305 9,975 6,570 | 56,303 73,627 | 1,655,613 | 1,878,833 Paper, and manu- factures of 350,781 | 401,379 16,719 11, 966 97,553 | 175,190 | 1,124,621 | 1,354,128 Machinery 15, 389 30, 817 11, 034 12, 976 96,700 | 110,778 | 2,344,711 | 2,628,559 hich 145 20 16, 034 27, 15! 350 | (10,123 | 368,498 251, 777 58,322 | 115,761 17,880 42,577 | 118,609 | 146,487 | 1,194,710 | 1,948, 881 Total 22.2... 2,065, 414 |2,279,025 | 771,604 | 819,660 [1,804,927 [2,552,146 /25, 618, 609 126, 585, 699 EXPORTS. In exports through Veracruz to the United States a heavy drop is also noticeable. Statistics for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1903, give the value of exports to the United States as $30,802,315, while the total for the same period of 1904 amounted to $23,519,234, a de- cline of over 234 per cent, cabinet woods, dye woods, hides, and sugar being the articles most affected. England, however, exceeded her previous year’s importations by the sum of $5,725,777, her imports of sugar alone having increased from $1,523,253 for the year 1903 to $2,276,310 during the year 1904. The total value of her unports was $17,318,046, over $10,000,000 of which was in Mexican silver coin. The principal imports of France consisted of jalap root, coffee, and hides; those of Germany, coffee, jalap root, and tobacco. Spain is a heavy buyer of garbanzos (chickpeas), having imported to the value of $2,096,462 for the fiscal year 1903. The heaviest item of export through this port was coffee, to the value of $7,537,808, and the total 544 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. value of all exports last year footed up $42,712,483, a slight increase over the previous year. The exports from Veracruz for the year ended June 30, 1904, were as follows: Articles. cae England. : France. Germany. Gold and silver coin, ore, bars, etc -..-.---- $1,347,568 | $11,905,114 $1,618, 391 $658, 243 Garlic sobs e es coevaap sea seaoes “| 14,008 Sugar--- a 36, 841 Coffee -- 5 5, 165, 073 Rubber - 4 318,597 Chicle 375, 428 Beans - 10 Chick-peas , 566 Cabinet wood 96,479 Dyewood -___.__- 2 901 arble, rough S 20,179 Goatskins ----- Shy 988, 785 Deerskins -- eee 119, 978 Hides ......- e 9, DMA Ss seccsec saenascesses 117,089 Tobacco, manufactured - 489 Tobacco, leaf. 70,115 Vanilla -.... 2, 053, 468 Total, Mexican currency -. ---| 14,528, 674 15, 245, 376 3,115, 731 4,105,315 Total, Cold ssvswsrsceucewanssescecawen si 6, 537, 903 6, 860, 419 1, 402, 079 1, 847, 292 Articles. Spain. | Belgium. |Othercoun-) motai, Gold and silver coin, ore, bars, ete _____._.. $500 $808, 503 $3,092,611 | $16, 338,319 Garlie so2ise ac ci asccrsseesecitt eee, eeeles: goeseesesealscesesrstuscecs 29,618 626 Sugar... ei GO! | eemarauess eter scnesccec ke. 2, 313, 394 Coffee .... we 18, 976 5,151 85, 751 7,537, 808 RUDDCP 2. ose ee esesseeesesseiesdeee ce wewas sac sucl once caesar coe geececscgoceswelee soca aoe ae 350,761 Chicle ...- OO Niecia Cue esubeat eduuenoat cost 375,513 Beans......- 2,793 25 308, 440 311,503 Chick-peas - 2,096, 462 |_-.-..--.---.-- 485, 643 2,601,671 Cabinet woo: Heeseeeeaed| ess naoseseescs | seceee cs mevess 115, Ted a2 1,096 65, 956 arble, roug: 24, 356 Goatsk: as 994,925 Deerskins .. 120, 299 FAUOOS wasinanacctasunanedee-ciuaddmienppgodatodsinenn lay eh semenurs 7 1, 041, 204 ORIBD occas ene ncannencon i 9,800 | cssecwenuneas 1,010 1, 887, 464 Tobacco, manufactured . aes 2, 226 470 18,584 303, 108 Tobacco, leaf........--... ie (tA ei vas aus 915,018 500 1, 882, 389 Want oon ceciees se ceeye coca ce viieesenncecadalfemecemacsesaes|sadcesecenswod 250 2,075, 792 Total, Mexican currency ..........---- 2,155, 781 1,737,759 1, 823, 847 42,712, 483 TORE BON. .no.ncinc mand xencewseuceecenian 970,101 781, 992 820, 731 19, 220, 617 CARRYING TRADE. American vessels have done the bulk of the carrying trade from this port; 56 steamers and 24 sailing vessels having been employed, carrying cargo aggregating 36,831 tons, an increase of 2,144 tons over 1908. British vessels come next in order, with 106 steamers and 1 sailing vessel, taking out 10,664 tons, and Germany with 65 steamers and 9,631 tons. With reference to cargo brought to Veracruz, English bottoms easily take first rank with 111 steamers and 1 sailing vessel. These carried cargo for this port to the amount of 218,726 tons during the last fiscal year. Much of this freight is, however, from the United States in the shape of coal, petroleum in bulk, and other heavy cargo. Germany ranks next in order, with 88,165 tons; Norway, with 85,424 tons, much of this also from the United States, and, finally, American vessels, with 34,349 tons, a decrease of 2,068 as compared with 1903, NORTH AMERICA: MEXICO. 545 PASSENGER TRAFFIC. A noticeable increase in ocean passenger travel to and from this port has also taken place, the records showing 14,297 arrivals and 13,837 departures of all nationalities. Mexico, Spain, and the United States furnished nearly 80 per cent of this number. Spain, however, sends 4,964 persons, of which number over 35 per cent apparently did not return to their country, while the arrivals and departures of Americans are nearly equal. Statistical information regarding rail- road travel is lacking, but appearances would indicate that the traffic between here and the capital has been very heavy during the past year. The following table shows the number of passengers arrived at and departed from Veracruz during the year ended June 30, 1904: Arrivals. Departures. Nationalities. Home | Foreign| mot] Home | Foreign Total. ports. ports. s ports. ports. 7 MERIGO 22occsioiitiastescsigecacieacectes 3,030 1, 626 4, 656 5, 045 1,574 6,619 SPAIN . 2.2 2200-< sssececcncnccsces 525 4,439 4,964 604 2,612 8, 216 nited States --_..-.--..----.. ‘ 377 1,049 1, 426 378 1,045 1, 423 ‘uba --- 37 479 516 lv 618 635 Turkey - 17 616 633 53 168 221 France 27 668 695 478 516 England 1 296 373 139 252 391 Germany - 68 434 502 80 229 309 Italy ------ 21 321 342 12 219 231 China --. 18 74 92 51 62 113 WNUSUT 18) 555 foo 5 5. tapes aceasta ask clewa|seeaceuss 11 11 2 33 35 Bele i8t ooccctcaceceinnaudmudadeedeancivaldooseumaes 8 8 9 10 Chile ._..--.-: 1 2 3 9 12 Porto Rice . cccccues n 12 2 v 9 Arpentine Republic 8 11 6 5 Colombia . -- 4 4 8 8 Holland 7 7 14 20 Japan... 5 5 5 5 Denmar. 12 21 10 11 Wenezuela:. aces cectesicenseesstacacts-2| ue Jessen. |eperes eed See sere 4 4 Peru..--- 2 2 1 1 Brazil... csscsseeed sorecsaeeetes 1 Ui |cscet acess sete ha dese eeeia Guatemiala:.2ccc.22-c2ccccsnesasesaccscne|-cter esses 1 7 3 3 Russia 2.22. <22-<2+2-2-0s52+2--- 1 5 9 9 Houador - sie naveteun clecusbisjoweiee seer reezens|=sbeenes se ; ? 7 7 aoa ducedeg pus ager sneteoeneeanne euev=|Seleeooess 7 7 1 23 24 GEA oc; canatoensnngsonn eeteeres 4,206 | 10,091 | 14,297 6,433 7, 404 13, 837 SHIPPING RETURNS. The following table shows the number and tonnage of vessels entered and cleared at the port of Veracruz during the year ended June 30, 1904, and the amount of their cargo: Vessels. Cargo. . oak Tonnage. Tons. Packages. Nationalities. | gioam. | Sailing —~ = — ships. | vessels.| Steam- | Sailing | Steam- | Sailing | Steam- | Sailing ships. vessels. | ships. | vessels.| ships. | vessels. ENTERED. ‘ ene 54 26 242,758 | 6,834} 24,250 10,099 | 947,007 Bice] ME 2) a8] a boc] gb Germany.--------| eet (cc) “erase Deior France H. Doc. 481, 58-3 35 ~~ 546 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. Vessels. Cargo. Nationalities. ae Tonnage. eo Pecieeen: Steam- | Sailing : oe is ships. | vessels. | Steam- | Sailing | Sterm-| Sailing | Steam- | Sailing ships. vessels. | ships. | vessels. | ships. | vessels.’ ENTERED—con. SPAT suxesccag sen 35 155, 101 368 33, 985 173 | 383,052 orway 115, 090 |-------.-- 85,424 |_....----- 225, 544 Austria... 28, 383 |.--.------ 6,282. |oaccoencne 441, 935 Denmark. 9,892 |-....----- 1,820 lewenccuues 16, 338 Holland .. 4,306 |...-.--..- B)DO5 | unannceaye 24 Mexico .......---- 8,156 1, 487 1,712 1,921 695 Total 1,186, 305 8,905 | 473,443 12,193 |3, 141, 520 CLEARED. United States ._.. 56 238, 142 6, 247 36,192 639 | 497,653 551 England.--- 106 Germany. 65 France - 12 Spain -.. 35 orway 64 Austria. 11 Denmark 4 Holland 2 Mexico - 1 Tote) cua 356 27 | 1,212,352 71,448 986 | 954,240 18, 052 Total. Nationalities. Cargo. Vessels. | Tonnage. |————_________ Tons. | Packages. ENTERED. United States ...-..--2.22---...22-encen sanacoaas 80 249, 592 34,349 | 1,307,801 England ---- 112 383,017 | 218,726 397,190 Germany. 54 168, 461 88, 165 600, 278 France... 12 16, 357 6,354 129, 457 Spain -..-- 36 155, 469 34,158 . orway -- 67 115, 090 85, 424 225, 544 Austria.-__ 11 28, 383 8, 282 441, 985 Denmark. 4 9, 892 1,540 16, 338 Holland -. 2 4, 306 5, 005 4 MOXICOhsasecco ccc sacetitaheuewenacencs meneersesederoneces 4 4,643 3, 683 695 382 | 1,195,210 | 485,636 3,541, 859 65] 229,789 631 179; 698 12 76,356 | 3,876 43, 35 496 | 4)704 50, 057 65| 105,515 | 47.820 51,134 ah 7283 401 2) 4 117630 | 1,507 ; 2 B06 || secede Sv awenvoe 2 904 [once one ceecs Matalin sucdectnilenat a ame sactiad be etc in eae 383 | 1,219,493] 72, 434 972, 292 NORTH AMERICA: BRITISH HONDURAS. 547 CENTRAL AMERICA. BRITISH HONDURAS. {From Consut W. L. Avery, BELIzE, BRITISH Honpuras, NOVEMBER 1, 1904.] TRADE WITH THE UNITED STATES. For the first time in a quarter of a century the balance of trade between British Honduras and the United States has been nearly equal. The exports for the year ended June 30, 1904, from British Honduras to the United States amounted to $824,726 and the imports were in value $938,414, a balance in favor of the United States of $113,688. The average yearly exports from British Honduras to the United States has been about $300,000. The recent gain has been caused by the unusual shipments of woods to Boston and Louisville, being $445,122 for the year. : MAHOGANY TRADE. The following shows the growth of the mahogany trade with the United States: Years. Feet.. Years. Feet. IB 9B) poe cece ns's oe ain Ss sew aise Sees ce sees 80; S16 || 190M aie ct steahasacesesearceu eenedeue! 364, 724 TOS cy granceainnaianenbeennaasbenkn 19, 476 ll 1902) $y earneceteceesstese acces nese 2, 226, 337 1900 i sowseeemecsaenae se ~ yeeeeeret ones D6 IO TE cncmocantvamcoioncmameutnomanieesen 7,479, 890 Because of the large production of woods the prosperity of Brit- ish Honduras is very marked. The woodcutters have been fully employed, the spending capacity of the population very much in- creased, and the customs receipts were $12,000 more than the average annual receipts of the last eight years. A marked change has taken place in the over-sea carrying trade between British Honduras and Europe. But three sailing vessels have left for European ports from August 15, 1903, to this date, whereas for many years the monthly sailings exceeded that number. Steam is surely and steadily absorbing all freights. The only vessels arriving and carrying the flag of America were three schooners, lumber-laden, from Pensacola. PINE FORESTS. The completion of a contract for the sale of between 1,000,000 and 2,000,000 pine trees, the property of the Crown, to Florida capitalists, will bring a new industry to British Honduras and will bring far- reaching benefits to its people. Active operations in the pine-cutting line will not begin probably before 1906, for it is intended to conduct the work on a large scale and much preparation is necessary before a tree is felled. The payment on this contract of $125,000 will double the unusually large surplus now held by the treasurer. 548 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. EXTENSION OF THE TELEPHONE. The telephone line; completed for 100 miles north, is now being extended the same distance south, so the capital will then be in com- munication with the principal towns. The special currency for local use amounts, in coin, to $110,000, issued in denominations of 50, 25, 10, and 5 cent silver pieces and 150,000 bronze cent pieces. The notes in circulation are in value $95,000, in $1, $2, $5, $10, $50, and $100 bills. A very excellent idea is carried out of having the different series of bills printed in different colors—the $1 notes, red; the $2, brown; the $5, green, etc., and to those who can not read the color will identify the amount of bill. Since the opening of the Bank of British Honduras all United States notes and coins are current and comparatively plentiful. QUARANTINE REGULATIONS. Quarantine regulations during the season of 1904 have been lenient, and the result has proved the wisdom of leniency. No disinfection of baggage has been required, but the marine hospital surgeon must have known the health condition of each passenger ten days before’ embarking. There has been no unusual sickness of any kind. The late governor retired in May; his successor, the Hon. E. B. Sweet- Escott, C. M. G., arrived October 31. Having been colonial secre- tary from 1893 to 1897, he is familiar with the needs of British Honduras and mindful of its future prospects. Development de- pends on the opening up of the fertile area and establishing lines of communication by clearing the rivers and building roads. IMPORTS. Imports, by articles, into Bel'ze from the United States in the year ended June 30, 1904, were as follows: Articles. Value. Articles. Value. Bacon and hams _______..-.-_---.4----- $20,131 || Lumber: Boots and shoes........--.-.----------- 69, 571 Dress@G ae iccenesesaucseieccdieceesee: $11, 678 Butter. o-cse< secsecesipeessesceesvesesee 20, 418 ROUGH wccescwics esac esensdweenceinn se 16 72 Beef and pork--- ---| 85,247 || Machinery - a 9 8H eer... ---- Sos 8,174 || Provisions. ... 6 81 Cotton goods. -| 148,549 || Petroleum -.-. +6 11 andles.....-- eae 7,561 || Rope and twin W267) Coal goes sscscne 36 piles) ted 6,820 || Tobacco, raw leaf - 1-1) Drugs and chemicals - ---| 19,914 || Whisky __.- 2222222222222. 4a TBS WOM 2-2 ereeee esas ---| 83,980 || Vegetables._.....-..222222.- ee 6, 748 Hardware -.-....--....- ---| 41,574 || Miscellaneous __....... 2222.22 .222----- 2 6,063 ATO 5 oncccce memes seeeansetcsee cee 11, 162 || - CURRENCY. The standard currency of British Honduras is the gold dollar of the United States, and such has been the standard since the ordi- nance of 1894. NORTH AMERICA: COSTA BICA, 549 COSTA RICA. [From Consut J. A. CALDWELL, San Josn, Costa Rica, AUGUST 24, 1904.] FOREIGN COMMERCE. The value of exports in 1903 exceeded that of 1902 by over $2,600,- 000, and the imports exceeded in value those of 1902 by about $700,000. Excluding money from both exports and imports, the exports exceeded imports by over $2,500,000, a gain in excess of exports over imports, compared with 1902, of over $1,000,000. EXPORTS. Coffee shows a gain of over $1,000,000, bananas of about $500,000, and gold bullion of $90,000. Rubber, mahogany and dyewoods, and hides a loss, respectively, of $22,000, $13,000, and $20,000. The amount of money imported was $203,475; money exported, $18,964. Over 5,000,000 bunches of bananas were exported in 1903, a gain of over 1,000,000 bunches on 1902. The United Fruit Company sends a cargo each week to England. Over 800,000 bunches were shipped thither in 1908. The banana industry is steadily increasing, and the exports for the present year will show a marked gain over last year. More than two-thirds of the coffee exported went to England, about one-sixth to the United States, and about one-tenth to Ger- many, France, Spain, Italy, and other countries. All of the rubber, hides, and gold bullion went to the United States. Of the woods— cedar, mahogany, and dyewoods—less than one-fifth went to the United States, the remainder going to England, Germany, and France. The value and destination of the exports are shown in the following table: Increase Countries. 1908. 1904. (+) or de- crease (—). United States. _- $3, 082, 903 | $3,173,270 +$90, 367 ritai -| 3,568,762 | 3,299,241 |, —269,521 oo -| °°334}896 | '279;114 |. —"55; 782 France -.- se 172, 074 80, 451 — 91,623 Wital y: acess seer Seeded onesie ues cenit of Ie ase raeaseene aden ied 6,040 5,160| — 880 Spain. _..-_.-..--------------- 2-2-2 eee eee eee ee een eee eee 5, 867 1,541] — 4,326 Other countries -..--.------ aber She Sr sear ae ase Seka yeerenscctoenes 91, 683 224, 891 +133) 208 MG tics oowe errs wise sv ecb oe eae Se ease Sasa 7,262,225 | 7,063,668 | —198,557 IMPORTS. No detailed figures of imports for 1902 were published and no direct comparison of the importation of different articles in the years 1902 and 1903 is possible. There is no special change, however, in the classes of goods imported from the different countries, trade being subject to little change from year to year. Comparing the percent- ages of imports from the various countries with those of 1902, the United States loses about 33 per cent, Great Britain over 2 per cent, Germany 14 per cent, Spain a small fraction of 1 per cent, while France gains over 1 per cent and Italy 14 per cent. 550 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. The imports for the years ended June 30, 1903 and 1904, were as follows: Increase Countries. 1903. 1904. (+) or de- crease (—). aS 88 4|t+l+11++4 i 3 4, 889, 659 _ S R The imports into Costa Rica, by articles and by principal countries, during the year ended June 30, 1904, were as follows: Articles. ae taal ee France. Beer secede mene clate: puede ese wed asoe seek eee $17,700 | $3,539 | $43,680 $208 Butter --- e GAGE | occcesaccc] . OBU.||auetene nee Candles... 309 | 22,513 D862 | caswax occu Candy -.- 2,908 7 674 Cement.._-.----.----------- 4,606 |...--...-- 85818 | sete css, aoe and watches 6,171 142 1, 117 oth: OTLON os asucsnunssacnmeiamuseneawsced saan cakwauasnraeeninenn 234,278 | 294,596 | 154,371 29,537 Cotton and woolen ---- s x 86 29, 870 4,369 2, 333 Woolen......----------- 2,107 82, 381 45, 197 28, 248 Mes, cay cece ete eureeay eee 4,415 4,521 | 10,994 13,170 Cottonmand sili sc ac nsec ee eeye ene cree eees whee eenece se seeeeeeees, 989 ; 5,123 foal __- 10,797 O25ONT | oscece ene ctacwiemccdn Codfish 1858 | 15,709 4,894 |_.....-.-. Cognac Dt ocoseeesec! 80, 227 Corn mea 7,199 20, |laeacwewces Secemaaece Crockery and earthenware . ie 1,198 , 052 20, 684 288 Cutlery, table (knives, forks, and spoons) -.--- 1,104 1,042 2,134 597 Drugs, medicines, and pharmaceutical products 023 14, 357 8,785 21, 467 DYNAMI66 323: ct c2ssscceneeeeeet eens ceoemceomccaes 8, 862 |...--....- WP H cise ces BiG cnconwmiuwatdacapcandcaniieas smears nacuueneuecees kenoneaes 19, 088 888 4,447 3,810 Flour WE CHE te ce binidetelnrgnglaae tery riaiemes @onn aaeaneacaraanee BIG P16 |enaccesees | a. 2scc aed] ccennna ns Various cereals eecass secsencssess sews cesses ecesseseexsces 4, 2,745 78 15 Fruits: DPV iecnessevece st ceuredeeeeotesss cee bseetee en eetsenel sess 2, 20 7 811 Fresh mceus set see eee ee Skene, BOOS: lonnsicwoy aime 46 Preserved ess...-.2022:-wemene cieesininecemeneacie 2, 219 98 259 Furniture --- 15, 165 1,208 2,153 a8 .-.--- 9, 737 2,516 5, 992 1,725 Ham....... 9,576 963 Dt lvewepecees aoe Ri cetas 22,399 6,090 8, 404 1, 622 ats: : Felt and wool 6, 984 1,544 241 164 St 2,560 8, 204 3,185 4,670 1980 | GOO Lnecvenecslosanannce House frames and roofs ......-...-.------ 8,948 | 39,083 393 870 Domestic utensils. ......--....---.-.------ 1,900 5, 16, 393 17,705 . BES ccacainas is 15,013 5, 248 851 026 BB acoso) es ch enue 4,492 | 20,889 1,708 9, 563 155 |. 2222-0+e0 118 2,501 404 97 1,847 1,704 608 2,763 140, 913 NORTH AMERICA: COSTA RICA. 551 4 United | Great Ger- Articles: States. | Britain. | many. | FT#2e- Milk, condensed s Meat, salt ; -[/ $8,770 | $1,098 ) $10,703 |. il: OBO ccedeoeres|secccnccet ‘Linseed There was also imported into Costa Rica during the year 1904 articles from “ all other countries ” valued at $169,524. TARIFF AND FINANCE. No important changes in tariff rates have been made. Galvanized steel-wire fencing has been placed on the free list. The duty on refined petroleum has been advanced to 13.9 cents United States per kilogram (2.2046 pounds), and on carburet of calcium to 6.5 cents per kilogram, to which 0.7 cent per kilogram must be added for wharfage and theater tax. Alcohol lamps and other apparatus for use of alcohol are made free of duty. A slight change has been made in liquor duties. Brandy, whisky, rum, gin, and other spirituous liquor imported in boxes or baskets, the total contents of which exceed 9.4 quarts, pay 93 cents per kilo- gram, instead of 55.8 cents as formerly. If contents do not exceed 5.4 quarts, the rate is 56 cents per kilogram. Centrifugal cane sugar pays 9.3 cents per kilogram, plus the 0.7 cent per kilogram wharfage and theater tax, making 10 cents per kilogram, an increase of 1.6 cents per kilogram. : ; ; ; There have been no changes either in domestic or foreign postage, telegraph, or cable rates. 552 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. No financial legislation has been enacted since my last report. The gold standard has been maintained, and exchange is steady, varying little from par. There is practically no exportation of specie, only. $18,964 having been exported in 1903. RAILROADS. The Congress of Costa Rica at its recent session passed a law establishing the terminus of the Pacific Railway at Puntas Arenas, repealing the law which fixed the terminus at Tivives, The road is owned and operated by the Government, and is completed to Santo Domingo, 41 miles from San Jose. About 15 miles must be built to connect with the road, also owned and operated by the Government, which runs from Esparta to Puntas Arenas. By dredging the harbor at Puntas Arenas and extending the iron pier, large steamers will be able to discharge and receive cargo at the dock instead of by lighters, as at present. At Tivives an expensive breakwater would have to be built and other harbor improvements undertaken, and while the expense of extending the road to Esparta will be somewhat greater than the expense of continuing to Tivives, Congress deemed it wiser to adopt the former route than to build to Tivives and incur the necessary expense of creating a harbor. The 15 miles from Santo Domingo to Esparta will undoubtedly be built as soon as the finances of the Government will permit, or whenever an advantageous arrangement for its construction can be made with pri- vate parties. SHIPPING. There is no change in lines of communication between this con- sular district and other countries. Steamers of the Pacific Mail Company call twice a month at Puntas Arenas en route to Panama, and three times a month en route to San Francisco. An occasional steamer of the Kosmos Line (German) calls en route to Europe or San Francisco. The number of vessels that entered Puntas Arenas during the year 1903 was as follows: Nationalities. Number.| Tonnage. Nationalities. Number.) Tonnage. Sailing vessels: Steam vessels: OLOMDIA. seecexcece sexe 10 272 Germany.........----- 17 41, 444 Costa Rica. -...-------- 1 15 United States --....--- 67 124, 537 Denmark -__- Sseee 1 562 Germany - 3 2, 192 TONAL acon ain'sweanwnnas 84 165,981 Italy .--..- ata 2 1,594 Norway .-------------- 1 1,214 || War ships: United Kingdom -..--- 5 4,781 United Kingdom_.-_... 2 4,520 Total, 22: -:42-e0se0s4 23 10, 630 Grand total .-..-...- 109 181,181 The number of passengers entering through the ports of Limon and Puntas Arenas during the year was 5,482 and the number leaving 3,924. : PEARL FISHERIES. Within the past two years the pearl fisheries on the Pacific coast have made marked progress, although the volume of business is still NORTH AMERICA: GUATEMALA, 553 small. A recent change in the law. regulating these fisheries permits boats engaged in the industry to take out licenses which are good from time of leaving the port of Puntas Arenas until their return. - A still further increase in the shipments of pearl shells is looked for the coming season, GUATEMALA. [FRoM CoNSUL-GENERAL A. A. WINSLOW, GUATEMALA City, GUATEMALA, SEPTEMBER 30, 1904.] DEPRESSED CONDITIONS. During the year 1903 and the first eight months of 1904 business in general in this country has been on the decline, but it is now thought to be at about low-water mark. Prices are very much higher for everything than they were one year ago, being in many cases more than double. Wages are very high and still labor is restless, The corn crop was short, and as this is one of the food staples of the coun- try it will be very hard for the poor. This condition will verge on a famine. . The outlook is brighter, however, than it was a year ago, but the high rate of exchange, when the Guatemala currency is considered, is demoralizing. It is the effort of the Government to put the coun- try on a silver basis and to finance the foreign debt. NATIONAL DEBT. The national debt of Guatemala amounts to $8,705,519 foreign and $943,585 internal, in United States gold and 43,465,759.90 pesos Guatemalan currency ($18,723,742 United States), of which about two-thirds is due and being pressed. A large portion of the customs and internal revenues are mortgaged to these claims and are collected direct by the representatives of the claimants, which leaves the Gov- ernment badly hampered. During the year 1903 the indebtedness was increased by $550,952 gold and by 12,195,079 pesos Guatemala currency ($4,999,982). The Government has under consideration a proposition to float the public debt, which is largely held by Europeans, by issuing thirty-year bonds secured by a certain percentage of the revenues of the country. Should this be consummated, it will have much to do in restoring confidence and in putting the country on a solid financial basis. The prospect of bringing this about ‘within the next year seems excellent. CURRENCY AND EXCHANGE. ‘ The currency of the country has been somewhat more stable than during the previous year, varying only from 13 to 1 to 20 to 1, while the previous year it varied from 14 to 1 to 24 to 1. During the past year but little additional paper currency was put in circulation, which had much to do in bringing about this stability. Apparently successful efforts are being made to put the country on a silver basis, 554 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. Exchange with the United States is regular. A draft on New York usually sells at 96.75 United States gold, which is really the basis on which all exchange is computed. IMPORTS. The imports of the past year have been much lighter than for several years, but the United States has more than held its own. The principal reason for the reduction in imports has been the extremely high rate of exchange. Then the hard times made it almost impossible for those living on salaries to buy imported arti- cles. The stocks of the merchants have become so reduced that the opening seems good for manufacturers of the United States, who ought to have most of the trade, and would if the country were thoroughly worked. It would be a profitable market, as the public are not so critical as to style as in many parts of the world. Job lots of summer goods could be disposed of in this market to good advantage for the fall trade, for instance, from November to January. EXPORTS. The exports for the past year exceeded those for the previous year in value, but not in quantity. This was owing to the higher price paid for coffee, which was the principal export. : The exports of coffee in 1903 amounted to 631,505 sacks of 100 pounds each, so that the crop was short over 250,000 sacks; but the difference in price more than made up for the shortage. The United States got a greater proportion of this than ever before. The best of the crop, as usual, went to Europe, London and Hamburg being the best markets. San Francisco took about double the amount of coffee it did the previous year, and in the main of a better quality. The percentage of the exports of coffee to the different countries in 1903 was: Germany, 48 per cent; United States, 32 per cent; Great Britain, 17 per cent; France, 1 per cent; other countries, 2 per cent. During the last ten years 54 per cent of the coffee exports went to Germany. 3 On October 16, 1903, a decree was issued by President Estrada Cabrera placing an export duty of 1 cent gold a pound on coffee, and now there is a rumor that it will be made 14 cents a pound. TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES. The transportation facilities of Guatemala have improved some- what during the past year, with prospects of much greater improve- ments for the coming year. Work is being pushed on the Guatemala Northern Railroad, and by the close of 1905 it is expected trains will run from Guatemala City to Puerto Barrios. There is only about 75 miles of track to lay, of which about 20 miles is graded. When this road is completed and the docks are put in shape at Puerto Barrios, shipping can tie up alongside of the docks and avoid the expensive lighter charges now made at the Pacific ports. The business and manufacturing portion of the United States will thus be brought into touch with this country. NORTH AMERICA: GUATEMALA, 555 AMERICAN ENTERPRISES. Nearly all of the railways of Guatemala are owned by Americans, and much of their supplies, especially the rolling stock, comes from the United States. A large portion of the rails comes from Europe. The railways are managed by Americans and are up to date. Dur- ing the past year some valuable concessions have been granted, the most important being that of the Guatemala Northern Railroad, to an American syndicate for a period of ninety-nine years, including the port of Puerto Barrios, with a frontage of 1 mile on either side of the present pier. Several valuable mahogany concessions were granted, mostly to Americans; also some valuable mining concessions. A large amount of American capital is invested in mines and in,mahogany forests. TRADE WITH THE UNITED STATES. More American farm machinery is being used each year, but the increase is not so rapid as it should be, for the want of sufficient push and length of credit. American machinery is recognized as the best, but most of the dealers are German and handle German machinery in preference. ; The matter of credits in Guatemala is a considerable item with the foreign trade. European houses for some reason grant much longer time than houses in the United States. As a usual thing the Ameri- can houses demand cash in advance, or thirty days at the most. From three to six months should be given in order to get more of the trade. With the opening of the railroad between the capital and Puerto Barrios, which is assured within two years, Guatemala should enjoy greater prosperity and should be an excellent market for the United States, via New Orleans. It is time our manufacturers thoroughly covered this field. ; ; The shippers of goods from the United States to this country have made a decided improvement during the past year in the way they ~ pack and box goods, but there is still room for improvement. Great care should be taken to select light and strong wood and to use plenty of band iron. Packages should weigh only about 150 pounds, and 100 pounds would be a better weight. Tt must be remembered that the importer must pay on many arti- cles the same rate a pound for the box or crate in which goods come that is charged for the goods at the custom-house. If the case weighs 30 per cent as much as the goods, which is not uncommon, the rate of the duty on the goods proper is increased 30 per cent, and, as the tariff is high, the expense is greatly increased. MINING. During the past year quite an interest has been taken in mining properties. Guatemala doubtless has some rich mineral deposits, covering silver, lead, copper, zinc, gold, and mica, but for many years little has been done. Several syndicates have been formed during the past year to develop properties, and foreign capital has been invested. 556 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. Some old Spanish and English silver mines are being opened with good prospects. The Government encourages this industry. The labor question is a drawback to this industry, since the native does not make a good miner. AGRICULTURE. Much attention is being paid to agriculture and fruit raising. Commencing with September 16, 1904, for two weeks an exposition of the products of Guatemala was open to the public. It was installed at considerable expense by the Government and was largely attended. It is believed it will have a most excellent effect on this industry. WAGES. During the year 1903 wages nearly doubled, but the wage-earner ‘seems to be in a worse condition than before, for the cost of living has more than doubled. Many commodities are more than three times as high as they were at the beginning of 1903. Notwithstanding the advance in wages, it is difficult to get help. There does not seem to be enough in the country. HONDURAS. [From Consut W. E. Aucur, TEGucIGALPA, Honpuras, Marcy 15, 1905.) IMMIGRATION. The Republic of Honduras is an asylum for all who take refuge in her territory, as foreigners enjoy all civil rights equally with natives of Honduras. The policy of the Government toward foreigners is one of protec- tion, with the idea of encouraging immigration, which will contribute to the proper development of the country’s industries and the ad- vancing of her civilization. Unfortunately for many Latin-American countries the hospitality extended to foreigners has been a danger and has created a constant chain of diplomatic claims, some of which have been considered un- just. Honduras does not deny that she needs immigrants, and in large numbers. She lacks labor to cultivate her soil and to exploit her mines. The Government has given to foreigners individually and to companies many generous concessions for the exploitation of mines, canalization of rivers, and cutting and exporting of mahogany and cedar. Honduras lies between two oceans, which puts her in contact with the United States, Europe, and the East. It needs only labor and ape to develop and exploit the immense and unlimited richness of her soil. ~ : CLIMATE AND HEALTH. The north coast of Honduras extends, roughly speaking, along the sixteenth parallel of north latitude from 80° to 88° west longi- NORTH AMERICA: HONDURAS. 557 tude. -A lofty chain of mountains far inland slopes gradually down to the sea. Trade winds blow from the northwest, and the moisture with which they are saturated, condensed on these mountains, flows toward the Atlantic. Toward the western extremity of the north coast the great plain of Sula has a frontage of 70 miles on the bay of Honduras and reaches inland for some 50 miles, comprising an area of not less than 1,500 square miles. The climate is extremely uniform. The rainfall is heavy, as in most tropical countries, the annual average being from 70 to 80 inches. Rain commences on the coast during October and continues with intermissions until February. During the remainder of the year it is dry, but frequently light showers fall at’ night in May and June. In the dry months the dew is very heavy. The temperature on the coast ranges from 58° to 94°, with an average of 82°. Daily variation is from 6° to 8°. The heat is not so great as during the summer season in the United States, and, moreover, is tempered by the prevailing sea breezes. Yellow fever is not endemic on the north coast of Honduras. The disease was introduced here from Guatemala in 1892, and raged as an epidemic for three months. Since that time—twelve years—not one case has occurred. The two towns affected by the fever, Puerto Cortes and San Pedro Sula, were thoroughly cleaned, all infected premises were disinfected, a sanitary code enforced, and a quarantine system established at Puerto Cortes. In the year 1894 the death rate for each 1,000 was 32, half of whom were children under 5 years of age, while the rate for 1903 was ahout 20 to every 1,000. There is probably no section on the coast which enjoys greater natural advantages as to health than the north coast of Honduras. FOREIGN TRADE. IMPORTS AND EXPORTS, YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1903. Ports. | Imports. | Exports. | Ports. Imports. | Exports. Aduanas: Amapala........----- $586, 427 $477, 312 $903 Puerta Cortes ----.-- 727,123 793, 179 Ceiba ---.---- 186, 823 267, 573 9,543 Trujillo -. , 486 195, 277 364 Roatan --- 27, 492 84, 631 3, 189 ts. OE Ine dgexekenti=s decrees 7,541 $1,621,351 | 1,840,293 IMPORTS, YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 431, 1903. Countries. Value. Countries. Value. 1, 117, 668 $110 135, 395 355 144,476 787 28, 580 1,945 13,011 19,679 2,663 4, 666 348 46, 261 fe ' 180 WOtAl ciandrccncedsaeadeareaeses 1,621, 351 100, 800 558 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. IMPORTS, YEAR ENDED AUGUST 1, 1904. Countries. Value. Countries. Value. $431 || Guatemala._......... .... 22-2 -------- $3, 504 271 120 144,795 4,220 G22):|| Mexte0 oo oe sco snenceme secs 612 1,818 11,917 93 200 302 8, 272 22,877 19; 004 388 1,518, 617 177, 874 |_______—____ 50, 701 2, 180, 864 214,217 EXPORTS, YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1903. Pesos. Pesos. United States --..-..22.22222222-2---- 38, 059, 444 39, 402 da 66, 446 22, 802 52, 347 19, 045 6, 535 16, 098 104, 591 |. 58, 648 a4, 279, 752 834, 400 , YEAR ENDED AUGUST 1, 1904. Pesos. 3, 964, 045 120, 353 95, 817 29, 06: 49, 413 25 51, 032 a Equal in United States currency, at 43 cents, to $1, 840, 293. 40. The exports, by articles, for the year ended August 1, 1904, were WJ Articles. Unit. Quantity.; Value. Pesos. Poanae «---| 1,007,028 525, 638 a 4, 450 140, 899 87,849 362, 864 145, 095 2, 289 7,710 . 623 Sesueier dees e sue neecacosS Bunches ..- 2, 265, 163 OO COB i. arias ccersiem ee Saaeiacateses Pounds .... 4, COCO ac acceso se easeeteiis cine ceeds x 100, 704 Cocoanats ..22-2-2---2-eeresceeeeeys 882 ORO occas nemendeenaemaseae Wet anuns nmancmcncangaminme 14 BuDDOr: cscs oxwsesd seas tease eee eicccice smceead-nawseee! 62, 436 POOR pics aictstanesmniatanain Sandee urns iedemmslane: eaeeaee aaa 803 Mahogany -..-----.--------------- 11,078 Cedars acess te oc jacitassonemin oka Ceeneet aeseaene 2,292 WViATIOUS WO00S teen sca ated ees Skee tem seesancicnels 4,501 OVB a acces nse ciesneinsseasaeeuscess a 2,542 Oranges. ... , O84 Plantains .- 1,573 Sarsaparilla - 294, Tortoise shell 50 Ox hides -.... 218, 204 Cattle -. 1, 080, 321 Mules .-. 5, 575 HOP BOS: soc nciesawmossens blesses teste segemaee sis 8,810 NORTH AMERICA: HONDURAS. 559 Articles. Unit. Quantity.| Value. ates Pesos. Hide cuttings. _..00 02207077 ue ae CONDE 9 Deerskins____. ies : Tiger skins - 2 7 i 100 Alligat or skin: ie 185 Cheese ..| Pounds ...- 4,701 "TPOtal sa. cesan daa sence dene Hoses yceeekece ses Wien een ee ee ee Grand total sccsc cost joc ct one toneataneeds whe acadeececsa| Soceeteseseeed cues tee eee 5, 822, 827 BAY ISLANDS. [From Consut J. B. RICHARDSON, UTILLA, HonDURAS, OCTOBER 24, 1904.] There have been no material changes in the methods or results of trade in the Bay Islands. No new industries have been inaugurated, and commerce is along old lines. There is talk of making Utilla a free port, which would increase the trade of the islands. The rate of monetary exchange has been governed by the demand for pesos in the fruit trade, and varies from 38 to 45 per cent. The normal rate has been about 41 per cent. POOR MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION. A steam launch for traffic between the islands is being tested, with dubious results. It is hoped, however, that the experiment will prove a success, for there is a real demand for regular interinsular and coastwise communication. A new fruit line, connecting the islands and the coast with New Orleans, has been established by S. Oteri & Co. It is expected mate- rially to increase the facilities for passenger traffic. During the win- ter of 1904 the United Fruit Company detailed one of its steam- ships for gathering fruit along the coast, and so, incidentally, afforded added means of communication between coast points and the islands, There are now three lines of fruit steamers plying with some regularity between Ceiba, the islands, and the United States. The United Fruit Company has three steamships, the Independent Steamship Company (Vaccaro Brothers) three, and the S. Oteri Company two, giving at least weekly communication and transporta- tion of passengers, outside of quarantine season. These vessels carry the flags of Norway or Great Britain. The reasons for this might better be determined in the United States. Wages and conditions imposed by organized labor are among the reasons alleged to me. Tt is a matter of humiliation that the carrying trade of the United States should have passed so completely out of our hands. In respect to freight rates it can not be said that there has been any change. The fruit steamers and schooners carry their own cargoes, and when carrying any freight for others it is a mere matter of favor, on terms governed by changing conditions. 560 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. The means of communication with the interior of the islands are poor. There are nothing but paths into the country. Fruit is packed on horses or men or rowed about the islands in canoes. TRADE WITH THE UNITED STATES. The best way to increase American trade to the Bay Island con- sular district is to increase the capacity to buy. Everything new comes from the United States. There is no complaint with respect to the present methods of packing or handling goods. DECLARED EXPORTS. The exports declared quarterly for the United States at Utilla, Ruatan, and Bonacca for the year ended June 30, 1904, were as follows: Articles. | Se a Decent March. | June. | Total. Utilla: TAS os aowescucacesssacen ee esn eet $13 $176 $300 $250 $739 Gonaunais aes % estic 4,381 12, 054 136 2, 035 18, 606 Plantains ..--------- 3 esi 80 fucssesacee 60 132 272 All other articles--.......-.--------------------|----------|---------- Da een ode se 14 UGE paguccnpewde oo on wovewananns concensiemee anne 4,474 12, 230 510 2,417 19, 631 Ruatan: Bananas 380 6, 120 1,870 5, 650 14,020 Cocoanuts-- -| 18,570 37, 476 6,992 | « 6,761 69, 799 Plantains 2 QOS | nasavownus 330 795 1,333 All other articles --. 16 3 23 20 62 Total 19,174 | 43,599 9,215 | 18,226] 85,214 Bonacca: A Bananas (including dried) ---..-..--....---.-- 1, 950 886 643 1,584 5, 063 150 350 204 4 708 1, 266 420 980 | 1,560 8,526 60! hweeessece 196 172 428 35 6 50 33 124 TENE foci esinennereemains Mokoveaueamowene 3,461 1,662 1,373 3,353 | 9,849 GRANGE Ota] oo 5oc 5 ssee te ncice Gaecer sec seseeease 27,109 57,491 11,098 18, 996 114, 694 PUERTO CORTEZ. [From Consut W. EB. ALGER, THGUCIGALPA, HonDURAS, NOVEMBER 1, 1904.] CITY AND HARBOR. Puerto Cortez, latitude 15° 54’, longitude 87° 52’, is the principal port on the Atlantic coast of Honduras. It is situated on the south side of a peninsula from 2 to 3 miles wide, which, curving from east to west, forms the boundary of the beautiful bay of the same name. The town consists of an irregular line of houses, built along the beach for 2 miles, on each side of the line of the railroad. There are three divisions, known as the Port, Curve, and Lagoon. Directly back of the town is a swamp from 100 to 200 yards wide, covered with mangrove bush and so connected with the sea that it is filled and emptied by the flow and ebb of the tide. The changes it is con- stantly undergoing prevent malaria, and, combined with the strong NORTH AMERICA: HONDURAS. 561 sea breezes, form one of the principal reasons why the population enjoys such extraordinary immunity from severe miasmatic dis- eases. Back of the swamp is high ground covered with timber, which extends to the ocean on the other side of the peninsula. The population of the town is 2,125, composed of Americans, Europeans, natives, and negroes. The Americans and Europeans form some 10 per cent of the population, and, relatively, sickness pre- vails among them less than among the natives and blacks. The climate is such that an American in good health and with ordinary care can undergo as much fatigue and exposure as he could in his own country. With ordinary hygienic precautions one may resist the effects of the climate for a long period of years. The disease most frequently met with among all classes of the population is intermittent fever. It is mild in character, and the quotidian and tertian forms prevail about equally. A feature of the malarial fever here is the slight or entire absence of the chill, the disease commencing with the hot stage in the majority of cases. It yields readily to treatment. Remittent fever is much less common, and is seen principally among those who indulge in alcoholic excesses. It is amenable to treatment if not neglected at the com- mencement. Dysentery and diarrhea are occasional and sporadic; the majority of cases are due to malarial infection from impure water. In Puerto Cortez dysentery is rare, as rain water is used exclusively for drinking purposes. Contagious diseases of children, such as measles and whooping cough, are infrequent and mild in character, while diphtheria and scarlet fever are unknown. The mortality among infants is extremely high, owing to the gross igno- - rance of the population on all matters pertaining to infant feeding and hygiene. The Bay of Puerto Cortez is a good harbor, but in times of storm small vessels experience some Gieulx, The wharf facilities are entirely inadequate for the port. Fruit, which forms the principal product for export, is now shipped from various points along the 56 miles of the Honduras Interoceanic Railway and loaded onto steamers from cars run to the wharf at this terminal. CANAL AND RIVER TRANSPORTATION. Adjoining the port and bay is the Alvarado Lagoon, 2 miles wide by 83 miles long, with a depth of water from 6 to 14 fathoms, a splendid landlocked harbor. The Ulua Commercial Company will cut a ship canal from the bay of Puerto Cortez to Alvarado Lagoon and place a drawbridge over it for trains to pass. Then the largest steamers can enter the lagoon to the Ulua wharves and steamboats and barges with fruit, mahogany, and cedar can pass to steamers in the bay. The company has completed a canal from Alvarado Lagoon to the Chamelecon River, 3 miles, and now its boats and barges navigate that river for nearly 100 miles. Already the fruit is arriv- ing, and as planting along the river is now active the year 1905 will see the Chamelecon Valley under cultivation. The canal now under construction to connect the Chamelecon and Ulua rivers, a distance of 9,000 feet, lacks about 100 feet of comple- tion. Then the steamboats and barges of the Ulua Commercial Company will be able to pass from Puerto Cortez up the Uiua, H. Doe, 481, 58-3——36 562 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. Comayagua, and Blanco rivers. It is expected that this canal will be completed in August, 1904, thus opening transportation 150 miles into a new territory. So great is the distrust of all enterprises of the kind heretofore inaugurated that only when the whistle of the boats is heard in the Ulua will the landowners begin to plant fruit; hence the Ulua, Comayagua, and Blanco fruit plantations will not begin to produce until the end of 1905. The fruit produced by these planta- tions should be equal, if not superior, to that produced in Costa Rica. FOREIGN TRADE. The customs receipts for April, May, and June, 1903, were $184,459 (silver), and for the like period of 1904, $157,699. EXPORTS. The exports of bananas from Puerto Cortez for the first six months of 1903 were 1,074,000 bunches, and for the same period in 1904, 1,241,000 bunches. The total value of exports for first six months of 1903 was $484,447, and for 1904, $536,170. . The total exports of bananas to the United States for the five calendar years 1899 to 1903, inclusive, were 7,785,000 bunches, valued at $3,425,417. The number of vessels that departed from this port for the United States in the fiscal year 1902 was 213 and in 1903 207, representing a tonnage of 150,147 and 119,929, respectively. The exports from Puerto Cortez to the United States for the cal- endar years 1902 and 1903 were as follows: 1902. 1903. Articles. Quantity. | Value. | Quantity. | Value. Bananas oacossscraicsveastercekcacecs Biiesceades bunches..| 1,636,000 | $582,600 | 2,048,000 16, 800 Cocoanuts -----.---- eae -number.. 659, 000 18, 150 688, 000 13, 760 COR GG. pcacniccnacemniendadsand sey analis -pounds 261,800 | 20, 62,000 4, 960 DeersN6 cc oxcnnccminsaus ensunenienaasnnn scmmaam ese! do.- 33,000 | 18,200 000 15, 600 DLS: ce octyath cus nceecute meets maerindtalawsccie- scioehhe s occa ascac| Gai tine ease! 8.28) eisceccoensce 2, 200 Hides pounds . 265, 900 42,544 166, 000 26, 566 Planteins oe cccececovesacecacesdceeeseeccees sess sowesceee 78, 000 « 218,000 2,180 Rubber -. pounds. . 40,500} 20, , 800 22, 900 Sarsaparilla __ O---. 137,000 51,100 65,000 19,500 WUVON acest cbs eke seein ies eciieciiauigu Cee tetino tabioe ac| Seeeaaeecsd| 11720 Woe eeccoaese 18,000 WOON ew en timnedacenimenenensdaaedaddialannanennemmnnees feet 574,000 | 57, 756, 000 75, 600 SEA) 2s cuaconmmvacmseenacradkstctvdadhoondescas Uhakeal aaceaeenswe! 916,080 te enasxncaaun 918, 060 IMPORTS. The imports into Puerto Cortez for the years 1900 to 1903, inclu- sive, were: Countries. 1900. 1901. 1902. 1908. United States 7, 789 341, 129 Germany ........-..--------- ‘71 8 8B a8. 258 England -... a 7 51,036 59, 975 BUGIS i oicvictnunenaseeauses 8, 533 2,125 2,378 12, 576 France 6 4, 435, # NORTH AMERICA: NICARAGUA, 563 NICARAGUA. [From ConsuL CHESTER DONALDSON, MANAGUA, NICARAGUA, SEPTEMBER 20, 1904.] BUSINESS ACTIVITY. Notwithstanding the high rates of exchange, the average of which has been about 600 per cent premium for United States gold, the Republic of Nicaragua has enjoyed an unusually prosperous year. Trade has apparently adjusted itself to the monetary conditions of the country and resumed its former activity with a good percentage of increase. The revenues of the Government for 1902 were slightly better than for 1901, and for 1903 are 50 per cent greater than in 1902. Trade, both export and import, has likewise increased steadily for the last three years, the imports for 1903 being over $250,000 gold more than in 1902, and the exports for 1903 more than double those of 1902. The exports for 1902 were nearly $500,000 less than the imports, yet for 1903 the exports are about $750,000 more than the imports, the result of which has been a reduction of about 100 points in exchange and a new period of prosperity throughout the country. During the first six months of 1904 both imports and exports have increased and exchange has remained firm at from 560 to 600 per cent premium. The merchants have a renewed and increased confidence in the stability of the present Government, now in its twelfth year, and with no danger of any changes or political disturbances for the next four years, during which time a great advance is expected. One of the first and most important improvements is a railroad trom Granada or some point on Lake Nicaragua to the Atlantic coast at Monkey Point, for which a route has been surveyed and engineers are starting the preliminary work. It will also connect by a branch to Rama with the Bluefields Steamship Company, which has a weekly service from Bluefields to New Orleans. Monkey Point has a deep and well-protected harbor. IMPORTS AND EXPORTS. The total imports and exports for Nicaragua during the years 1902 and 1903 and the imports and exports by countries during the years 1902 and 1903 and the six months ended June 30, 1904, are shown in the following tables: TOTAL IMPORTS AND EXPORTS 1902 AND 1903. Years. Imports. | Exports. m2 $1,518,693 | $2,169, 510 TOO Sc ek eee wg ies ee fee aes Se 3,125,300 | ~2) 419/503 GP otal 2iGestece2dee2 ace A veeees see dees ene erene eerie elo bee 4,643,993 | 4,589, 018 564 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. IMPORTS BY COUNTRIES. 6 months Countries. 1902. 1903, oe 1904. $1, 204,537 | $1,421,467 | $947,640 393° 324 |” ’ 5997 29 284° 500 2507387 | 2587819 120' 410 209,967 | 137° 734 60,412 111,295 | 72/188 34 568 2,169,510 | 2,419,503 | 1,447,530 EXPORTS BY COUNTRIES. 6 months Countries. 1902. 1903. ed 1904. Wiited Statag +Includes bunker coal valued at $346,051 in 1899; $597,859 in 1900; $528,936 in 1901; $404,616 in 1902; $305,064 in 1903. o IMPORTS FROM THE UNITED STATES IN 1903. Articles. Value. Articles. Value. Hardware -...--..-------------- $1, 852 || Soap, common. s $859 Sewing machines -.... 656 || Beef and pork, canned . 1,920 Nails, iron......-.-- 1,430 || Hay and straw = 2,030 Boots and shoes......-.--- 7,857 || Medicines. a 1,046 Candles, sperm and tallow - zs 1,920 || Preserves i 1,099 Coment: 22. 2.c0:0¢ ses-22205 cre 892 || Leather_. ~ 624 Haberdashery -.....-- ----| 8,460 || Cottons and woolens -| 4,087 Musical instruments - eens 172 || Cordage and rope 345 Wrapping puper.---...--.2-2.--2-2--.. AS OOSE Ne oe Ss ee pO et IMPORTS OF COAL, 1899-1903. Countries. 1899. 1900. 1901. 1902. 1903. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. ie ON eT ah A cat ee, 21,082] 10,984 | “30,701 pidis | 4e‘er United States ..-.........--.2-22-2--ee eee ee 39,604] 88,930} 55,028 | 35, 724 34)049 Total... .-.----- ----22 222002 2eeee eee eee 60,686 | 99,864] 85,819] 57,169 | 82,996 NORTH AMERICA: BRITISH WEST INDIES. 598 The preponderance of English over American coal in 1903 is to be attributed to the strikes in the coal-producing districts of the United States, which affected the exports, throwing importers back upon the more expensive British market. This also explains the small im- ports of American coal in 1902. The only articles exported to the United States in 1903 were cocoa and sugar. SHIPPING. The number and tonnage of vessels entered and cleared at St. ‘Lucia in 1903 were: Sailing vessels. Steamers. Total. Nationalities. : = ‘Number.| Tons. [Number.| Tons. |Number.| Tons. AMNOPICAN 2 oc sesiuecseScetigetteaceacest| sceiveanzelbacchecces 9) 41,474 9 41,474 British 269 7,470 354 , 08. 623 549,565 French mes ied 119 2, 672 38 15, 929 157 18,601 COPS cssiccicinacinesinniensicieas semana einen ou 33 2,540 19 | 26,988 52 29, 528 Motel sees secusea sens ceddeoemes 421 12, 682 420 | 626,486 841 639, 168 The above includes the calls of two subsidized mail lines, viz: (1) The Royal Mail Steam Packet Company, of London, with boats touching here out and homeward once every week, keeping up com- munication with the other West Indian islands and Europe, and (2) the steamers of the Pickford Black Line of Halifax, Nova Scotia, with fortnightly communication with Canada and British West Indian islands and islands south to British Guiana. This is an all-British service. There are also three regular trading lines with bimonthly calls: (1) Scrutton’s Direct Line from London, connecting the islands from Trinidad south to St. Kitts north; (2) the Quebec Line, giving the only direct mail communication with the United States (which occupies ten to twelve days), also bimonthly, and (3) the steamers of The Compagnie Générale Transatlantique, of Paris, France, with two calls a month, one outward and the other homeward. Steamers calling for bunker coal, when proceeding to the United States, usually take mail. St. Lucia is becoming more a port of call for steamers for United States ports seeking orders, but the majority of those that enter come for bunker supplies. Cheapness of fuel, no port charges, depth of water alongside of wharves, and exceptionally quick dispatch, com- bined with the geographical position, give St. Lucia a world-wide reputation as the best coaling station in the West Indies. No improve- ment in the harbor accommodations or facilities has taken place in the year under review, but a scheme is now under consideration with that end in view. TURKS ISLAND. [From Consut T. P. Morrart, TURKS ISLAND, BRITISH WusT INDInS, DECEMBER 6, 1904.] LOCATION, POPULATION, AND RESOURCES. The British dependencies of the Turks and Caicos islands, situated at the extreme northeast of the Bahama group, latitude 21° north, H. Doe, 481, 58-3-——38 594 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. longitude 71° west, is about 100 miles north of Haiti, and 1,175 miles from New York. It comprises Grand Turk, Salt City, South Caicos, North Caicos, East Caicos, and West Caicos islands, together with about 10 small, uninhabited cays, the latter but_a few acres each in extent. The land area of the entire group is estimated at 175 square miles. There are at present three ports of entry, Grand Turk, the seat of government, Salt Cay, and Cockburn Harbor. The port of West Caicos was recently closed on account of the small amount of business, transacted. The population in 1901 was 5,287, composed as follows: White— males, 150; females, 192. Colored—males, 572; females, 791. Black— males, 1,686; females, 1,896. oes The climate, while enervating to Americans and Europeans, 1s remarkably healthful, being perfectly free from fevers or contagious diseases. The temperature, according to the seasons, seldom exceeds 90° or falls below 65°. The maximum heat conditions of summer are, however, subject to the moderating influence of the trade winds, which almost continuously sweep over the islands. The chief executive, whose official title is “ commissioner,” is also president of the legislative board. Although the islands are politic- ally designated as a dependency, being under the Jamaican colonial government, so few are the matters requiring approval by that colony’s officials that it is virtually governed by itself. It neither contributes to nor receives revenue from the Jamaican government. ’ INDUSTRIES. There are three industries in Turks Island—(1) the production of coarse salt from the solar evaporation of sea water, and known in the American markets as “Turks Island salt,” (2) sisal grass (fiber) growing and cleaning, and (3) sponge gathering. Physical condi- tions prevent any remunerative attempt at agriculture or fruit grow- ing beyond an inadequate supply of sweet potatoes for local use, plantain, and guinea corn, together with a few cocoanuts and oranges. There are no manufactured articles, unless the production of coarse salt can be so classed. Salt.—Salt, for which the islands have long been noted, has ever been the chief article of export, for early in the nineteenth century the Bermudians came yearly with large numbers of slaves and during the summer months gathered quantities of salt from the salinas, shipped it away, and then returned to their homes. The total salt-pond area is about 650 acres, from which in 1903 950,000 bushels of salt were raked, compared with an average annual production of 1,900,000 bushels. The shortage was due to the repeated rains which occurred during the ordinarily dry season. The exports of salt, however, were larger than during 1902, the difference between the quantity raked and that exported representing the surplus from former seasons. ; Sisal grass.—The growing and cleaning of sisal grass (fiber) is an industry introduced in recent years. A well-equipped company called the “ East Caicos Company (Limited),” has at present a plan- tation of some 10,000 acres, largely planted and under profitable cul- tivation. The product is shipped entirely to New York and compares favorably in quality and resultant market quotations with the best grades of Yucatan sisal. The company, although of English incor- poration, is owned almost entirely by Americans, and may be said to . NORTH AMERICA: BRITISH WEST INDIES. 595 be the only interest within the dependency managed and controlled by Americans. _. Sponges.—Sponge gathering is carried on extensively by native divers on the Caicos banks. Rn excellent quality of sponge for cer- tain purposes is obtained, most of which is exported to the United States. The industry is not so fully developed as it might be, but with the adoption of measures now under consideration conducive to the care of the sponge grounds could be made highly profitable. IMPORTS AND EXPORTS. Imports for the year showed a slight decrease as compared with. those of 1902, while the exports remained about normal, although the salt output was greatly shortened. Of the total imports the United States market supplied 62 per cent, and of the exports received 77 per cent. The volume of the export trade of the United States with the West Indian colonies, while perhaps satisfactory at the moment, is seriously threatened by the strenuous efforts of the Canadian ex- porter to supply the quantities demanded in farm products, princi- pally hay, corn, oats, bran, butter, and cheese, together with flour, canned fruits, vegetables, and shingles. Canadian salesmen visit these markets in increasing numbers. Per- sonal acquaintance between the seller and buyer begets and increases sales. The United States trade, abandoned as it is to the care of commission merchants and solicitation through catalogues and mis- cellaneous advertising, suffers to an alarming degree. American sales- men should thoroughly canvass the field and acquaint themselves per- sonally with the West Indian importer and his needs. The immediate result would be a largely increased trade. IMPORTS IN 1903. From From e Articles. United ee nts Total. States. tries. PHONE Bde Sob ssa bs oSs owe ees ess c se ecenis pebameoenaecseeal dt aeee S $201 |__..----.. ‘Aneel, Hive a ate denasecescsaesee 260 $1, 387 1,647 AVM S 5. contess oo sacew sc cqcease sees seessitetersaeteasssansesceae se ceseesas iid lesebeeces Boots and shoes --.--- 8 i a a et mo 3,981 752 4,738 Books)... 20c222222<¢=" oe 2 Seed et cueedersiy 15 414 429 Bread and biscuits --- noe or eaee 1,570 680 2, 250 Brooms and brushes - ee) 68 29 , 28 Butter --..-------- é 1,956 3, 637 Candles .--.----- 4 ys Cards, playing --.---- wee x Carriages oe carts Ea bearer ak ree arrnt ance / OTT 389} 1,365 Haye. oo as eetecno aps aie Bea S Set 870 870 Oat oiacste-iste-eeesesee ee oes7 2s 2, 181 642 | 2, BP Cement --. saw we on es ‘ on Cheese -.-.----------- ose -- a ? Chocolate and cocoa - secdieconcitecacssMtacise teeeceds 1,020 | econ ceca rt Clocks and aes -- aa SScGeSt Sea Seeehe aes 7 i a laa tane é Sas ceemies secmbaicwesct| 15850 1,500 2,700 Coffee . ..---- = ---- een a eecee ene nn c n nnnee ne enee eee eeeee cee ele eens seen Confectionery me 14 1, Cornbiene oa 1,928 44| 1,972 Gorn meal, tnd 1372 32} 1404 OQ ~--- 22 --- 22 -- ’ . Coookery and éarthienwane 000000000 190 | 197 387 es, spirits, etc.: Ber ae ied waters 80 658 688 ee hese ae Ss BT 741 878 Ale and beer 596 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. IMPORTS IN 1903—Continued. From From Articles, United al oie Total. States. nied: Beverages, spirits, etc.—Continued. : TOO eo o.5 anda npscausaicnnad caren sawed enna Mead ga Aaae a Oeiheser deen emen sein $20 $20 Gordie Mg MeUNE aioe idero-ncsotecsdey seacatnasee neces et 7 rdials and liqueurs _._.....------------- 222-220 eee ee ee eee oe q 1,12%4| 1,124 Rum - 1,049 1,049 Whisky -.. AGT 545 geo all kinds 514 634 375 1,138 1,513 34 222 255 276 102 377 10, 165 1,251 11, 416 128 2,470 2,598 Preserved 123 463 MANN OG oe snc aie Stns sda aah cic seemetetes Bk einai anicaseers 251 Furniture, wood .....-...2.....2--2...-------- ' 753 98 850 Glass and glassware -_...._.-............ 272 94. 365 GIO VO: poe s5. csc clsuccoeGsecuseses 7 3 10 GUMPOW USE... on ewvccessavensgcctsans 3 ee 21 Hats, straw.......--.------.-------- 8 406 414 Harness and saddlery__-__......- 233 82 315 PIOMUBY soos cscucupacnrnncanennan 2,825 |e ene 2,225 India-rubber goods _........- a 63 12 1 Instruments, scientific ............ 2-00. 20 2 eee ee ee ne eee 85 52 1837 Iron and steel, manufactures of: Anchors, chains, and cables .---_......--2222 222222 e eee eee eee 65 6 val Bars, rods, and sheets. -_...__.. f 335 25 360 Cutlery --.--......--..-. 137 28 165 Galvanized roofing. __.. 120 829 949 Implements and tools .... 316 5 B22 Nails, screws, and rivets_ 437 23 460 Pipes and piles ___...._... 194 occ cece ced 194 Stoves and fittings -_. 115 1 116 Utensils, cooking, etc -- 23 58 80 Wire fencing and wire. BB fo scsnanaue 53 Unenumerated ...____.. 1,289 665 1,953 pempe and lanterns 105 29 134 Lard). cesccwssaas come ee occeae 4,193 59 4, 252 Leather and manufactures of ._...................---.---.--.-- eee 207 7 234 Pape ead wood: i DING | otros s picenee em comenuesiecinencmdsec eee nene meee ete ead 141 1,207 1,349 White and other pine 22 5, 089 . 5, 061 Shingles..................- asouneee 34 667 701 Manufactures of wood, miscellaneous _...._....--................ 1,938 1,145 3,078 Maer Bicycles and parts thereof.....__.........._-........-.--.- eases 126 16 142 Machinery, general ._._. 1,095 15 1,110 Sewing machines . "509 20 "529 ‘Typewriters - 2 THO} | so ccseucus 110. aoe ae Wadia COED ay 2-55 divans redint doce epcickeaermenemr ce 1,081 591 th Moats! i taseot. yo trial ape cay ee ee ere rosa | (keene rem oea : Eas hams, and shoulders -._....-.. 2.22.22. 222 222222222202. 3,539 16 8,555 aoe , , Weonter : 7: et and sa. Le ‘Ol 36 2 6° Pork, wet and salted_... Carte es pan i ok Tinned, all kinds __...____. : 1772 BT 1.899 Medicines, drugs, ete _ a2 eae : 567 2' 009 Milk, condensed.......-.-------.+.---+ | 2.274] 1,308 8,672 oe and peopel era Sheree Bes 2 2 4 opper and manufactures thereof _ 9 9 Lene rolled and sheet -..._......... ae a LA Silver-plated ware .__.. 22.222 i Winiand tin Ware. c..2o.c% 252 suns cecccucceercdeccisce 402° il Type, printers_....._.._... = 449 Molasses and sirup .--....-- 22222222200. per rete 1.08 28 Oatmeal. o:c2c05 eeegs oa. oes caweceeketecarecwomocnnc ee 164° 1023 1, 028 Oil meal. _.. ay tee aes Oils, paint 222 18 a Paper and stationery --. 622 219 441 Paints, mixed and dry -_. 630 383 1, 005 Peas and beans.._...._....____.. 1,817 pat 1,132 Perfumery (including bay rum) "390 412 2,120 Petroleum and kerosene. ....... 1,860 796 2 656 Pickles, sauces, etc, .-....-.2..--.-- 22-2 22eeee eee 153 MB ” 266 NORTH AMERICA: BRITISH WEST INDIES. 597 IMPORTS IN 1903—Continued. From From we « all other Articles. United coun: Total. tries. $27 we 2,151 4,794 . 113 858 4, 282 4, 282 1 8 108 420 209 1,844 135 850 muetesemed 55 Secseueas 24 208 679 181 Telegraph instruments -_.__..._-2..2- 8.22222 ees wee even eee eee 5 5 20 Textiles: . Caps cse/svear-nbin,, 9 51 Cotton goods -_-........-...... 11, 268 6,107 17,375 Haberdashery and millinery _ 665 816 1,481 ANG ein coven cbraniantaraeeiaue tan om 160 435 595 Linen goods -__._.....-.....__. 26 138 164 ‘Wool and worsted goods. . .. 63 1, 909 1,972 Miscellaneous --__...._-.--..- 2,398 1, 887 4, 285 _ Wearing apparel - 219 703 9 Tinned provisions... ___ 455 335, 790 Tobacco, and manufact 1,672 1,147 2,819 Umbrellas and parasols ® |aecssscaec 5 Varnishes-_-............ 26 28 54 Vegetables: PGE, « ocnttecsusened eines 718 1,109 1,827 ERNE rectal ga cen ls Sn cece cosine Steptoe ase Goad rama aes Saco TOS cs cteescee 104 MOOR 2 acinainaed dammed casi cnded merdaenad aang Sale iaiely sean meienleee cede aaeael 95,179 | 59, 601 154, 780 EXPORTS TO THE UNITED STATES IN 1903. Articles. Value. Ma WORRY onan nceeaewnives env ern=vine ecm ocune mg saya enameeReeesReUEL Wakesaandanemanacnaans 47 Turtle-shell__....---------------- ee ee oy 15 Salt __..... aie <3 93, 010 Sisal grass : 1 488 Sponges... eee 5, 882 MO tA) esoasaiseseconincemisareacagastacseaeeseaeasta sadaaaenmsesse seeete casi seesiseanecce 128, 642 There was exported to all other countries articles to the value of $36,052, and ships’ stores in bond were exported to the amount of $584. LIST OF IMPORTERS AND EXPORTERS. General importers.—Grand Turk: J. C. Bascome, N. O. Basden, BE. N. Cover- ley, Richard Darrell, Norris Darrell, Frith Bros. & Co., Joseph 8. Frith, Reg. ©. Frith, H. H. Hutchings, John W. Manuel, W. Andrew Manuel, BE. F. Rigby, T. L. Smith, A. E. Whitney. Cockburn Harbor: T. J. Astwood, N. Basden, C. H. Durham, John Dellis, Estate J. J. Frith, Alfred Stubbs, J. W. Tatem. Salt Cay: J. W. Baker, D. F. & H. F. Harriott, J. J. Morgan, W. R. Tatem, B. W. Wood, J. R. Wood. ; General and salt exporters.—Grand Turk: Jobn W. Darrell, O. R. Hinson, Frith Bros. & Co., W. Stanley Jones, Estate J. D. Murphy, T. L. Smith. Cock- burn Harbor: O. H. Durham, Estate J. J. Frith, L. E. Godet, Alfred Stubbs, John W. Tatem. Salt Cay: D. F. & H. F. Harriott, W. R. Tatem, John R. "ood. Wedd grass.—Grand Turk: East Caicos Company (Limited). Sponge.—Cockburn Harbor: John Dellis, H. Gibbs. Sisal grass.—Cockburn Harbor: Charles Astwood. 598 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. SHIPPING. There are no docking facilities at any of the ports, but excellent roadsteads or open bays will serve all the requirements. At the south end of Grand Turk is a place for perfectly safe anchorage, well known to mariners, called the “ Hawke’s Nest,” which, in time of stress of weather, offers a protection equal to the best land-locked harbor. ‘ The following steamship lines call at Grand Turk, the principal port: Clyde Line (American), en route from and to New York to Santo Domingo ports, fortnightly sailings from New York, with freight, passengers, and mails; Pickford & Black Line (British), en route from and to Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Kingston, Jamaica, monthly sailings from Halifax, with freight, passengers, and mails. The latter line receives an annual subsidy of £500 sterling ($2,433), of which one half is paid by the Imperial Government, the other half by the dependency. Another line, the Elder, Dempster & Co. (Brit- ish), Avonmouth, England, to Kingston, Jamaica, fortnightly sched- ule, brings passengers and mails out from England, but returns to England by the way of other ports. The nationality, number, and tonnage of vessels entering the three ports in 1903 are shown in. the following table: | Number. Tonnage. Nationalities. | | Cargo. | Ballast. Total. | Cargo. | Ballast.| Total. Sailing: POPUUIOID sc cei cam ictaee eadcouesurns whenhe 88 81 169 2, 794 17,247 20, 041 Dominican 33 9 42 542 160 702 ON GN. ss nase seme ss seers sscee o eating 12 TD} eceesocece 1,886 1, 886 Haitian.-......-... steamers v 1 8 178 10 188 AINOT CAD 522 ere mepsencea tac ueeaenias jac uedickct 28 By: lstratetclaterala 20,007 20, 007 MOtal ni oscnceccee eee sve h meee eee 128 131 259 3,514 39, 310 42, 824 Steamers: 7 i PRIS ccc w acon a sueuvenbyenuibe plswen BO ee ceed 29 22,369 |... 2-2... 22,369 American --_.- BON sccsseded 50 | 101,204 |_......--- 101, 294 ABOU a ceamanae cutee accmaiwe ened NO Nee Soe aoa 79 | 128,668 |.........- 123, 663 Grand total .........-2.-.--2..---. 207 181 338 | 127,177 39,310 166, 487 PORT DUES. The only port charges are termed “ light dues,” levied at the rate of 4d. (8 carts) a ton, net tonnage. This fee is collected and applied for the maintenance of the light-house at Grand Turk and the beacon lights at Salt Cay and Cockburn Harbor. Steamers carrying mails, private yachts, or vessels of any class calling for orders, taking of ship’s stores, or entering for other necessary purpose without either taking or breaking cargo are cxempt from such dues. TELEGRAPH. ~ No interior telegraph or telephone systems exist. The Direct West India Cable Company, which receives a subsidy of £120 per annum and whose lines extend from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Kingston, J a- maica, with stations at Bermuda and Turk islands, permits com- NORTH AMERICA: DANISH WEST INDIES. 599 munication with the outside world at moderate rates, the charge a word to New York, Boston, and Philadelphia being 56 cents. The company also operates the United States Weather Bureau station located at Grand Turk. BANKING AND CURRENCY. Accommodation in these directions while limited appears adequate for requirements. While there is no colonial branch or private bank, the government, under the supervision of its officials, operates a sav- ings bank, primarily for the benefit of the native laborer, as an aid to him in promoting methods of economy and thrift. As for exchange, thirty-day bills are sold by the representative of a New York firm at the fixed rate of $4.80 for £1 ($4.86). Post-office orders are invariably used by small remitters. Until recently there was no local currency issued, the circulation consisting principally of British silver and United States gold and silver. Recently, however, a form of government note in 10s. ($2.43), £1 ($4.86), and £3 ($14.60) denominations have been issued, which are quite generally used in internal trade. As a legal tender outside of the dependency they have no exchange value. DANISH WEST INDIES. [From Vicr-Consut A. E. ScHROpER, ae ik aaa DANISH WesT INDIES, OCTOBER 20, CURRENCY AND TARIFF RATES. The unit of currency in the Danish West Indies is a Danish West Indian dollar, and in exchange 5 Danish West Indian dollars equal $4.80 in American gold. A duty of 3 per cent is charged on all imports. TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES. Coastwise and intercolonial transportation have been improved by the addition of a small Danish steamship, which plies among the neighboring Danish, English, and French islands and makes occa- sional trips to Porto Rico. The ocean facilities -have also been improved within the present year by the addition of four steamships owned by the West Indian Company (Limited), of Copenhagen. These ships ply regularly between this port, Copenhagen and ports in Belgium, France, Spain, Cuba, and Mexico. The means of communication with seaports of the United States are by cable, over the lines of the West India and Panama Tele- graph Company, and by mail carried by the Quebec Steamship Com- pany, whose ships ply between this port and New York. The mails, however, are exceedingly irregular. ST. THOMAS. Freight rates from New York to St. Thomas are 50 cents a barrel * with 10 per cent primage, and from 12 cents to 15 cents a cubic foot 600 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. a ton with 10 per cent primage. Special rates may be made for quantities. : ; License rates are as follows: Burger’s brief for retail, $66; for wholesale and retail, $143, with tavern license $50 per annum extra, or with rum license $146 per annum extra. Commercial travelers can display their samples and take orders from these free of charge. When leaving the island a charge is made for a passport as follows: Thirty-three cents for St. Croix, $1 for other West Indian islands, $9 for Europe and the United States. QUARANTINE REGULATIONS. The quarantine regulations are very good. A quarantine station outside of the harbor is kept at all times in excellent condition for treating contagious and infectious diseases. At the same time, to protect the city and harbor against any possible danger on account of sickness in the station, strict rules and their enforcement by the harbor authorities make it absolutely impossible for a vessel to enter the harbor without careful inspection by the quarantine physician. IMPORTS. The amount of imports at St. Thomas, Danish West Indies, during the fiscal years from 1899 to 1904 is shown in the following table: Countries. 1899. 1900. 1901. 1902. | 1903. | 1904. United States .......-...-.-2cceeeeeeeee 329,533 | 363,266 | 414,504) 359,581 | 329,793 | 525,621 Great Britain ____-” 183,924 | 148/002 | 170,682 | 1513451 | 192,527 | 249,878 54/363 | 53,058 | 62,267 *408 | 77,626 ; 93) 564 15,280 | 14,402 | 185884] 927240] 18,890] 16,120 3,794 628 629 4311| 81553| 18,804] 1,947 f 11, 664 4,871 96 459 201 20 58 , 121,531 | 117,014] 109,117 | 106,393 | 112,859 104,003 748,573 | 733,407 | 831,574 | 726,329] 771,805 983, 270 CHRISTIANSTED. {From AcTiInG ConsuLAR AGENT R. B. BLAcKWooD, CHRISTIANSTED, DANISH WEST INDIES, OcToBER 20, 1904.] IMPORTS AND EXPORTS. The value and origin of imports into Christiansted during the year ended March 31, 1904, are shown in the following table: - . Whence imported. Value. Denmark, direct Bil eerecia eae French ....-..- sieve 106 136. || Greek: «06 ciccs60cvececssenesse 2 scammamesa German ....... steae 158 153 || - Wtallan 22 soscescecccasaszence 79 83 PO tals cisicisretoncicclsshereiriets 1, 245 1,369 The total number of steamers that called at Perim to discharge or to take coal during the year was 421, against 350 the year previous, show- ing an increase of 71 vessels or 20.28 per cent. The number of steam- ers that called at Aden, including men of war, during the year was 1,657, against 1,446 the year before, showing an increase of 211 vessels or 14.59 per cent. ASIA: BRITISH INDIA. 657 BRITISH INDIA. BOMBAY. [From CLARENCE E. FEE, CLERK AT THE UNITED STATES CONSULATE IN BOMBAY, BRITISH INDIA, NOVEMBER 10, 1904.} The following report, covering the year ending March 31, 1904, is for the two principal ports, Bombay and Karachi, to which all western India is commercially tributary. FAMINE AVERTED. The monsoon rains in western India, which generally begin in June and last until September, have this season been far from the average. The general rainfall in nearly all the districts has been much below normal, and at one time it looked as if a famine throughout the greater part of the Deccan and Gujerat was not only imminent but inevitable. The government had begun making vast preparations for famine oe and relief works, but just at the decisive moment showers fell throughout the country, which saved the situation, and, though some ay will be felt in parts, no actual famine conditions will prevail. Bombay this year has had the least rain of any season for the ast twenty-five years, viz, 33 inches, as against a general average of 6 inches and a maximum of 125 inches. COMMERCE OF BOMBAY. The commerce of Bombay in 1904 attained proportions which are unprecedented. It was a record year in almost every respect. The total value of the trade rose to $338,000,000, as against $302,000,000 last year, which was itself a record of exceptional prosperity. The general increase in imports contributed materially to this end, the fig- ures being $158,000,000, as compared with $148,000,000 in 1903. But the great factor was the remarkable expansion of the export trade, which rose from $153,000,000 in 1903, a total never previously approached, to $179,000,000 in 1904. : During the triennium there was a rapidly progressive development of the foreign trade of the Presidency, which augurs well for the pros- perity of the port of Bombay, which Pee monopolizes it, with the exception of the quota contributed by the port of Karachi. On the export side there was a general increase in almost all the staples, but more particularly in the shipments of grain, seeds, and cotton. With the imports the same tendency toward an all round increase was nifested. ; a earope continues to be the best customer for Indian produce, buy- ing to the extent of $98,000,000, though Asia, owing to the magnitude of the trade whith China and Japan, approaches closely. Among the European countries, Great Britain strengthened her position, which has shown signs of weakening of late, and imported from India almost twice that of any other nation. After Great Britain comes France, Belgium occupying third place and Germany fourth. Much of the trade credited to Belgium is really German, merely passing through Belgian ports. H. Doc. 481, 58-3——42 658 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. ‘mports Great Britain is supreme, for it controls act nga oo of trade out of a total of $107,000,000 from Europe. But it is almost stationary, and the growth, even ina busy import year, is inappreciable in comparison with the opening twelve months of the guinquennium. The continental countries have, on the contrary, steadily increased their position and absorbed the greater part of the increase of $7,100,000 in the import trade of the past five years. India is making steady progress in her hold on the markets of East Africa. By virtue of her eographical position, aided by the circum- stance that the retail trade is largely in the hands of Indians, this country has an advantage in competing for East African trade, which - ought to result in a very lucrative traffic as the British possessions there are opened up. TRADE OF FIVE YEARS. The value of the imports and exports, exclusive of government stores and treasure, for the past five years, in the Presidency of Bombay and at its chief port, are here given: Years. Imports. Exports. Total. $126, 384, 416 | $125, 497,202 | $151, 881,618 120, 377, 474 | 112° 095, 020 |. 282, 472) 404 138,763, 494 | 151,879,481 | 290,642,975 366, 584 | 152,888,936 | 201,954) 820 158,756,365 | 179,982,794 | 238, 689,159 a There has been a steady increase in the trade of the Presidency from $151,881,618 to $238,689,159 in the last five years, and as there have been no excessive gains in any articles imported, it shows a steady increase in nearly ait articles of trade. The balance of trade stands in India’s favor this year by over 60 per cent. IMPORTS AND EXPORTS OF TEA. The position of Bombay and the Presidency in this trade is that of a distributing center, and the imports must be considered in connection with the exports. sage IMPORTS AND EXPORTS OF TEA AT BOMBAY IN 1903 AND 1904. 1903. 1904. Imports and exports. Pounds. | Value. | Pounds, | Value. Ceylon : IMPORTS, Blgek sists css bacsmmeeemorcineaisieneuSemeninwdeneuweeideedac 549,508 | $64,723 278,198 | $84,816 k 67,168 | 18,583 189, 154 20, 683 2, 950 316 2, 302 384 859,245 | 67,140] 489,912 | 98,212 1, 728, 879 | 351,087} 1,646,813 | 358, 869 , 267,628 | 71,634 3 Ce Other places ... : 85, 857 8, 492 26° aot 1S eee SAVE, — 3B) ; | 8,055,215 | 676,654 | 2, 838,599 | ~oy6 gaa ? TRAIAN, 630s i5.c0.08 uieeeornsacusme cena todeeaele cudacesuad 8,743,696 | 817,504 |- BP ALG Baits stik okesniace en dmuie evs -nanamuces memearas4 worawen 1 604, 098 | 349, 458 " 888) Goa ae z , MS Cacaitbsatu oa tRNA Fe Coe + eA oe ASIA; BRITISH INDIA. | 659 In regards to China tea, Bombay receives a large amount in the natural course of trade, but only a small portion of these importations goes into local consumption. To the sea exports must be added the exports by rail, which ultimately find their way across the land fron- tier into Afghanistan and Persia. Exports by sea to the latter country of Indian and foreign tea, which in previous years constituted the bulk a ue reexports, have been adversely affected by the new Persian riff. There has been a considerable advance in exports of tea of Indian growth to Arabia. -The exports of Indian tea to Russia, which in the previous year were nil, have this year reached the largest figure since 1895, namely, 28,764 pounds. There is a decrease of $90,000 in the exports of Indian tea, due to the decline of shipments to Persia. IMPORTS. The value of imports by classes in the years ending March 31, 1903 and 1904, is shown below: Classes. 1903. 1904. Classes. 1903. 1904. Animals, living....-...... $617, 031 $970, 898 || Chemicals, drugs, medi- Articles of food and drink .| 13, 669, 998 | 14, 815, 846 cines, dyeing and tan- Metals,and manufactures ning materials—Con. of: Dyeing and tanning Hardware and cut- materials .......-.. $2,031,660 | $2,529, 608 lePYinssscsosecceeenis 2,416,696 | 2,779,859 |} Oils ........ poerape uae pantes 4, 305, 179 3, 759, 187 Metals.............--- 8,662,501 | 9,604,996 || Raw materials and un- Machinery and mill- manufactured articles.) 7,586,932 7, 325, 901 work .........---.-- 3, 473,303 | 4,224,896 || Articles manufactured Railway plant and and partly so: . rolling stock......-. 1,574,354 | 1,551,931 Yarns and textile Chemicals, drugs, thedi- | - b: 30, 690, 863 | 35, 360, 883 cines, dyeing and tan- App = --| 2,330, 511 2, 485, 473 ning materials: Other articles. . ..| 18,016,355 | 12,370,090 Chemicals....-----..- 526, 765 661, 822 Drugs,medicines,and 92,039, 691 | 99,749, 639 narcotics ....---.--- 1,137,543 | 1,308, 249 e The large increase under the head of animals is practically in horses, which show an advance in value of $397,000, and in number 3,108. The increase is greatest in Arabs and Australians. The former included some valuable horses imported for the Ameer of Afghanis- tan, and it would also seem that the trade in Arabs was stimulated by the removal of the export duty on horses from Busreh. IMPORTS OF FOOD AND DRINK. An increase of over $2,000,000 in articles of food and drink brings the total up to that of 1902. The increase is an all-around one, save in grain, pulse, and coffee. The heaviest increase was in sugar and provisions. Last year’s advance in coffee was not maintained, and the trade has reached the lowest figures recorded. The imports are chiefly common Brazilian qualities shipped from Austria-Hungary. 660 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. The value of the chief articles of food and drink imported in the last two years are herewith compared: Articles. 1903. 1904. Articles. 1903. 1904. SUGOP. 2s se cecsscccssescces $7,935, 984 | $8, 833, 837 || Coffee..........-...2----- $69, 098 $36, 362 Provisions adsiccers 2] 2 128,985 | 2,706,766 || Hops............ sp aecteies a 58, 736 71, 067 iquors....-....- --| 1,780,834 | 1,786,126 || Articles not specified .... 203,098 |oseeseseceae i ee 724, 901 888,490 || Salt........-..-..-.-000-- 6,197 18, 494 576, 604 576, 744 Grain and pulse... 374, 676 166, 078 18, 676,163 | 15,078,964 SUGAR. The following table shows the quantities and origin of the imports of sugar in 1903 and 1904: 1903. 1904, Countries. Tons. Value. Tons. Value. United Kingdom .. 3, 755 $245, 510 3,178 $220, 124 Austria-Hungary .. 17,611 | 1,167,681] 5,639 366, 713 Belgium ......... : 2,224 148, 399 20 1,396 Germany . ees ea, sscie a cies steers se sige 1,013 67,527 243 16, 357 Holland .. a weiss a sleraiaeia aybibiniavase.are weiss 1,704 114, 677 726 49, 088 Mauritius. Airs eee pieccieiaraie ainlataminse utes 75,738 | 4,976,548 | 100,052 | 6,482, 425 Egypt...... ania ete eeiaeisiesemoamiasicictes 316 22,97 3, 861 233, Hongkong .- Rees atin ainwid(cics iniieieateisia 11, 223 774, 575 7,193 517,310 WONG, cen eeseanccss rots te amratoatsjeiioe nya tcansl 2,526 159, 613 7,803 497,244 Straits Settlements. aisraee semaseaveusenarkits 2, 628 163, 381 164 11,012 Other countries... ems aeiese twee 396 3, 665 190 13, 081 TOUR Lc sepevensc4aks see Pi aieadctbdmcmseia odameweseere - 118,864 | 7,844;552 | 128,569 8, 408, 214 The features of the past year’s trade were the exceptional imports of Mauritius cane sugar, the advance in Java and Egyptian sugar, and the large decrease in beet-sugar imports from Austria-Hungary and Germany. So far as the 1902 crop was concerned, bounty-fed beet sugar was affected by the special legislation directed against it. These acts were, however, substantially withdrawn, as a result of: the Brus- sels convention, with the effect that countervailing duties were remitted in respect to sugar produced after August 1, 1903. The new crop, however, had to compete with an abundant cane crop from Mauritius, and though the prices of beet sugar ruled easier than in the previous year ($3.15 per cwt.), Mauritius cane sugar was put on the market ata price ($3.04) which precluded serious competition. There has, how- ever, been a distinct expansion in imports of Austrian beet sugar since January, 1904. Mauritius supplied about 80 per cent of the demand for the Bombay market. Next in order of magnitude were the sugar imports from Java, which have increased by over 100 percent. Direct importations from Java have supplanted the so-called ‘China cane,” apparently raw Java refined abroad and shipped from Hongkong and the Straits Settlements. Imports from the United Kingdom, which increased 11,585 tons at Calcutta, have shrunk in Bombay. This sugar is main'y Cuban, refined in England. ASIA: BRITISH INDIA. 661 LIQUORS. The following gives the amount and value of liquors imported this year, as compared with 1902-3: 1903. = 1904, Liquors. Gallons. Value. Gallons. Value. 1, 408, 319 $488,011 | 1,315, 816 $482, 329 391, 386 957, 664 400, 112 987, 148 108, 604 314, 963 111, 199 316, 650 1,903,309 | 1,760,638 | 1,827,127 1,786, 127 _ There has been a decrease in quantity of 4 per cent, but an advance in value of $25,489; the large decrease under ale, beer, and porter of 87,503 gallons is more than compensated by the smaller but more valu- able increase under spirits, whisky and brandy being the chief items. Whisky, of which 96 per cent is from the United Kingdom, shows a slight decrease, chiefly in importsfromGermany. Brandy has advanced both in quantity and value, mainly in consequence of larger shipments from France. The value of spirits, more or less honest, is about $2.60 a gallon, but from Germany there came some 1,800 gallons of brandy whose declared value was only 48 cents a gallon. hat kind of bev- erage this is and who drinks it I am unable to state. There is a small but valuable trade with the United States almost entirely confined to spirits used in drugs and medicines. SPICES. Cloves form the most important item under this head. Imports declined in quantity but increased in value. Prices rose over 20 per cent, consequent on an active demand from Europe and India, while the East African crop is reported to have been smaller and to have been cornered. Cloves from Germany show a marked decline. Ginger shows an increase of over 2.5 per cent in quantity. Imports are almost entirely from Japan and China, where the crop-was good, with prices on the decline. Betel nuts from the Straits Settlements show.a con- siderable falling off. Larger imports from Ceylon and a good Indian crop have brought about a decrease in the demand for the poorer qualities from the Straits. a The large increase of 49 per cent in imports of cardamoms from Cey- lon was due to the poorness of the Indian crop. Pepper fell off from the abnormal figures of last year to its normal level. The quantity and value of spice imports in 1903 and 1904 were as follows: 1902-3. 1903-4. Spices. - Pounds, | Value. | Pounds. | Value. 3,728,238 | $80,411 | 3,616,186 | $68, 814 Betel nuts cease eee) | oe ch oo ee "| 6,883,475 | 468,422] 6,585,770 | 560, 691 Cone 548,658 | 35,601 | 1,885,550 | 102, 940 Ginger .-- 7 8 286, 33,494 | 230,891 | 32,0 Eller ahd 424 262 : 171,181 | 23, 266 Pepper -.- 4 GiNGE COLTS cones scadeuons sae ionddesh ewer Btzagyanayeeees 164,926 | 25,588 | 200,232} 0, 842 MP StAL scone cegeay eee ass est et oe ee caeeaneeeeeees 12, 099, 985 | 724,429 | 12,784,509 | 888, 471 662 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. “METALS AND MANUFACTURES OF METALS. The total value of the trade in metals and metal manufactures reached $18,166,000, the highest on record. The increase is distributed between hardware, metals, machinery, and millwork. There isa small decrease under railway plant and rolling stock, imported on private account. Hardware and cutlery.—The value of this trade, with the principal sources of supply during the last decade, is shown below: United | Austria- Kingdom. |Hungary. Ger- United Belgium.) many. | States, Years. .| $1,475, 998 | $119, 254 | $106,095 | $187,881 | $17, 844 1,381,060 | 168,910 516 | 275,625 | 16,208 7,421,749 | 204,533 | 103,560 | 303,916 | 22,174 10931535 | 135,149 | 124/718 | 160,066 | 16,783 1,197,777 | 95,242 | 109,161] 168;120| 30,737 1,302,585 | 211,517 | 114,861 | 226,689} 34,690 1) 293/303 | 2281742 | 140,584 | 290:069| 41,638 1) 135, 164 | 157/483 | 159/427 | 399,599} 48/300 1,354,771 | 360,998 | 153,685 | 323,043 | 77,481 1; 428, 267 | 400,879 | 151,764 | 375,783 | 123,347 The bulk of the imports under this head consists of hardware. Great Britain shows 4 decrease in cutlery, agricultural machinery, and tools, but an increase in sewing machines. The heavy increase under enameled ware has helped Austria-Hungary to keep its place as against Ger- many, which has made an advance in nearly all articles under this head. Kerosene oil tins, which have increased 60 per cent, are nearly all Russian imports. A considerable advance in the figures of the imports from the United States is noticed, perhaps showing that American hardware and cutlery is becoming more appreciated in the Indian markets. The value and quantities of the metal trade are herewith compared with the figures ofeast year: 1903. 1904 Articles. Tons. Value. Tons. Value. BDSG os o's Stajeesp'o:sta:sin:sea'ale-oyniardiacryiaie sjalhse aiatapssateia aia aveiaiatana dna sacle 199 $82, 988 267 $101, 278 COPPED. sway eccnmaeweabeneees ae 10,470 | 3,431,609 | 11,444| 3,798,091 German silver .....-......... 378 270, 560 260 150, 820 TOM sac niensaamensnstansasmines 40,529 | 1,993,317 89, 104 2, 008, 513 Lead ....... -| 1,013 77, 450 902 70, 026 Quicksilver 48 62, 234 2 68, 4 teel .....-+ 58, 865 | 2,340, 204 70, 792 2, '780, 941 TID 3 vee 214, 466 487 Zinc or spelter......... 3 1, 784 171, 943 2, 285 : Metals UNONUMENBIED 2... 610ciectnenrunecans seerseevensss 152 61, 066 93 66, 764 DOUG ss ccd czsiebe se veecsestdesecpnnund aeerdsauased 113,724 | 8,705,837 | 125, 676 9, 602, 996 There has been an increase of 11.8 per cent in quantity and in value 10.8 percent. The increase has been an all-round one, with the excep- tion of German silver, lead, and metals unenumerated, none of which are items of much importance. The principal advances are in copper and steel. Of the total imports, valued at $9,602,996, the United Kingdom participated to the extent of 58 per cent, followed by Bel- gium, with 27 per cent, and Germany, with 9 per cent. Brass.—The bulk of the trade consists of imports of brass wire from Italy, which has advanced 46 per cent. ASIA: BRITISH INDIA. 663 Copper.—The increase under this head is 974 tons in quantity and $361,300 in value. The trade is now nearly ten times what it was in 1899. Wrought copper shows a further advance on last year’s figures, which improved over 1902 by 11 percent. There was an active demand from upcountry and prices fluctuated greatly throughout the year. Little business was done until September, when: the fall in prices attracted large orders. : Lron.—There is a decrease of 34 per cent in quantity. Unwrought iron—practically all pig iron—shows a decline of 1,250 tons. Imports of iron at Bombay are mainly of wrought iron, of which one-third con- sists of galvanized sheets. These latter have expanded in quantity by 2,816 tons. Decreases are heaviest in iron bar and iron pipes and tabes. Practically 70 per cent of the imports of iron are from the ee Kingdom, the next place being taken by Belgium with 124 per cent. _ Steel.—The expansion in the steel trade has continued, and the imports have now reached the large figure, 70,792 tons. The increase is shared by all the more important descriptions, especially bar, beams, hoops, and sheets. Belgium and the United Kingdom participated principally in the increases. The United Kingdom now absorbs 36.7 per cent of the trade, Belgian and German imports amounting to over 61 per cent. German silver.—An overstocked market and reduction in prices in this country have had the effect of reducing these imports by 31 per cent in quantity and 36 per cent in value. Tin and zine.—In spite of the rise in prices imports of tin have recovered. The increase in quantity is 45 per cent and in value 59 per cent. Zinc shows an increase in quantity of 28 per cent and in value of 40 per cent. Machinery and mill work.—The United Kingdom sends 95 per cent of machinery, Germany 2.9 per cent, and the United States 14 per cent. The value of the imports for the past five years was as follows: Years. Value, Years. Value. $3, 455, 077 1900-1901 4,224” 896 1901-2 wee seen eee eee eee e eee Railway plant and rolling stock.—The value of railway plant and rolling Hooke imported on private account amounted to $1,551,000, a decrease of 1.4 percent. The importations by state railways amounted to $3,238,917. The imports from Germany consisted exclusively of locomotives. CHEMICALS AND DRUGS. The steady improvement of the last four years has been maintained and the advance in the value of this year’s import was $700,000. More than 55 per cent of the imports of this group consists of dyeing and tanning materials, which absorb 7 0 per cent of the Increase. The increase of 5.5 per cent in chemicals is distributed throu h nearly all the articles. Chemicals and china clay, imported for the use of local industries, show slight advances. The share of the United Kingdom is 71 per cent. Germany follows with 15 per cent. 664 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. The increase of $170,000 in drugs is mainly shared by asafetida from Persia, which increased by 172 per cent. Shipments of camphor from Japan, both refined and semirefined cakes, were especially heavy. The amount and value of dyeing materials imported in 1903 and 1904 were as follows: 1903. 1904. Articles. f Pounds. Value. Pounds. Value. ATT ZOTIM Gs OY. 66 5 sc.c+d dic. stejets. brs 5/2 oie peiarordie'o eiBe.ceoedmatsieresene aie 8, 636, 258 $619,141 | 5,328,523 $910, 888 Amie dyes. oeae ae TINIITN) 37589;510 | 1,140,052 | 4,286,433 | 1, 398° 608 Cochineal..... aie 197, 904 89, 017 129, 472 39, 806 Gambier .. 104, 944 ‘ 189, 542 9, 350 Indigo .- 36, 064 15, 882 21, 280 7,094 Madder . 268, 352 7,678 187, 336 8, 912 Saffron. . 33, 034 151, 677 38, 071 201, 229 Turmeric . 16,128 OOE:. | Sibratetenveret oiasell syale-erelwieeaore c Other sorts 605, 360 43, 180 441,720 33, 791 DOA accassecesdecgeeeceedveeeeead a eeenccecetmens 8, 487,554 | 2,015,069 | 10, 522,377 2,529, 673 Alizarine and aniline dyes form 88 per cent of the imports, and between them contribute nearly the whole of the increase. Prices in both these dyes were steady throughout the year, and the large dis- tributing business from Bombay to all parts of India, which has lat- terly stimulated the development of the trade, was well maintained. Imports are for the most part from Holland, Belgium, Germany, and Italy. The United ‘iuador, can not be said to compete for the Indian market in these articles. Saffron, almost exclusively French, shows a substantial advance. The demand for saffron-both as a dyeing mate- rial and as a condiment is increasing and the prices were steady. In cochineal, also from France, there was a sharp rise in prices, with the result that imports were higher in value but less in quantity. OILS. Imports of oils have decreased 12.75 per ceut. Mineral oils, prin- cipally petroleum and its products, constitute over 96 per cent of the imports. Among other oils linseed oil only is of any considerable importance. The latter item shows an advance in quantity of 15 per cent, but the fall in prices lowered the value by 4 per cent. There has also been quite an increase in the imports of petrol, suitable for driving motor cars. A grade of this petrol was imported from Bor- neo, but owing to the crude way it was refined it was not found suit- able for a motor engine. The best petrol on the market and the most used is the Standard’s gasoline imported from New York City. The imports of oils into Bombay in 1903 and 1904 were as follows: 1903. 1904. Articles and whence imported. Gallons. Value. Gallons. Value. Kerosene: RUSSIA iu.ad 2 nis ow aghatarcnace sea eiesu nce ueesuereewe 25, 324, 416 | $3,173,064 | 22,990,582 | $8, 034, 878 United States ... faiaiaies 4, 081, ae 633,420 | 1,122, 381 244, 259 © |susssnekawne peaees arene an of BOE liken da ow cone lea wman reese i. 224,224 | 1,087,485 228, 917 450, 347 15,000 | 932° 541 33, 431 442, 575 189441 isc vase’ vl liseelees eens s 240, 409 76, 088 221, 843 72, 804 TOA] eis cis sic Bsciaie cise welocen tages ebseelnesdeds mess) 31, 535, 801 | 4,142, 599 26, 304, 8382 8, 614, 284 : ASIA: BRITISH INDIA. 665 Imports of kerosene are equally divided between case and bulk oil. The latter has slowly been ousting the former, and has this year improved its position by 20 per cent, while case oil has dropped by 26 per cent. This growth in the imports of bulk oil has been met by a development of facilities for its storage. With this development in the bulk-oil trade there has been a decline in the imports from the United States. As observed in the Trade Review for 1903, the heavy Increase of over 1,400 per cent was abnormal, and the shrinkage this year of 61.5 per cent was not unexpected. It is significant that the principal American company is turning its attention to Russian and Roumanian oil, and is now importing Russian bulk oil into Bombay. In last year’s review it was noted that there had been no importations of Burma oil into Bombay. During the year ended March 31, 1904, shipments of Burma oil reached the total of 1,721,007 gallons, valued at $219,314, and in anticipation of a further development of this trade a bulk oil installation of a capacity of 2,000,000 gallons is under con- struction. With increased refining facilities there seems no apparent reason why Burma oil should not seriously compete for the Indian market; in fact there are signs that the Standard and Russian oil people are preparing to meet such a contingency. Exports coastwise show a further decline from slightly over a mil- lion gallons to a little over three-quarters of a million gallons. Under other sorts the chief importations were fuel oil from Borneo and of lubricating oils from the United States. Both these show considerable advances. Prices throughout the year remained steady and were in advance of those of last year. Toward the close of the year there was a downward tendency, induced perhaps by the competition of Burma oil. Stocks at the close of the year were low. RAW PRODUCTS. Under this head there is a decrease of $261,000, caused mainly by a falling off in coal, raw cotton, precious stones, pearls, and raw hides. Increases were recorded in gums and resins, raw silk, and wood. | Coal.—In the following statement the imports of coal for the past two years are shown: 1903. 1904. Whence imported. Tons. Value. Tons. Value. -| 159, 511 $993,969 | 110,294 $730, 741 6,09 ; 16,013 79, 556 4,718 22)053 | 20,510 99; 243, 3,294 17,971| 4,568 20; 690 Potalieccacicatvathacalaiee A ssdedse Aaa AG 173,616 | 1,061,681 | 151,385 930, 230 Indian coal from Calcutta ...0.2.0000 III 496,019 | 2;228/013 | 651,572 | 2,778,037 The average price of English coal shows an advance from $6.06 to $6.64, while there was a decline of 5 per cent in the price of Indian — coal. Large stocks of coal were left over from the imports of the previous two years. Bombay is by far the largest consumer of Cal- cutta coal (imports in 1904, 651,572 tons, valued at $2,778,037), which is now regularly used by the local industries and railway companies. Imports from Japan and Australia are inconsiderable and are not 666 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. ; seriously intended for the market, such coal being most frequently brought as ballast. Cotton (raw).—The imports are the lowest since 1889, the causes of the decrease being high prices and fluctuating values. Great Britain shares principally in the decline, with $381,000. Gums and resins.—The increase of $155,667 under this head is almost entirely due to large receipts of olibanum and frankincense from Aden, Arabia, Persia, and the Straits Settlements, intended for reexporta- tion to Europe and the United States. Ivory.—With the slight advance of 3.4 per cent recorded this year the value of ivory imports is approximating the returns of the year 1899. Bombay imports from the East African seaboard and from Aden a fair quantity of ivory, which is cut locally and reexported to China and Europe. A good deal of the waste ivory finds its way back again to India, and is then made up locally into bangles and orna- ments. This waste ivory constitutes the bulk of the imports from the United Kingdom and Germany, and is mainly responsible for the increase in the total imports. East Africa is continuing to show a material decline. Pearls.—The pearl fisheries at Bussorah were poor and prices gen- erally have fallen in Europe. Silk.—There is an increase in value of raw silk of 12 per cent, but a decrease in quantity of 4.5 per cent. Prices have risen during the year. From April to September prices were very firm in Europe and the United States, owing to a rise of 20 to 30 per cent in cocoons in France and Italy, while the estimate of Shanghai white silk of 60,000 bales, on which a few speculative sales were made, proved incorrect by about 11,000 bales. China silk consequently rose in price, and the imports at this port, though less in quantity by 26,216 pounds than those of 1903, advanced in alae by no less than $197,000. Japan, where the supply was good, improved its position in the Bombay market, but shipments have ceased since the outhveak of the Russo- Japanese war. _ Wood.—Teak is the largest item of this trade The following table shows the quantity and value imported for the past two years, also giving the chief sources of supply: 1903. 1904. Whence imported. Hi ; Cubic Cubic tons, Value, tons. Value. GLADE pac ns os sad oon dunes cee beteeeereawieeerevosbetereetetes 24,575 | $667,618 | 25,297 | $762, 413 BUMMAs conc a20c eecinsainees an antec geaneecauenmabeateeemnerses 28,868 | 680,969 | 31,957 | 825,542 The increase in Siamese teak is over 14 per cent and in Burma teak 24.25 per cent. The imports of the latter have, however, fallen off from the imports of the year 1899, while imports of Siamese teak are from three to four times as large as they were in that year. Endeav- _ ors to push Siamese teak in the Bombay market, at the expense of Burma, seem so far to have been attended with success. Exports of timber coastwise amounted to a little over $230,000, and the increase in the volume of imports, with a slight advance in prices, indicates that the demand is good. ASIA: BRITISH INDIA. 667 YARNS AND TEXTILES. This important group contributes an advance of $4,300,000 to the total increase in the value of imports. Yarns and textile fabrics con- stitute nearly 70 per cent of the group. The general rise in prices, particularly in the case of yarns and cotton textiles, is largely respon- sible for this increase, but there has been on the whole a fair improve- ment in the volume of the trade in these articles. _ Lwist and yarn.—The year opened with moderate stocks, and the imports of yarn were on a smaller scale than the preceding year. Prices of imported yarns, however, ruled about 12 per cent higher than in the previous year, so that though the decline in quantity was less than 4.5 per cent the value increased by $101,000. The off-take, however, was dull. Stocks at the end of the year amounted to 3,659 bales, or 40 per cent in excess of those at the close of the year 19038. Imports of the coarser counts, 1s to 26s, which in ordinary years are of insignificant value, show an abnormal advance of 445,280 pounds. No fewer than 490,610 pounds of these imports were from China, pre- sumably Indian yarn, reimported. “Imports of counts of 268 and upward continue to show a decline, and are now less than one-seventh of the production of the local mills. The yarns imported and locally produced in 1900-1904 wereas follows: Imported. Locally produced. a ‘Local End. ears. uce, a. 31s and 81s and , 26s to 30s. upward. Total. 26s to 30s. upward. Total. counts. Pounds. Pounds. Pounds. Pounds. Pounds. Pounds. Pounds. 3,640,000 | 6,200,000 | 9,840,000 | 11,720,000 | 5,350,000 | 17,070,000 | 371,000, 000 -| 1,860,000 | 3,710,000 | 5,570,000 | 12,280,000 | 11,090,000 | 23,370,000 | 243, 000, 000 2,440,000 | 5,060,000 | 7,500,000 | 17,200,000 | 11,200,000 } 28, 400, 000 | 415, 000, 000 1,790,000 | 4,250,000 | 6,040,000 | 20,100,000 | 11,100,000 | 31, 200,000 | 419, 000, 000 1,180,000 | 4,130,000 | 5,310,000 | 21,010,000 | 15,120,000 | 36,130,000 | 415, 000, 000 The increase in the local production of the higher counts was accom- panied by a decrease in the total output. As the local production of grays of finer description also shows an increase, it is reasonable to suppose that the bulk of these higher counts went into local consump- tion, so that the action of Lancashire in refusing to spin yarn or weave cloth at prices which returned no profits was met by an expansion in the local industry in these particular directions. It may be noted, however, that the exports of local yarns also show an increase of half a million pounds, representing 90 per cent. Of the total imports—$1,473,000—the share of the United Kingdom was valued at $1,328,000, Austria-Hungary $38,000, and Italy $29,000. While reexports of foreign yarn from Bombay show a marked decrease, there has been a revival in the exportations of Indian yarn. The most marked feature in this trade is the growth of exports to Egypt and Asiatic and European Turkey, which have risen from 3,356,000 pounds to 5,607,900 pounds. It is evident that the endeavor to discover new markets in the Levant for Indian yarn has met with fair success. . ; Cotton goods.—As noted in last year’s review, stocks at the end of the year 1903 were comparatively small. But for the abnormal rise in the price of raw cotton a large business should, under ordinary con- ditions, have been possible in imports. As a matter of fact, there was 668 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. a satisfactory improvement in white and colored goods, and in spite of the heavy fall in grays the net increase in quantity, though in no way corresponding to the advance in value, which rose to over 14 per cent, was 56,000,000 yards, or 11 per cent. The distribution upcountry, as well as the reexportation to East Africa, Aden, and the Persian Gulf, was satisfactory, and the year closed with stocks less by 66 per cent than those of 1902-3. The imports into Bombay of cotton piece goods, 1900-1904, were as follows: Gray piece. White piece. Colored piece. Years. Yards. Value. Yards. Value. Yards. Value. 1899-1900 ..0sscccscaseee 228, 256, 802 | $7,915,264 | 175, 876,285 | $6,716,101 | 191,778,205 | $9,862,264 1900-1901 .....---...-.-- 193, 820,274 | 7,363,518 | 183,326,567 | 7,782,696 | 109,305, 317 6, 415, 537 AQOI HD. «a aisrniscersiae 191, 801,860 | 7,753,682 | 219, 892,252 | 10,036,799 | 178,822,414 | 10, 098, 841 1902-8 .......--. 201,514,205 | 7,962,021 | 141,481,487 | 5,983,476 | 152,727,768 8, 251, 175 T9084 occ. ciasraieeieatcersreass 176, 861,359 | 6,591,065 } 183,181,364 | 7,844,597 | 192,577,491 | 10,958,805 Grays suffered from the competition of the local mills, which bene- fited by the difference in the price of raw cotton in England and in India. In whites the increase is an all-around one, but is especially large in nainsooks and mulls. The advance of $2,700,000 in colored . and printed goods is shared by all the important lines. Of the total imports—$26,820,000—the United Kingdom supplied 92.5 per cent. Italy and Austria-Hungary follow next, with $500,000 and $480,000, respectively. In other descriptions of cotton fabrics the most marked advances are in handkerchiefs and shawls in the piece. Hosiery also shows an increase, induced by the low stocks left at the end of the year. The distribution of these imports from Bombay to Persia, Arabia, Aden, and the East African coast shows a brisk improvement, and was accom- Pans by an expansion in the exports of locally made cloth, particu- arly to Aden, Siam, Turkey in Asia, and British East Africa. Silk.—Next in importance to cotton are silk manufactures, which have this year increased by 3.75 per cent, the highest increase percent- age of the decade. Pure silk piece goods contracted by 8.5 per cent, mainly in imports from France and Hongkong. The cheap light French fabrics, which have of late been making their way into the Bombay market, were especially affected by the rise in the prices of raw silk, and French imports receded by 48 per cent. The same was the case with the cheaper Chinese descriptions, though there was ‘a slight advance in the better qualities imported from Shanghai. Japan, on the other hand, more than maintained its position. The contraction in the imports of pure’ silk manufactures was accompanied by an expansion of 30 per cent in the imports of goods made of silk mixed with other materials, the improvement in which is shared by all the exporting countries except Italy. More than one- third of these imports are from France, followed by Belgium arid Germany. There is also a valuable trade in silk manufactures of other sorts, mostly noils and warps, which have advanced by 20 per cent. Italy and the United Kingdom between them absorb more than 60 per cent of this trade, but Egypt and Austria-Hungary have more than doubled their imports, and account for practically the whole of the increase. ASIA: BRITISH INDIA. 669 Woolens.—Woolen fabrics, both at Calcutta and Bombay, show a small revival from the figures of last year. ‘With an increase of $800,000, the imports at Bombay reached the total of $2,860,000. The increase was, for the most part, induced by the lowness of the stocks of the previous year, and is shared by all descriptions, princi- pally piece goods. The United Kingdom appropriated over 72 per cent of the trade, followed by Germany with 16 and Austria with 6 per cent. Wearing apparel.—The increase in this group is mainly in boots and shoes and other apparel. Forty-nine per cent of the trade is with avai Kingdom; Austria-Hungary, 21 per cent; France, 7 per cent. Other articles.—The net decrease in this group is $500,000. Imper- tations of articles through the post, which constitute an important item under this head, and which, like jewelry, were abnormal in the paver year, contracted by $700,000 and $430,000, respectively. On the other hand, increases are recorded under carriages and carts, in which motor cars share to the extent of $108,000. s The imports of the principal manufactured articles included under the head of instruments, matches, stationery, umbrellas, etc., are shown below for a period of two years: Articles. 1903. 1904. Arms, ammunition, and military stores ...............0200-eceee eee eens ee eeee $150, 905 $126, 980 Books and other printed matter ........-. aed 29, ; Building and engineering materials. 267, 800 259, 109 Cabinet ware and furniture. ... 184, 863 179, 893 CONGIES ojo scscen cine se dese conics 90, 142 96,010 Fi , Carriages and carts ...... 581, 776 600, 743 Clocks and watches......... 333, 238 313, 755 Earthenware and porcelain. 307, 612 324, 963 Glass and glassware.......-. ---| 1,581,820 1, 596, 850 Hides and skins, dressed..............-.--------- — 182, 611 163, 689 Instruments, apparatus and appliances thereof ass 726, 866 746, 683 Jewelry, jewels, and plate.......... 686, 568 236, 109 Leather, and leather manufactures. Matches 02, 6 Oilcloth and floor cloth... 73, 868 65, 278 Paints and colors ...... 518, 625 541, 672 Paper and pasteboard.. 889, 802 868, 737 Soap .....-------------- 349, 354 384, 523 Stationery....-...----------- 518, 261 602, 311 ae = requisites for toys Umbrellas .....-. fies ota steer Articles imported by post... 722] 2,406; 238 | 1, 680, 069 Articles DOE BpeCHie” 5 ay canine seem ckaateredesateeencmanKernedamamse es aaeaeme 1, 180, 474 570, 801 FOODSTUFFS. Provisions.—The increase under this head is about 27.2 per cent. The advance is practically confined to two items—dates and other fruits. The increase in the former is practically accounted for in the expansion of the imports from Turkey in Asia, where the season was above the average. Under fruits, large shipments from France and Italy accounted for nearly the whole of the increase. _ ; Salted fish imports nearly doubled, bringing the imports of this article a little above normal. The large increase is due to the favor- able season. ; 2.28 Grain and pulse.—This is a trade which only attains important dimensions in bad seasons. There has been a shrinkage of over 55 er cent, but the figures are still considerably in advance of the fig- ures of 1899. The decrease is entirely attributed to pulse, imports from China having fallen nearly 75 per cent. 670 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. EXPORTS. There has been a check in the decline which has been a feature in the foreign branch of the export trade for the past nine years. The increase in the year ended March 31, 1904, is 17 per cent. Cotton manufactures, metals, and kerosene oil, which between them account for $5,300,000 out of a total of $8,830,000, show the most substantial improvement. In the distribution of this trade, Persia comes first with $2,066,000, but is still far behind its position of ten years ago. Arabia is second with $1,300,000. Turkey, China, and Portuguese East Africa follow with about $600,000 each. EXPORTS BY CLASSES. The following table gives the values for the past three years of the more important products of the export trade of the Bombay Presidency: Classes. 1902. 1903, 1904. Amini als; Vi vines os ce secre sisiciecie sl owas vic Heiadescislews aieals sic ae $2, 616 ~ $9,342 $11, 568 Articles of food and drink ..........2..22-20220eee cee eee 4, 956, 095 7, 504, 332 18, 640, 707 Metals and manufactures of: ; Hardware and cutlery .......2-2-22. 0220 eee e cence ene 37,325 38, 691 43, 860 Metals...........2...-+--+-- st 514, 134 695, 307 707, 046 Machinery and millwork eis ae 9,931 390 437 Chemicals, drugs, 4nd dyeing Chemicals.........--.+--+--e2:eeeee+ 9, 416 14, 269 11,550 Drugs, medicines, and narcotics aimee a ,8, 057, 761 8, 726, 293 11, 852, 496 _, Dyeing and tanning materials...... carats oe 1, 428, 944 1, 385, 808 1, 488, 162 QUIS: ssssaie srs a sjess cinjeiete ie ss owisyd aie id slniatorejene afaicies sla Sie aiwiate ere ose 317, 231 289, 027 824, 243 Raw materials and unmanufactured articles..............- 67, 550, 923 68, 245, 880 90, 598, 172 Articles manufactured and partly manufactured: Yarns and textile fabrics 380, 987, 456 29, 009, 709 380, 836, 287 Apparel .......--+--+eee-- 288, 06 , 813 385, 847 Other articles 38, 482, 053 4,211, 088 3, 832, 924 Total scss sven ce vccecsensctntewacnessanneeenen sees 117, 641,945 | 120,296, 649 153, 728, 299 The increase in the value of exports as compared with last year is about $33,000,000. Raw cotton, twist, yarn, seeds, grain and pulse, and opium account for about 90 per cent of the exports. With the exception of seeds, which have contracted by over $3,000,000, all the principal items contribute to the general increase. RAW MATERIALS. This is by far the most important group, the value of the shipments of raw materials representing 59 per cent of the-total export trade. The value of exports of the principal articles for a period of three years is shown in the following table: Articles. 1902, 1903. 1904. Cott cco eas ce dscieeawe eer esents Sarerculeseprarecianiie cininers ee singe $37,500,485 | $85, 712,527 $60, 094, 616 Fodder, bran, and cattle food — . 128, 078 152, 464 158, 320 Gums and resins 251,198 158, 888 165, 647 QMP nectsidiacismnse 691, 125 954, 654 920, 095 Hides and skins. asin 21, 108 48, 699 15, 962 BO0n oie seis 3s ee ceseees cece 227,149 349, 516 212, 906 Manures (animal bones) ... 902, 313 698, 554 254, 399 Seeds ‘ 25, 841, 440 27, 430, 674 25, 391, 277 i 162, 82 330, 984 431, 108 1, 536, 619 2,018, 592 2, 594, 353 67, 261, 836 67, 850, 452 90, 238, 683 ASIA: BRITISH INDIA. 671 Cotton.—The increase in uantity was no less than 30 per cent, while the value declared rose y 68.25 per cent. The-cotton crop was well above the average, the late rains, while causing damage to quality, increased the quantity. The receipts into the port of Bombay were very heavy, especially of Oomras, which are estimated to have been 81,000 bales in excess of the previous largest figures. The outturn of Broach cotton was large, though the quality was unsatisfactory. Dholleras were below normal. The demand for Indian cotton was stimulated by the reported shortness of American, and shipments were In excess of the figures of 1865-66, which were the previous highest on record. The local mills consumed 986,000 bales, an amount slightly less than the figures of last year. Prices rose in sympathy with the prices in the American market, ‘but never reached the high level that prevailed in Europe and the United States. Asa matter of fact the increase was as much as 30 per cent, but prices were substantially below those obtained in 1866. All European countries draw largely on India for their cotton sup- plies, particularly Germany, which increased its demands by 15,000 tons. Japan, however, was the largest consumer of Indian cotton, although the increase in shipments to that country was not so marked as in the case of the exports to the various countries in Europe. Exports coastwise were inconsiderable. » The following table shows the exports of cotton in value and quantity to various countries in 1903 and 1904: eee 1903. 1904. Countries. Tons. Value. Tons. Value. United Kingdom $1,943,098 | 18,918 | $4,217,150 Austen ton eery 5 ai 4,316,270 | 31,022 | 6,789, 881 Belgium ae 4,318,735 | 35,012 | 7,253,721 France 3, 095, 5381 24,118 5, 549, 629 Germany 4,731,671 | 44,788 | 9,300,958 Italy .....-.-.-- 4, 636, 409 34, 450 , 178, 504 Russia 278,617 5, 622 1, 275, 655 Spain, other ports.... 918, 602 11, 620 2, 548, 098. China: eeGecabeciesceeteisdacmacen pees aes 3, 388 570, 256 3, 513 637, 330 Peso cohdebns ") 13787| 312}417| 1,476 824) 878 JAPAN Socks ross aatawetcs ooensaschee saint cteachameseceees 64,566 | 10,390,606 | 69,759 | 14,588,311 other Places «2.2.2.2 0. cece cece cece cree teen e cece een teens 1,343 200, 282 2,212 420, 500 Ota oa ccc ce ceeneeeioda wns dareaeacine sess be sect cisicice 217, 537 | 35,712,489 | 282,410 | 60,084,615 Seeds.—Exports of seeds show a slight increase in quantity, but the fall in prices generally was heavy and affected the value of shipments, which declined by 7.5 per cent. : Exports of cotton seed, which during the last two years showed a remarkable expansion, fell off considerably, and were well behind those of the other principal seeds. The decline in cotton seed more than counterbalanced the increase of linseed and rape, but the advance in poppy and mowra brought the figures to slightly in advance of that of 1908. The fall in prices was heaviest in linseed, and was the con- sequence of an increase in the area in cultivation in the United States. The average price declared for shipments declined 27 per cent, and there was a large demand on the continent. Prices did not decline so heavily in til seed, but the demand from France fell off considerably. The decrease in the exports of cotton seed was considerable. There was some speculation in Egyptian cotton seed in Alexandria, but the 672 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. decrease in the exports of Indian cotton seed may also be partly due to the fact that seed exported from India has been found not properly cleaned. ; ds The exports of seeds from Bombay to various countries in 1903 and 1904 were as follows: : 1903. 1904. Seeds, and whither exported. Hundred- Hundred- ‘ weight.a | Value. weight. Value. oe ned aaaeu lace se qemase 793,074 | $2,330, 830 979, 895 | $2,186, 686 Hollands oes es i ae 430,085 | 1,401,318 620,834 | 1,453, 688 Italy ....- wus vans :.| 290, 879 899, 141 499,745 | 1,467,551 Germany .. goes “) 128, 372 375, 074 448, 394 955, 716 Belgium ....... 402,315 | 1, 233,309 452,111 1,019, 929 United Kingdom 10, 773 31, 542 34, 6383 71, 635 Other countries - . 31,144 98, 664 42,712 93, 671 TOtal .cnnsccescasehenienseeiweesserecetasesserece 2,086,642 | 6,364,878 | 3,078,324 | 7, 248, 876 a ten a tag aS aeieeeapais sales! Siseiays omisissaye demise ree ERESE 1,978,199 | 5,043,886 | 1,651, 605 3,520, 801 Belgium ..........- a6 Salas re 426,187 | 1,043, 707 531, 484 1,188,777 Austria-Hungary... sisteie Shoe ea 166,014 412, 945 285, 415 487, 034 Other COUNUTICS! ciccsccsvecceca sacedcaseei se ncieeae's 482,451 | 1,037, 462 426, 056 1, 028, 085 ‘TOtall cesacre ae cesar csicressicin sruletans as eis into store gina aime maine 8,047,851 | 7,538,000 | 2,844,560 6, 219, 697 Ra di: Pane Hccaeie deem eens Pswaswesvicksvoemy tomes 759, 370 | 1,623, 080 985, 229 1, 886, 583 Belgium eisec adie 3 770,095 | 1,647, 451 820, 816 1, 558, 541 Germany 447, 026 328, 759 571, 045 1,061, 447 United Kingdom .. ar aie oe 188, 478 272, 246 69, 923 138, 231 OUEr CQUDITIER osc veee oxecadeseteereaseesemeenses 294, 544 642, 370 297, 882 585, 048 NOt os sciswiise scisa naw sim cersidai semctnn sais siemisivice 2,409,513 | 5,118,906 | 2,744,845 | 5,224,800 Cotton, seed: United Kingdom .. 8,578, 863 | 3,018,540 | 2,278, 862 1, 858, 587 Other countries. . 280, 596 248, 699 154, 458 125, 606 DONA cade inet ala leasnscawsa tenarimsn sense sees 8, 859,459 | 3,267,239 | 2,483,815 1, 984, 193 Otherscedss.ccaccceeecsecerscteeeveiecassscucereswueey 2,304, 512 | 4,885,650 | 2,784,612 5, 046, 497 Grand. Cote socccececesncarsscieccacsescnenunsan 13, 707,977 | 27,169,678 | 18, 885, 656 | 25, 724, 063 a Hundredweight=112 pounds. Silk and wool.—Exports of raw silk continued to maintain the improvement noted in the last three years, and have risen from 10,091 pounds in 1901 to 171,852 pounds in 1904. Shipments are confined to mulberry silk, in which a regular trade now appears to have been established between Kashmir and Great Britain. With the high prices Zine in the United States and Europe the value has risen 30 per cent. Wool shows a further increase of 33.3 per cent in quantity and 18.5 per cent in value. This year’s exports were practically equal to the shipments of 1895, which are the highest recorded exports. flemp.—Hemp shows a drop of about 40 per cent, which was not unexpected after the heavy exports of last year. The crop this year was not good. Great Britain and Belgium are the largest buyers on this side of India. The decrease in exports to the former is 19.5 per cent, while the increase in exports to the latter is 5 per cent. Horns and manures.—Exports of horns, like those of hides and skins, are now returning to the normal level after the inflation caused by the famines of recent years. From similar causes there has been a decline of $449,000 in exports of manure, the bulk of which consists of animal bones. ASIA: BRITISH INDIA. 673 MANUFACTURED ARTICLES. The total value of the exports under this head amounted to over $35,000,000. Toward this total yarns and textile fabrics contribute over 90 per cent, other important items being hides and skins, ship- ments of which were valued at $2,200,000, while articles valued at $1,130,000 were exported through the post-office. Yarns and textile fabrics.—By far the most important item in this geou is cotton yarn and twist, exports of which were valued at nearly 27 600,000. Cotton fabrics follow next with a value of $2,630,000. Excepting woolen goods and jute manufactures, other items are of inconsiderable importance. The following table shows the quantity, value, and destination of Indian yarn exported in 1903 and 1904: 1903. | 1904, Countries. Pounds. Value. Pounds. Value. Turkey in Europe 252, 060 $24, 680 377,110 $41, 403 British East; Africa... 1.02 cee 2 sc cisaieciccice nae. 80, 679 8, 102 57, 754 8, 433 : 185, 760 21,929 1,327, 840 168, 849 2, 068, 403 239, 708 1,718, 180 221, 026 seeeasiee 42, 050 85, 898 694, 030 98, 883 weessect 214, 096, 787 | 24,585,968 | 221,331,080] 25,735, 125 ia 98, 366 14, 460 146, 01 552 eaasuine 1, 439, 194 189, 515 1, 874, 164 268, 863 eeoebeue 5, 553, 250 693, 159 4, 055, 670 557,057 aa as 9, 600 1,300 6, 00 750 Turkey im ASlO. s.2scsjc00 cess saws ca wscince sesee ans 2,918, 076 319, 781 3, 902, 970 445, 907 Other countries ........---.---.- 0-2 -e ee eee eee eee ee 1,121, 960 129, 825 700, 877 100, 849 TOE] 6 oicocicoince SoesetuxbeneeeeeseeeEnr decane 228, 446, 125 | 26,264,320 | 236,191,690 | 27,665, 647 Exports of Indian yarn amounted to 236,191,690 pounds, as against a total production by the local mills of 415,000,000 pounds. The China market is the determining factor in the exports of Indian yarn, and the contraction of 22,000,000 pounds in exports to China in 1903 has been followed, as was anticipated, by an improvement in the shipments dur- ing 1904. At the same time Indian yarn has found a new market in the Levant, and the heavy increases in shipments to Egypt and Tur- key in Asia are significant. Exports to Persia also show an advance. The increase in exports is confined to 15s and below, which expanded by nearly 20,000,000 pounds, while there was a heavy drop in 16s to 24s. In the section of oe of cotton yarn it was noted that the local production of 26s and upward had advanced considerably; only a very small fraction of these counts were exported. The average rice of cotton yarp does not show any marked advance. } Cotton cloths.—Manufactures of cotton goods show a substantial advance of 19.75 per cent, having been exceeded only by those of 1896. Gray goods and colored goods both show satisfactory increases, but grays still form the bulk of these exports. The distribution among the various countries shows a general improvement, the increase being especially marked in shipments to Aden, Abyssinia, and British East ica. a regards description, the increases are mostly in finer qualities. The causes for this increase are, however, only temporary, and it is roblematic whether the advance can be maintained in ordinary years. On the east coast of Africa, in Abyssinia, and in Arabia there was a H. Doe. 481, 58-3-——43 674 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. demand for Indian cloths to replace American fabrics, which ordina- rily are placed on the markets there at prices which Indian mills can not touch. With a fall in the prices of raw cotton, the advantage which India had this year over the American mills will disappear. COTTON GOODS EXPORTS IN 1903 AND 1904, 1903. 1904, Kinds of cloth and destination. é Yards. -| Value. Yards. Value. Long cloth: Portuguese East Africa ........- -| 6,396,759 $200,564 | 4,758, 253 $146, 329 Aden ..........+- "| 21534) 554 | 113,888 | 4,585,345 211, 008 Turkey in Asia. 959, 045 40,780 | 1,573,328 €8, 670 Abyssinia...... TT} 1,270, 490 45,764 | 1,467,784 5B, 385 British East Africa. 1220202222 IIIIIIIIIITIE 77, 910 29,508 | 1,248) 330 49, 242 Other countries...02202222722. III 2, 028, 075 80,037 | 1,446,204 59, 595 otal as ocic od sorevaiiusidicte eee sad 13,266,883 | 610,386 | 15,079,244 590, 229 T cloth: ‘ British East Africa...........0.02.0cceeeeececeeeee 2,881,952 | 104,971 | 3,238,579 21 Portuguese East Africa 2? 416, 440 74,734 | 1,196,185 Be a3 SS dconcne vannasun ey German East Africa ........ 1, 245, 030 46, 804 * 938) 279 33 2od Siam eco vekeeeenentens 293, 036 11,038 | 7277000 | 27, B71 Straits Settlements 963, 578 36,822 | 683,010 ; Other countries. 1,188,610 |. 47,932 | 1,561,689 | 607937 Total 9,861,471 | 347,555 | 9, 370,202 332, 281 Cheddars: British East Africa...........02.e.0eeceeeeeeeee 2,181,818 | 114, Portuguese East Africa . . -| 1, 842? 580 97, eu t oon 720 Or ies German East Africa .... 328,624 | 17,508] 703,898 33, 883 ACN on daccanse ug aranece TT] 350; 942 30, 808 ; g : ; ; 520, 943 38, 149 Other countries ....... 2.2.2... ccc cece eee eens Seas 529, 623 40, 683 808, 022 61, 293 TOtal s A ss.easde cs ao segeaduachoaieceeaeacsetes 5,283,587] 300,712 | 5,895, 994 335, 133 POnIGEIE: Adens a2nhi seen et bahanee de eeaeeean 2, 958, 985 ; Turkey in Asia........ en 208; 840 ue oe % Ba ny . Mere i , ; ; 18,670 Other countries 83, 774 4, 302 308, 224 15,376 Total 3,246,599 | 164,374 | 3,924,819 177, 200 Sheetings . 623, 278 28,637 | 490, 221 24, 758 Dhoties ... 361,637 18,476 | 494,643 25,787 Drills and j 24} 456 1; 800 10, 920 ”509 532, 068 22,302 | 1,972, : 541, 860 20,018 | 13138; Soo 2 350 320, 840 12,816 | 456,109 19, 080 aise | saeos | asevere| = aaah , , , 150, 2; 138 Total. ..-.....2- 20-222 eee eee ce eee ce eee ence eens 2,397, 125 96,381 | 5,101,212 216, 620 TOA SAY ae syoeseee seein ay acdncesmasaceahasoe, 35,014, 981 | 1, 467,771 | 40,367,255 | 1, 702, 512 Other articles.—The shipments of jute manufactures inl gunny bags, sent to East Africa, Persia, and Turkey in Reis, eg Exports of woolen goods are practically confined to shipments of ay pele and rugs 2 the ee pee and Great Britain. The decrease is year 1s in shipments to the United States, which i oe about geri of the entire export. tke ag eines Exports of leather from Bombay are confined to dressed hi skins. While hides showed a small contraction, skins cee siderably; in value by 18 per cent and in quantity by 16 per cent. ASIA! BRITISH INDIA. 675 GRAIN AND PROVISIONS. Grain and pulse.—The exports have more than doubled, yet the figures are sti considerably behind those of 1899. The increase this year is 124 per cent, the most important. advance being in wheat and wheat flour, Jowar, and Bajra. In spite of the recovery in the ship- ments of wheat, the figures are still below those of 1899. The United Kingdom, where wheat was required to supplement the deficiency in the local crops and in American supplies, drew a quantity ten times as great as the figures for 1899. There were also increases in shipments to Belgium and France. Wheat flour advanced by 20 per cent in quantity, shipments to Aden being exceptionally heavy. Practically three-quarters of the shipments of wheat flour are intended for Arabia. Under Jowar and Bajra the increase in quantity is over 200 per cent, and is mainly in shipments to Aden, Arabia, and Portuguese East Africa. Shipments to Europe are inconsiderable. Rice shows a small decrease, chiefly in shipments to Arabia. Provisions and spices.—The exports of provisions ($558,230) show a decrease of $167,000. Fish maws and shark fins of Indian production have fallen off considerably, but there has been a substantial increase in reexports of the same articles imported from abroad. In the exports of spices there is an increase of $124,000 in Indian ginger. The Indian crop was good, and there was a brisk demand from Aden and Arabia. The increase is, however, counterbalanced by an almost equal decline in the exports of pepper, and the total value of exports of spices remains about the same as last year, viz, $779,829 in 1908 and $785,187 in 1904. CHEMICALS, DRUGS, AND TOBACCO. The principal articles of export comprised under this head are as fol- lows in 1904: Opium, $11,431,243; tobacco, $293,683; dyes, $1,488,162. Opium.—The quantity of opium exported was 31 per cent more than in the previous year, but the value rose by 36.5 per cent. Prices fluc- tuated considerably throughout the year. New opium opened at $394 per chest, rose to $424 in October, but declined to $396 at the end of the year 1903. Old opium rose steadily throughout the year, from $441 to $511 in March, 1904. Of the total shipments of 25,422 chests, no fewer than 25,341 chests were exported to China. Tobacco.—Exports of leaf tobacco show an advance of 2.2 per cent. The exports are principally to Aden, whence they are distributed over the Red Sea coast and the interior of Arabia. ; Dyeing and tanning matercals.—Indigo, myrobolans, and turmeric are the only important articles in this class. The value of the exports for the last three years has been as follows: Articles. 1902. 1903. 1904. $200, 702 $187, 106 $222, 488 1,104,131 | 1,080, 672 1,178, 902 181, 016 168, 015 84, 765 1,095 1,016 2,007 1,486,944 | 1,386, 809 1, 488, 162 676 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. The exports of indigo from Bombay are mostly Sind indigo, prac- tically all being shipments to Persia, which took over 3,000 hundred- weight. yrobolans have continued to improve, shipments to Belgium and Germany showing fair increases. The United Kingdom has reduced: its drawings. The increase of oils in quantity is 32.8 per cent and in value 12 per cent. The trade is inconsiderable and consists mostly of shipments of essential and jinjili oils. METALS AND MANUFACTURES OF METALS. The export trade in these articles does not attain any considerable dimensions, the only important item of export being manganese ore, which forms 75 per cent of the total recorded in this group. The trade in this ore is of recent growth, but the exports are now three times as great asin 1901. The exports from Calcutta similarly show an increase of about 7,086 tons, but are still considerably below the Bombay figures, which have jumped from 94,227 tons in 1903 to 110,796 tonsin 1904. It is, however, quite possible that Bombay may soon begin to feel the com- petition of Calcutta, where efforts are being made to improve the facil- ities for bringing down the ore from the central districts of India for shipment. The nited Kingdom takes 45,950 tons, the United States 35,850 tons, and Germany 9,350 tons. OPENING FOR MATCH FACTORY. We have never been able to discover any reason why India, with her abundant supply of labor, should be unable to manufacture her own supply of matches. The few attempts made have not been conspicu- ously successful, yet here is a market, worth $500,000 a year on the Bombay side alone, awaiting the capitalist. 1 SHIPPING RETURNS. The number of vessels, steam and sailing, engaged in foreign trade in 1904 increased by 95 vessels, making a total of 1,838, with a tonnage, of 3,031,040 tons, as against a tonnage of 2,704,263 tons in the pre- vious year. Steam vessels numbered 1,255, as against 1,149 in the previous year. Sailing vessels show a decrease of 11 in number and of 1,293 tons, but the decrease is entirely confined to the port of Bom- bay, the figures of the subordinate ports showing a small increase. Entries of vessels numbered 1,018, representing 1,616,435 tons; while clearances numbered 820, with atonnage of 1,414,605. The num- ber of steamers entered inward increased by 42; that of sailing ves- sels decreased by 21. Both steamer and sailing vessels clearing out- ward show increases of 64 and 10, respectively. The number of ves- sels which entered in ballast was 110 of 234,978 tons, of which 99 were steamers of 231,900 tons. Clearances in ballast were 21 repre- senting 25,249 tons, of which 17 were steam vessels with a tonnage of 25,109 tons. Of the shipping 49 percent was British, 5 per cent Ger- man, and 7 per cent French, as against 47, 4, and 7 per cent, respec- tively, in 1908. The share of the chief port, Bombay, in this ship- ping was 1,730 vessels of 3,023,903 tons. ASIA: BRITISH INDIA. 677 TRADE WITH THE UNITED STATES. The tables relative to American trade are in some articles not entirely accurate, it having been found in several instances that goods have passed through this office for American ports, via Liverpool and London, which have been entered in the British returns as ‘*ship- ments to England.” A steady increase is noticed in exports of man- ganese ore, which is shipped by the full cargo to Baltimore and Philadelphia. A further decrease is noticed in carpets and rugs, per- haps due to the growing American demand for the Turkish rug. The increase In woodwork, which embraces curios, etc., is mainly due to the shipments of curios, etc., to the St. Louis fair. In summing up the total balances of trade, the western half of India buys about three times the amount she sells to the United States. IMPORTS FROM UNITED STATES. The value of imports from the United States into the ports of the Bombay Presidency during the year ending March 31, 1904, is herewith compared with the four preceding years: Articles. 1900. 1901. 1902. 1903. 1904. Animals, living $8, 366 |............ Apparel .. 5, 343 $11, 338 Boots an 1, 903 2, 3839 Art works .......... : : 944 378 463 14, 567 Books and printed matter (including 7 maps and charts) ........-.---2-.--+--+ 8,413 | " 10,948 7, 248 6, 166 8, 679 Cabinet ware and furniture...........--- 1, 308 3,318 2,414 6, 280 8, 218 Carriages and carts (excluding railway carriages) and parts thereof 29,417 19, 979 31, 597 36,699 37, 681 Clocks and watches.......-.-.- - 37,331 38, 186 38, 575 48, 728 43, 877 COB cca sciccincceicc etn ccisss hans sien teem! We 52D lhe aa marenitin ol] eu caceremancients 10, 189 1, 020 Cotton: RG Wiicesicecus le skeaweceeaeesanees 1, 265 26, 876 9, 968 9, 821 8, 303 Piece goods— : : Gray (unbleached)............... 185, 959 278, 300 196, 941 261, 618 208, 076 White (bleached) ...... 4,117 2,8 1, 646 2, 006 1, 308 Colored, printed or dyed... é 17,713 56, 961 51, 018 45, 943 24, 898 Canvas. .-.------ sanieg eine elodsawistesiosss| seremieninesie ee 236 lau genetics ccwaaneccacis Hosiery, pure and mixed 6 3 1 2 2 Thread, sewing -....----- je [sintereiclans Selecta D || eis sciesicralpiareial | taiee seatoigiasizial sie bwbersisinm Other sorts ....--..-.--- 24 1 168 33 2 Drugs, chemicals, etc.: Al 1 é s iS 10, 394 39, 736 Tobacco: Unmanufactired Ame easeiieee eee tees 3, 936 3, 864. 3, 442 5 338 ufactured— ee sreeinisie SiaiSts waa Dineled eieiticisiannioe 83, 147 5 422. |S ecaxneineas 311 Cigarettes ....-- were 8,934 53, 376 49, 650 31, 446 41,710 Other sorts ...---- 21, 055 17,561 | 21,455 23, 667 17,147 Earthenware and porcelain esis 785 292 785 213 4,603 Grain and pulse .-...------------+eers eres |eeeeeeere ete 221, 282 33 60 2 ns: a vias : we ec eee e eee e nets teneeennee 9, 950 1, 361 629 5,591 28, 459 Other sorts .-.--------+--- peters st cst [se ce cece ee elen ence nee ecelec cree nc eeesleneeeenecces Hardward and cutlery, including plated- UE ai pees a ct enna pinaecbone 141 216 311 399 940 ‘dware— Har gricultural implements......... Yl ee 205 AB ccccinaweeces Other implements and tools...... 5,173 7,724 8,340 6, 368 15, 584 Sewing machines............-.--- 997 808 944 2, 028 4, 449 Other sorts i a ae 33, 213 38, 499 68, 637 102, 374 ence custea(eishn mave SiGisialesosevere-sieinis baie if Siaarnepeniel odaressenen|awernemibeet jyxkewer eens Tnetruments, apparatus, and appliances, and parts thereof: ical...-- 3, 295 14, 412 6, 185 Photographi 2, 566 1,148 ” 855 eT ao 40, 915 29, 052 36, 864 Typewriter 4, 973 7,708 8, 235 678 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. Articles. 1900. 1901. 1902. 1903. 1904. Leather $1, 587 $2, 018 $2, 873 $1, 855 $2, 062 Leather manufactures: Saddlery and st nar] pa esas - 129 143 232 811 1, 283 oots an Coe ae ie Le amas eeeswessS 9,410 4,710 7, 629 7, 204 8, 881 a shoes) iquors: ; a ale. beer, and porter......-. puiciccawrsin'e 51 79 181 2,172 Cider and other fermented liquor....|.......----- 1 38 106 |.. Brandy s a cteeeeeeeeee Whey 1,091 669 2, 060 : 1,433 Spirits used in drugs, medicines, and : chemi¢als— ‘ - Spanbae em of jess an er ee oes) amt] tas! gee] ame § i 20 per cent. spiritar poe. aie ease 1208 4,016 4, 606 5, 095 5, 988 PSPS wcccacceesecess| di leseevenseneell 28: | ~~ Bhilvexeeeecewce wae Bek 1 47 32 BAN cceaarcieecae Machinery and mill work: S dteon! machinery ermetistaa mantels sereettewe 5, 468 16, 092 63, 965 23, 014 53, 381 other sorts of machinery............. 3, 284 198 699 1, 862 7,482 ee 194). sooscwcccne weet eeeee 135 26, 189 32, 008 7 586 oom 26, 068 Animal oe ee 197 Magen tial 2 isc eotcciceatcicmraie mcicinean, searliaeatiseeews 63 139 Mineral— 305, 958 189, 691 40, 298 633, 420 144, 226 190, 832 229, 045 1938, 442 224, 226 228, 917 Vegetable oils, not esse: TADSCCO eons sisseecemezenmieseusicea|ccie si! Pio ieiaie'a | Sieieiatdieleieinisre 2 ll axnxmawamncs be eunwiaawegs Other sorts ....- 30 145 6, 431 150 1 Oilcloth and floor cloth < 331 2,266 6, 020 9,376 6, 326 Paints and colors......- a 530. 2,042 1, 829 5, 851 3, 788 Painters’ materials............. é 4,561 1, 044 5, 480 12, 413 29,197 Printing and lithographing materials. ... 1, 463 5,341 3, 669 » 824 5, 012 Provisions: Fish maws and shark fins... Fish, dry, salted Fruits and vegetables— Dried, salted, or preserved — Other sorts Other sorts of provisions... . Railway plant and rolling stock— Carriages and trucks and parts of.... Locomotive engines and tenders, and PATHOL. ccc ssian came wamscicseaacs cor Materials for construction—rails and fish plates, of steel and iron........ Dp Stationery (excluding paper) Toys and requisites for games. ..... Wood: Other timber Firewood.......- ies Ornamental ............ Manufactures of wood Articles (not specified) imported by post. All other articles of merchandise: Unmanufactured......... Manufactured........ Bilver PUIOG ssa ssc ncnan a 2,597 9, 816 5,171 1,695 886 983 9 12, 875 28, 864 ee 1, 683, 88 |.......200 ee 1, 392, 786 | 1,642,779 | 1,035,001 | 3,382,100! 1,841, 257 x ASIA: CEYLON. 679 EXPORTS TO THE UNITED STATES. The exports of Indian products to the United States from the ports of the Bombay Presidency in 1900-1904, were: Articles, 1900, 1901. 1902. 1903. 1904, brerel (including drapery, haberdashery, uni- orms, accouterments, but excluding hosiery): PADDANOL 2 le occ w egies won sa cnese teen -| $26,607 | $44,723 | $23,277 | $16,657 | $17,304 Boots and shoes .......- 100 Cabinetware and furniture........- Coir (manufactured, excluding rope) Cotton: Manufactures— Piece goods, colored, printed, or dyed ..... 16, 020 14, 322 4, 738 92 | accieswinioce Handkerchiefs and shawls in piece . . Be Other sorts of manufactures Gums and resins: ATADICS occ scsi w als a.ebioipnnencmecuaaxebek saseake us 4, 503 Hardware and cutlery, including plated ware 38, 588 200 2, 455 Hides and skins: Hides, dressed or tanned ..............-2000..0-[eeeeeeeeee 138 Skins— i BSW vsueexsseaawnewieeasewaunnnnwsdcneccemen 7,6 8,598 47,046 6, 058 TE 689. cs oo wowed lobbsaciaaks "905375 777147802 4, 405 5,216 | 5,286 6, 653 12 50 Jute manufactures, gunny cloth. Mats and matting Metals: Hanpanecs ore 71,750 | 142,666 179, 300 Provisions: Fish maws and shark fins............------.---|------ 2205 18, 500 1, 330 15, 260 9, 333 Provisions..........-- Eidebeseesesesetescesatexe. 6, 482 4, 242 4,970 6, 400 6,141 Spices 231, 272 201 Other SOrts ...-.. 020-22 - cece eee e cence erence lec e ee aeeee 3 |. BAM eakeee ree 270,369 | 382,011 | 464,653 | 518,053 487,185 256 | 2,230| 1,196] 2,590 2, 957 UE oe re a 854] 1,166| 3,980] 1,256 2) 779 i .| 271,479 | 386,407 | 469,829 | 521,809 | 442,921 Foreign ane 1} “9,195 | © 23631] 21,331 | 23,718] 44,112 Mo talecer sc coencan ued Sai CP aa 280,604 | 398,038 | 491,260 | 645,617 | 487,033 CEYLON. [From ConsuL W. Morry, CoLomBo, CEYLON, SEPTEMBER 26, 1904.] TRADE OF CEYLON IN 1903. alue of the trade of Ceylon for the calendar year 1903, omit- fae ce was: imports, $34,092,617; exports, $37,840,321; total, $71,932,938. The value of specie was: Imports, $5,123,421; exports, 89,145,587; total, $7,268,958. 680 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. Coal, coke, and patent fuel imports amounted to 516,339 tons; the quantity imported into Colombo was 499,014 tons; Point de Galle, 12,841 tons; all other ports, 4,484 tons; decrease from 1902, 14,473 tons. IMPORTS. Ceylon receives from the British colonies nearly two-thirds of her total imports; from the United Kingdom one-fourth, and from foreign countries one-ninth. The predominance of the colonies in this respect is largely attributable to the fact that India supplies the island with vast quantities of grain—the value of rice alone amounting to nearly one-third of the total of all the imports of the colony... The value of the chief articles imported from foreign countries is shown in the fol- lowing table: Countries and articles. Value. Countries and articles. Value. Austria: Italy: Sugar, refined........-..-....- peneew $216, 660 POUALOCR vi cisciniccine cs wasiewicemieri ects $35, 666 Hardware, beds, cement, furniture, Textile goods and writing paper. 39, 813 glass, haberdashery, lamps, and Japan: MA UCHES), 2c cict sromewreis slewie ssa ee ict 328, 333 Tea chests 312, 000 Belgium: Coal ....... aides weEBERE EE, 13, 000 Tron and steel, unmanufactured....) 42,000 Rickshaws 13, 330 Cards, manufactured ...........-... 31, 000 Silk, fancy articles, mats, and ap- Glass, manure, cement, and sugar..| 156,624 PATEL: siiisin eicioisisorsewaraaneecinegecos 527, 827 France: Russia: : vr BRAN Y: sisc sci asacectssicece ueceesecs 112, 000 Kerosene (mostly) .........---2--+- 285, 684 Wine.......- 56, 600 || Sweden: Potatoes, sil Matches sje) es 0- seenireena ct aucune 68, 768 umbrellas. 248, 183 Iron, unmanufactured .. ee 11, 660 Germany: Switzerland: 7 Fertilizers..... 145, 666 MUNK score cisjerdaisizisiaisisiaieie tic a 73, 548 Textile goods . aes ----| 90,300 Cotton goods ..: os 24, 660 Metal 2000860: cons secnacssissiisipessise 94, 000 Fertilizers ...... nia 21, 660 Cement, crockery ware, explosives, Watch esicccsniinceneceerneseeaaeiae 128, 587 glass, lamps, machinery, soap, United States: haberdashery, timber, toys, sugar, _ 01), REROBORG sasnnemcc an dwicinee meine 59, 647 CEG Siswxienmceaie ae eieainien wale en eenr 687,000 Tobacco, textile goods, metals, Holland: miscell aneous manufactures, ma- GD! ee aiecis cine ecianteie Seisiiniceekimestinecierd chinery, milk, canned fruit, fish, Cotton goods.......-.---.----- recta and provisions...........-0se20--- 255, 151 Silk piece goods and cheese ; REVENUE FROM CUSTOMS DUTIES. The revenue from customs duties in 1903 was $2,681,020, an increase over 1902 of $137,630, made up principally from arms, ammunition and explosives, kerosene oil, food stuffs, rice and other grain, metals and metal ware, manures, oils, spirits, wine, silk, sugar, tobacco and cigars, woolen manufactures, and a few other importations. The largest item of increase was $28,911, in wines and spirits. In other respects the increase by articles was very small. The largest item of decrease was in raw and manufactured cotton, which was $8,366. The total value of imports, including specie, was $39,216,035. EXPORTS. The total value of exports, including specie and coal, was $40,019,191, the distribution being as follows:, Produce, $33,623,888; imports re- exported, $452,055; specie, $2,175,537; coal for steamers, $3,764,413. The value of exports over those of 1902 was due principally to increased shipments of cocoanut products, cardamoms, areca nuts, a ASIA: CEYLON. 681 rise In the average value of tea from 12 to 13 cents a pound, and to the enhanced shipments of specie, $2,177,204, against $389,500, sched- uled last year, The value of exports to various countries, excluding specie and coal, was: Great Britain, $18,048,006; British colonies, $7,710,286; foreign countries, $10,499,817. The exports of tea to Russia amounted to 10,152,439 pounds, a decrease from 1902 of 1,251,536 pounds. The Increase of tea shipments to the United States was 3,529,444 pounds, and to Canada 2,695,628 pounds. The total to ‘all countries was 149,227,236 pounds, valued at $19,399,540. The total to the United States, as per customs schedule, was 6,926,010 pounds, valued at $900,381, more than one-half of which was green tea. PLUMBAGO. There was a decrease of $65,666 in the value of plumbago exported ‘to the United States in 1903 compared with that shipped in 1902, owing to reduced shipments and a fall in the average price from $140 to $85 aton. The total value of shipments of plumbago to all countries was fale ob 73, of which the United States took 11,327 tons, valued at 88,095. : COCOANUT PRODUCTS. The shipments of cocoanut oil amounted to $3,674,198, of which the United States took $565,372 worth. The exports of desiccated cocoa- nuts were valued at $1,034,869, of which the United States took $110,146 worth, Great Britain $687,068, and Germany $88,852, the balance being distributed among various nations. Fresh cocoanuts valued at $216,545 went mostly to the Continent of Europe. _Copra to the value of $2,510,180 went mostly to Germany, Russia, and France. Cocoanut shells valued at $17,331 were exported to British India. Coir fiber amounted to $264,378; coir yarn, $315,119; coir rope, $69,223; coir matting, $1,779; arrack, $43,321. It therefore appears that Ceylon exports cocoanut products to the value of $5,040,000, of which the United States takes $58,520 worth. TEA, COFFEE, CACAO, AND SPICES. Tea, which was shipped to the value of $19,825,340, went to all parts of the earth. The value of that exported to the United States was $900,381. . The exportation of coffee, formerly the principal article of export from Ceylon, has now fallen to $169,470, of which only a small con- signment, valued at $781, went to the United States. ; 2 The value of cacao exports was $749,381, the principal recipients being Great Britain with $579,342; Germany, $51,227; Straits Settle- ments, $50,618, a the United States, $13,719, the balance being iously distributed. The ae of cardamoms exported was $302,436, of which only $1,383 worth went to the United States. England took $190,724; Germany, $25,399; Egypt, $7,455; Japan, $7,028; British India, $63,388, the balance being variously distributed. The shipments of cinnamon, which were valued at $814,841, went tothe following countries: Germany, $272,714; Great Britain, $147,789; United States, $101,203; Spain, $74,928, and the balance to various other countries. 682 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. NAVIGATION. Twenty-six steamers, aggregating 73,653 tons, cleared for United States ports in 1903 with cargoes, and one of 1,685 tons arrived with- kerosene oil. Forty-four steamers from the United States called for coal. : The total number and tonnage of steamers from all ports was 3,452, registering 5,184,690 tons, and the number departing was 3,457, aggre- gating 5,132,048. The number and tonnage of merchant ships of various nations call- ing for cargo and passengers during the same period were: Nationalities. Number. | Tonnage. Nationalities. Number.| Tonnage. United Kingdom 1,269 | 2,839, 669 4 18, 193 British, Colonial 732 71, 665 14 48, 396 Austrian ....... 55 165, 694 1 1, 829 French ......... 90 216, 859 5 9, 007 German .. 138 557, 020 1 3,198 Japanese . 69 238, 691 Maldivian 65 8,110 TOtAl cies cjetcicisiceis ciciate) 2, 454 4, 200, 415 Russian .........----2.-.0-8 11 32, 084 The number entering’in ballast was 454, aggregating 826,376 tons. e COMMUNICATION WITH UNITED STATES. The transit facilities between the United States and Ceylon are still unsatisfactory. There are no steamers arriving direct, therefore all oods, except kerosene oil, come via transshipment ports, involving igh freights, much delay, and some uncertainty about the port of original shipment. This probably reduces the volume of trade from that direction and at present there is no prospect of a change. It is different with exports, as trimonthly steamers, mostly from Calcutta, call and convey to New York and Boston from 1,000 to 2,000 tons each of Ceylon products, at a rate of freight averaging about $8 a ton, and performing the passage in from 40 to 45.days, which is in marked con- trast to the time absorbed in the transshipment of goods from the United States, which generally are iowa of 60 days ‘‘en voyage,” the freight being about $15 a ton. BANKING AND EXCHANGE, The local banks are: Mercantile Bank of India (Limited), Bank of Madras, National Bank of India (Limited), Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, and the Chartered Bank of India, Australia, and China. ; TRADE WITH THE UNITED STATES. The imports from the United States amounted to $229,881; the ex- ports thereto, $2,848,510; total, $3,071,391. The figures in 1892 were: Imports, $257,815; exports, $2,657,048; total, $2,914,863, showing a decrease in imports of $27,934 and an increase in exports of $191,462, due to increased shipments of tea, the total value of which in 1902 was $552,746 and in 1903, $900,381. The decrease in imports was chiefly in kerosene oil, which fell from $98,641 in 1902 to $59,647 in 1908; ASIA: CHINA. 683 bacon, $22,066 in 1902 to nil in 1903; cotton goods, 1902, $42,047; in 1903, $28,210. Lubricating oil increased from $10,772 to $21,266; machinery, from $7,766 to $24,322. In other respects there was no great difference in thé value of the different articles imported in 1902 and 1908, IMPORTS FROM THE UNITED STATES IN 1903. Articles, Value, Articles. Value, BOOP ei aos se usmealeh te neuseeeateec tes a: 56 Clocks and watches Halse lercichen 3380 B90 Confectionery 167 32 Fish, canned . 2,752 . Flour ........ , 4, 000 Sewing .. 1,464 Fruit, preserved or canned : 2,471 60 Fancy articles .......... ---| 1,000 22, 808 FUIMICULE . oie nce ecesseccceacccecesaocs 551 2,247 FM ooo toca be aio cigs cninnrd oaviwiiiacteanee 574 15 Mutton, canned ..........2.22222020000.- 80 1,650 Pork, salted csscecaesiaceeseowess Meena 70 : Liquor . - 43 Kerosene .........2-20000202eeeeeeee 59, 647 Whisky . 65 Lubricating a 21, 266 Wine.. 5 10, 232 All other 89 Tobacco and cigars 18,591 || Paint........ 1, 293 Apparel, wearing .. 498 || Perfumery .. 490 CAYTAZES «...-vacsceecceacccseecensmeceio 440 || Printing materials . ae 2,060 Cotton piece goods......2.........22--2- 28, 210 || Stores, government.....-....... were 18, 720 Chemists’ sundries . sostememiseuce wes 38, 672 || Stores, railway ...........-....- ed 4,100 ard Ware i5.cic ciccsciciamemes axeeecaemeeees 5, 495 |) Soap, toiletand bar............. visas 1,121 Tron, galvanized .......--.----.2..0...-- 3,896 || Stationery... tse 368 Instruments: Toys..... 50 Musical ........ aise aisteiehajeraiotterais 5,381 || Varnish . 200 Scien tiie 5. jascccececaesecaseseces 80 ——_ Guns, rifles, revolvers, etc ..........-.--- 2,337 TOA] 4 diese ccwiewic casas sae scams 229, 881 DAMS eisewcmncnnen ces eneneun neue sxc cw. 176 CHINA. AMOY. [From ConsuL G. E. ANDERSON, AMOY, CHIYA, Marcy 7, 1905.] . FOREIGN TRADE. The last trade year in Amoy was successful in spite of a number of drawbacks, a Sheng course of trade, and a falling off in the tea industry. The port on the whole, however, shows an increase in gen- eral trade. The net value of foreign imports for 1904 was $6,959,922; of native imports, $3,205,515, and the value of exports reaches $1,877,762, making a gross business for the port of $12,043,200. The revenue collected amounted to $585,500, which is a slight decrease from 1903, when there was an advance due to importations of materials for rebuilding Amoy after a disastrous fire. Itisa notable fact that export duties have yielded only about. $70,000 gold, which is about two-fifths of what export duties of thirty years ago brought in, tea alone at that time bringing in twice what the total exports now produce. : TEA. eral trade conditions in Amoy reflect the situation in all parts of ae where business depends upon old Chinese methods and policies. The chief feature is the practical extinction of the ee indus- try, which once was one of the greatest enterprises in ina. The 684 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. decline of the Chinese Oolong trade and the rise of the Formosa Oolong trade is due absolutely to the neglect or refusal of the Chinese to adopt modern methods of culture, curing, and trade, and the taxa- tion of exports of tea by the Chinese Government. The removal of the,tax on tea for ten years and the adoption of a few simple labor- saving and process-improving methods would soon reestablish the Amoy Oolong tea trade in a manner which, with the general improve- ment in China’s foreign trade, would give the Chinese tea trade an immense impetus. Probably the removal of the tax alone would do much to restore the trade to its former volume. The Formosan tea bought by Amoy firms and shipped abroad in 1904 shows a 10 per cent decrease from 1908, and the season was a profitable one both for shipper and grower. The preparation of For- mosa tea for export shows a falling off in gross business for 1904, which is in line with the steady decline shown for a number of years. The record of tea sent abroad from Formosa by way of Amoy in 1904 shows a total of 13,393,000 pounds, valued at $2,847,718, about nine- tenths of which went to the United States. The decrease, as compared with the record for 1903, is about 10 per cent. COTTON AND WOOLEN GOODS. There was a notable increase in the amount of foreign cotton goods imported into the Amoy territory last year. The total cotton imports for the year 1904 were $1,614,867, as compared with $1,387,769 in 1903. The increase seems to be due toa greater use of English gray shirt- ings, chintzes, and plain cotton prints, the increase being over 50 per cent, and. Italian cotton, plain fast black, the increase being about 30 per cent. In Indian cotton yarn, where there was an increase of about 25 per cent at high prices, the high prices for foreign cotton goods forced the natives to do more weaving at home. Woolen goods show an increase, the total imports for 1904 being $102,544, as compared with $80,018 in 1903. The Chinese are coming to appreciate woolen clothing for winter use, but its cost has kept down its general use, and this is likely to be the case for some time to come. OTHER ARTICLES OF IMPORT. There was a considerable decrease in metals as compared with 1903, the value in 1904 being $249,974, as compared with $331,559 in 1903. American kerosene shows an increase of about 60 per cent, compared’ with a 45 per cent increase in Sumatra and 20 per cent increase in Borneo oil. In view of the advantages of a tank installation of the two latter products, the showing for American oil is quite credit- able. With the proposed American tank installation will come a new order of things. In 1904 there was a large importation of rice as compared with 1903, when a big crop made importation unnecessary. In 1904 the imports were valued at $1,103,781, and in 1903 at $318,068. The rice comes largely from Burma. NAVIGATION AND: EMIGRATION. The number of vessels entered and cleared in the port of Amoy last year included 15 American, 1,076 British, 113 Chinese of foreign ASIA: CHINA. 685 build, 2 Danish, 37 Dutch, 12 French, 280 German, 112 Japanese, 2 Spanish, and 120 Norwegian. The American vessels were nearly all ee handling tea in the tea season. The chief coast lines are ritish. ‘ __ There was a slight decrease in the number of Chinese coolies return- ing to the Philippines in 1904 as compared with 1903. During 1904 a total of 5,080 went to Manila and perhaps 500 more to other Philip- pine ports. A total of 69,587 went to the Straits Settlements. Dur- ing the year 1904, 1,059 coolies returned from Manila and 28,386 from the Straits Settlements. In 1903, 5,154 coolies left Amoy for Manila, and perhaps 600 more to other Philippine ports, while 1,307 returned therefrom. EXPORTS OF BULBS AND ROOTS. The export of narcissus bulbs from Amoy, most of which go to the United States, shows a slight decrease during 1904, the total exports of flower roots for the year being 2,030,716 pieces, valued at $35,628, as compared with 2,513,025 pieces, valued at $39,236 in 19038. The business is said to be as profitable as heretofore. CHINKIANG. [From AcTING ConsuL W. T. GRACEY, NANKIN, CHINA, OCTOBER 24, 1904.] The steady expansion of the trade of Chinkiang was seriously affected in 1903 by excessive wet weather in the spring, the heavy fall in exchange and consequent cost of copper cash, the tightness of the money market, and by the scare of the impending war between Russia and Japan. The dredging operations carried on in the northern section of the Grand Canal in December, 1902, and January, 1903, have so far proved unsatisfactory; and until that important waterway is rendered navi- gable during the winter season, and some quicker and more regular means of transport than is available at present is applied to commerce, the growth of the trade of Chinkiang will be retarded. ; The gross value of the trade in 1903 was $22,373,198, as against $19,508,329 in 1902; and its net value was $22,248,050 in 1903, as against $19,405,032 in 1902. IMPORTS. alue of foreign imports direct, $1,762,151, showed a large co as compared oth 1409. The falling off was chiefly in imports of brown sugar and sandalwood. Increased importations of coal from Japan; bags, sapanwood, seaweed, fans, and sundries from Hongkong, and Sumatra kerosene in bulk have partly counterbalanced the-enor- mous decrease in sugar and sandalwood. A noteworthy feature of the year’s trade is the establishment of oil tanks at Chinkiang and the direct importation of Sumatra kerosene oil in bulk. ; The low price at which the Sumatra oil is sold on this market has given an enormous impetus to the trade, and at once procured for it a ready sale. 686 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. GOODS IN BONT. Foreign goods come chiefly to Chinkiang from Shanghai as duty- paid imports and in ever-increasing quantities. The greater part are sent inland under transit pass, and thus the trade is much dependent on the prosperity of the consuming districts, on the means of trans- port, and on the state of the inland waterways. When railways are available an enormous increase of the import trade may be expected, and even now, with the present slow and imperfect means of commu- nication with inland districts, the foreign import trade of Chinkiang shows, year after year, satisfactory progress. The value of foreign imports from Chinese ports during 1903 was $11,913,982, an increase of more than 16 per cent over the previous year’s imports. COTTON GOODS AND YARN. Cotton piece goods have, on the whole, been freely imported. Gray and white shirtings, American drills, turkey-red shirtings and cambrics, figured cotton lastings, and cotton Italians show the most conspicuous improvement; but on the other hand, Tee cloths have receded some- what, and English sheetings and plain cotton lastings have fallen off considerably. Indian cotton yarns have, during 1903, advanced 7,733,300 pounds over 1902. During the past ten years the importation of Indian cot- ton yarn has progressed steadily, and the figures for 1908 are four times as great as those for 1894. Japanese yarn, which had greatly fallen out of favor in 1902, has regained much of its former popularity; it is said to be of excellent quality and to be even superior to the Indian yarn. Its higher price does not seem to have a deterrent effect on its sale. — OIL. American kerosene does not appear to have suffered in competition with the Sumatra oil, as it shows an increase of nearly one and a quar- ter million gallons over the quantity sent inland in 1902; but it must be borne in mind that the Chinkiang oil tanks were not in full work- ing order until the middle of 1903. The Sumatra oil has a promisin: future, and its low price, one-half of the American areuuet will insure it a ready sale inland. IMPORTS BY ARTICLES. The imports, by articles and quantities, into Chinkiang during the years 1902 and 1903 were: Articles. 1902. 1903. Cotton goods: | Shirtings, plain— Glay.. sersscasesseveeew sie eseergenyendsccbeesaens see eres eearexe pieces..| 546,005 579, 605 White ssesectcecsetess verbteeovecraeaesdeeencecieeies sehccieeels see do....| | 117,720 125, 672 Sheetings— AMETICAN .... 2-2-2220 seen cree eee eee eee e cet n een eee e eee ences do....] 28, 455 36, 260 OMG G Hs wistacercrw ae ara: atestiarete tie saiepaisyaiase 1S s 2s ataelewinie ule Eee Te aoeede eee ned do....| 63,419 47, 805 Drills— AMCP COT o iinionson acne nnanannaniarermienomaratKemanumed eas Runa! do....} 90,025 | 117,086 DUC Do orcidy cic sie rote sro teins orsiasalorcresdjnternin aves Eten siatatatajate/faretatetoiatandia/eiare’sic eialerenes do.... 1,275 210 HEN GHIGD 5 ewsitcicass sa teaie re lds Minin nie Dy aisle nines sisineins scioe-sincletsinciosislare eide'sies do....| 14,874 18, 255 ASIA: CHINA. 687 Articles. 1902. 1903. Cotton goods—Continued. see ClOthgt wiccx .- 25. <4:c Sawacouwa ia nis Gane Boone auuaapedasseccasaadsnas’ 64,961 | 64,243 Chinizes and furnitures of 21,934) 14,760 ON DTI os ac scncn vcsmmonans siesiiemananwemes: eae PTE oc on siciacn wnsimmonuns sesivandanne ee swadand aeeiedadneuce'’ se--| 63,930 67, 396 Italians, plain Lastings, plain ................ ae , Italians, dgured.-.2020 0200002000 dort] t0%se0 | 14804 Lastings, figured ; 43,999 | 64,15 Checks, dyed.............0.- 4) 559 a Dyed shirtin Tepe dl|etn es ete Figured, pricaded, and spotted... .2...21202se00s --do..../ 11,028 7,318 Bl Bin hg tec heat cine udiesep cacd ae taumennen nade é 3; 321 23973 Turkey-red cambrics - --do 16,759 | 48,156 Turkey-red shirtings - a ie “do..2!} 9810 | 15, 618 Handkerchiefs........ S - vJdozen::} 31,382 | 24,476 as ea isto bik Svs VSIG ale Slain Rigos ena a Mave. aiagtkeara ty aie Sid anos Risse aieiotaldimlalN Ria Seed do...-| 26,334 33, 698 PN GMSH sic osc ccs socenietemencumeaicdemserrecwossemeleiesqeinvesm'si's piculsa.. 870 1,272 Jape aoc] SMB) 8 --d0.... 4 Cotton thread). \s.- jcc naieicjcc sin'ncieisincarcioeieinscisichiuicee neem s eee a aewseeeNeT do.... "39 , 2 Chinese cotton goods— SHC OS a. oo cic a cesetincnseteled bewcrciseeececniieden seen ee s- See sen pieces..|.......--- 180 Cotton Val iesc secees ethene s eeeesereceepoetontes Seance eitrsieeleleieseibnisin piculsa@.. 6, 3381 4,770 Woolen and cotton mixtures: Union Italian cloth, plain and figured ..............----------e--- ee ++ 3,198 Woolen pods; : i Camlets, English..........---- 460 Cloth, broad, medium, and ha 614 Lastings.. 1, 455 Long ells. , 550 Spanish st: 2,364 oolen yarn and cord 148 Metals: Iron— Bare - 22-2 nae ec ee nee cee eee ee ne nec n ee eneemasesenenneerecene 4,397 Nail rod .. 28, 558 Se es Old .. , Ironwate... 4, 367 Lead, in pigs. 14, 644 Ol ee cciiciinsasace,sjeisicnsssis) 4,910 Steel plate cuttings 27, 504 a Picul=183} pounds. EXPORTS. ‘The value of exports was $1,083,024, an advance of $258,400 as compared with 1902. The increase is largely in cattle, lily flowers, oils of various kinds, and sundries. The decrease of 25 per cent under beans is more apparent than real, as a corresponding increase occurs in shipments to southern ports. Most of the direct exports go to Hongkong. It is therefore interesting to note a new item in this trade—the direct export to Manila of cattle and buffaloes to take the place in the Philippine Islands of animals destroyed during the war and by rinderpest. Hitherto the export of cattle has taken place via Shanghai, but since ee of 1908 arrangements have been made to ship them direct from Chinkiang. 688 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. EXPORTS BY ARTICLES. The exports, by articles and quantities, from Chinkiang in 1902 and 1903 were as follows: . Articles. 1902. 1903. Beans and pease .....-..-22 2022 ecee eee e eee ee ee eens Is a... 342, 68 404, 063 Eggs, fresh). cesce» Denominations. Selling. | Buying. American currency, gold dollar... ........... 0.0.0. ceccccceacecececeeeceees . eiaiahe ales = ea Fore y Sterling, gold sovereign 11.90 12. 20 MeXICAI MU VER: sic ccianecmasisiiveciannee nsmiunssenemadegreuemraroes aggiinateee ees aiapelnats 1,15 1,20 COFFEE CROP. The quantity of coffee produced in the Dutch East Indies in 1903 is shown in the following table: Private crop. Government crop. Districts. Java, Liberia. Jaya. Liberia. Pounds. Pounds. Pounds. Pounds. Bantam ee ccceveucaneasennakeearestivevnes imaxdeecsine [aeaesiee vases 280, 840 |....... eaal|sacinntenienisee Batavia $86, 119)} 2459;.424 | iccccececcec|seceesiscc sce Preanger 467,160 | 1,812,200 | 10,200, 000 547,800 FSATE] OCWIAAS: sc.< cye.sisiescince'siwisrstersiscois oceia sisicuswielsietovsseis cieie Stic [awe eieicin aw [aneee teams 221, 408 » 203 Krawang - 456,280 | 1,219,512 |.........- fall duet icacciasute Cheribon . 68, 816 |........--.- 10, 744 12, 240 Pekalongan 2,040 387,056 | 5,036, 624 414, 256 Kedoe 26, 248 3, 4 200, 056 78,712 Solo.. 415, 616 G52; (800 |acaiea oie aie nccac| secre erewe Sama 78,472 | 2,673, 080 326, 400 737, 936 Madion - 1, 135, 600 74, 800 864, 008 38, 080 Besoeki - 6, 210, 984 447,168 673, 880 3, 128 Probolingo. . 2, 972, 960 1,768 | 3,283, 720 176, 392 Pasoeroean ... 18, 442, 648 440, 640 | 16, 710, 456 , 904 Kediri .......... 13,061,712 | 1,071,000 205, 632 7, 208 Soerabaya .....-.. , 223, 13, 600 209, 440 544 GSUMALTA gcse ies soca saree cases csinetaenieccesineinieee le ee eeee eis raie| emieieeieeeee se 3, 288, 480 207, 586 Tota] cexcanirasncadecusieee sees ceuancitccmecases 39, 928, 240 | 11, 607,328 | 41, 230, 848 2, 227, 952 PRODUCTION OF SUGAR. A comparative statement of the production of sugar in Java during the years 1901, 1902, and 1903, follows: Districts. 1901. 1902. 1903. Te B60 936 ae ‘600 renee 120 shea thos veg dora sosGbina) ained adbcaddaaeucecneertied 135, 360, ; 520, oe eee 111, 480,832 | 118) 562, 080 110, 375, 288 Pekalongan -- 86, 392, 776 99, 048, 800 90, 848, 408 Sainhtane 32, 369, 632 41, 446, 000 40, 284, 424 OUR RR ocak jamiatin antpaunac aie sae (syacdatsett 110,511,968 | 110, 191, 960 122) 102) 976 SGECAMATIA -ocssangsqsecet RegewaruReedee acreage tessie ne 110,316,808 | 181, 997,520 140, 505, 408 er SAGE cco ho cesses, eee eee oceeaiae a 110, 322,248 | 13175497128 | 130, 292, 896 Nee aa iad coc ecicn si uu seu snee caOneaeanegaaes 42' 674,800} 61,141, 112 66, 431, 240 eee E e ee nso Gunigedaceussanucsssenecoomneens 2,747,200} 10,471,864 14. 756, 680 see ea neice macceva seedy once caveaesrcumeeet 404,940,952 | 422, 158, 416 449° 307, 824 nba ek aeiertn eae 155,829,072 | 2087115,632 | 239, 837, 496 Bre ender oem acreage 62) 655,744 | 62,174,108 | 66,054, 008 ean and Pr {NGO ...---eeeeeeeeeereceeeesee+| 286,087, 9: F 049, one a (aes i saneo esheets Site 117, 664,888 |° 113; 458, 816 109, 845, 840 , 1, 719, 205,784 | 1,886, 249,824 | 1, 980, 213, 040 716 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. 3 JAPAN. [From ConsUL-GENERAL E. C. BELLOWS, YOKOHAMA, JULY 5, 1904.] gs LOCAL CONDITIONS. There is widespread complaint of depression and dullness in trade. The price of labor and the cost of living have risen as a result of the war, and there is general hesitation about beginning new enterprises. Still, the temper of the people is good, and plans for extensions of public works and business undertakings are only deferred, not aban- doned. It is probable that the return of peace will be accompanied by a great accession of industrial and commercial activity, the nature and extent of which will depend largely on the terms on which peace may be made. CURRENCY AND BANKING. The balance of trade against Japan in 1903, or the excess of imports over exports, was $13,761,271, but the recorded movement of specie shows that she imported $4,385,522 more than she exported of gold and silver coin and bullion, leaving a balance of over $18,000,000 to be accounted for. Some of this was due to bringing from London part of the proceeds from the sale of Government bonds. Consider- able amounts also came from money expended by tourists, sums sent home by Japanese residing abroad, and similar sources of which no record is possible. The banks of the country report a prosperous condition, and do not yet seem to be affected by the war. They have not increased the interest paid on deposits, but are charging slightly higher rates for loans and discounts. The specie reserve has not been adversely affected and the banks’ resources have not suffered by their subscriptions to the war bonds. Although the gold standard was adopted in Japan in 1897, the dependency of Formosa was permitted to retain silver as the standard currency under certain special regulations. It is now proposed to make the currency uniform throughout the Empire. EXTENSIONS OF RAILWAYS. Considerable work was done in 1903 in extending and improving railway lines, and some of this is still in progress, though plans for new enterprises are naturally being hindered by the war. It is reported that a company has been formed in Hongkong for the pur- pose of erecting engine works and foundries to manufacture loco- motives in Japan. The capital was being subscribed in Hongkong, Shanghai, and Japan. Twelve acres of land a short distance from Yokohama has been purchased for the site, and it is expected that the buildings will be begun as soon as the capital is fully subscribed. The promoters of this enterprise expect to gain an advantage over all foreign competitors in lower import duties, having to pay on raw material only, in having no expense for packing, shipping, and insurance en route, in being able to furnish quicker deliver , and in offering better facilities for mspection by the purchaser. Should the undertaking ee a success it will probably greatly reduce the market for imported ocomotives and railway carriages after two or three years. 6 ASIA: JAPAN. 717 The electric street railway of Tokyo, which was opened for traffic early this year, has proved a great success, the average daily receipts bein ; $1,615, or more than four times as great as on the horse-car line which was converted into the present electric railway. The fare is robably the lowest in the world, being only 3 sen (14 cents) for any istance. The number of passengers carried is limited only by the car capacity of the line, and those who can afford it still employ the higher priced and slower jinrikisha to avoid being crowded. The company uses 4 ay eee of 13,000 kilowatts of electric power, and has declared a dividend at the rate of 7 per cent per annum for the half year, during only three months of which the electric cars were in opera- tion. It has been decided to increase the capital of the company for the purpose of extending the lines. 7 FOREIGN TRADE. The foreign trade of Japan amounted to $302,105,704 in 1903, this being an increase of 14 per cent over that of 1902. The imports exceeded those of 1902 by 163 per cent and the exports gained 12 per cent. In view of the unsettled feeling which prevailed in trade circles during the latter part of the year as a result of the strained diplomatic relations preceding the declaration of war, this was a remarkable increase. About eight-ninths of the gain in pope is credited to grains and seeds. The increase in exports is well distributed among the various kinds of manufactured articles and raw materials, but the greatest gains are shown in cotton tissues, threads, and yarns, and in metals and manufactures of metals. In 1903 Great Britain received more than half the money paid by Japan for turning lathes, machine tools, paper-making machinery, spinning machinery, steam boilers and engines, hats, caps, and bon- nets, paint in oil, soda ash, caustic soda, pig and ingot iron, plate and sheet iron, other manufactured iron, manufactured cotton goods, serges, woolen and worsted cloth, woolen and worsted mixed with cotton, coal, sulphate of ammonium, belting and hose for machinery, and submarine and underground telegraphic lines. In some of these commodities England has secured trade which formerly went to the United States, and the proportion of these imports from America is in most cases insignificant. Nearly $6,000,000 worth of cotton yarn and cotton tissues was: imported in 1903, and a little more than that the previous year. The demand for goods of this kind is fairly steady, and is supplied principally by Great Britain and Germany. Since making the report on patents and trade-marks, which was published by the Department of Commerce and Labor April 20, 1904, more complaints have come to this office from importers, whose busi- ness had been injured by unauthorized registration of the trade-marks on their goods. The trouble arises from the negligence or ignorance of the agent and foreign manufacturer of the goods. The Japanese law provides adequate protection against such frauds, but the manu- facturer can secure the benefit of that protection only by registering his trade-mark before another has done so. od 718 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. IMPORTS AND EXPORTS, BY COUNTRIES, IN 1903. Countries. Imports. Exports. Countries. Imports. Exports. United States......... $23, 044,388 | $41,196,545 || Russia ............... $145, 721 $560, 875 China ......... ats 22, 638, 113 32, 367, 101 || Holland 405, 724 111, 977 British India <.| 34) 807; 310 4,027, 225 || Sweden 144, 767 258 Hongkong... eee 866,3 14, 802, 898 || Spain .. 0, 393, 33, 662 Korea ..... sai 4, 438, 251 5, 857, 224 || Turkey. .. 1,108 52,768 French India.........| 7,758, 654 98, 493 || Denmark 8, 965 14, 665 Dutch India... 5, 399, 704 454, 385 || Norway .. 9, 863 860 Russian Asia .....-.-. 4,117, 291 1,115, 513 Portugal ee 8, 964 4 Straits Settlements ... 659, 074 8, 540, 133 || British America 248, 522 1, 455, 928 cee TANG eae 1, 703, 934 4,409 || Mexico........- 816 35, 967 Si 2 1, 855, 687 36, 666 9, 008 5, 982 S 24 270, 906 8, 239, 173 597, 568 1, 669, 528 2 9) 543) 741 17, 182, 702 1,195, 996 160, 687 "| 13; 425}570 2, 682, 4 87 1, 122, 384 2 154, &88 5, 479, 796 725, 419 443, 058 3,774, 188 242, 612 , 881, 144 488, 683 157, 988,488 | 144,172,216 Switzerland ... 1,089, 601 131, 840 IMPORTS AND EXPORTS, BY PORTS, IN 1903. Ports. Imports. Exports. Total. TN OTe ic an cnn er eiaenendeeedherneicemsecinidiemaas wee $55, 217,726 | $72,997,058 | $128,214, 784 sie "anes | “aint | ae IRB aca ciara cna ioc ercyc reece nine ave a ence ei imntStS , 220, , 160, 17, 380,940 Nagasaki .. 6,407,956 | 2, 468, 576 8, 876, 581 Hakodate: o2c:0 ais sc vec sece ceinsciisciond nes 2, 044, 220 1, 498, 435 , 542, Moji-Shimonoseki 4, 857, 721 8, 087, 879 12, 945, 600 Kuchinotst i. sxsccecaneriecnjetorsicaiiew 204, 164 2, 362, 044 2, 566, 209 Other Portesicwss seeacstakng su seses wets setneeseedmoneRees 4, 023, 531 21519, 443 6, 542, 974 POHL icici scejwasciv nia nines vided aieaieioa riniseeetteaeduny oda 157, 983, 487 | 144,172,216 | 302, 105, 702 a Reimports and reexports included. IMPORTS, BY ARTICLES, IN 1903. Articles. Value. Articles. Value. AMITINGS AVES 6 oioes visijeesecaedeeaeaseeis $712,161 || Iron and steel, and manufacture Beans, peas, and pulse............-.. 8, 980, 720 of—Continued. Carriages, bicycles, oad parts thereof. 484, 528 Railsis v3 cccesacuanews a | $1,870, 482 Chlorate of potash 378,792 Fittings thereof. ..2222072 : 256, 924 Coal 982, 516 HOP osoeross empsiacisciimepinieg eels 464,171 461, 655 Tinned DlatOsscsgeoonsken sess 396, 950 488,035 || Lead (pig, ingot, and ane 311,795 412) 861 |) Leather, sole,and other.......... 763, 069 Locomotives .......--.-..sssssssseeee 1,380, 860 Machinery and engines...........--- 4,049, 1 GINNED waceidet seins ciegeeciesnit 38, 966, 949 || Oil, kerosene.............cceeceeeeeee 6, 704, 937 In the seed........ 4 653,070 || Oil’cake.............. weceeeeeanenesee| 5,348,202 Flannels .............. : 267,400 || Paper: PYIDUG 5 n5 nine yaigie ain nniein = 983, 737 Printing ..... is eect ela aleraedlalaioe sees 498, 655 Satins and cotton velvets........ 946, 482 Other ........ a eforause/e(aseierhlasaie ataiaretate 1, 032, 322 Shirtings— Paraflin Wax - : ; i poe “ee 3 1 8 d Norway. reece... swedch i : 52 30 82 Belgium - : 4 2 6 Spain .-- 3 5 8 || Mexico. Pesnnasces- 1 Bpanae he 32 15 47 || CBN. sew ssee ase ec 1,349 524 1, 873 pOen 16 8 24 - Risssia. on Bee ee ake int tana Gs 297 Soap, was. i Bode ere osraees 1,186 |) Stationery ..- 1 ou RAISE foes, ofacces Soe 9, 413 OVS soon pesca necoes 5 4 , Star anise......-..------ , zs 1179 1,305 Umbrellas, European ......------ s Surpharté acid: 12200222 "746 Vessels, steam and sailing........-. i a atl other drugs, etc 7,509 Wood, mia serates Dl akasae ver eee ea Metals and metal manufactures: All other articles -.......-.-..-.--- y Bronze; oy oor aaa Biaesaaioies 7 oe? Total Japanese products ......... 2,168, 289 etre td ailtyar wares. 3,411 — gold Sees chee 4, 423 FOREIGN PRODUCTS. } etals .........-..-- ; an Cther metal manufactures ...-. 2, 839 Posten: eee tools, and a, Spe seed ccueUNeenerd peRawees & pee een mechanics’ tools and 663 2 1 i errr rere tere ai eiher ee te WaXe8......---2- 3; 266 Lae musical and acces- aa : BOVIOS: ven ase Seiasinsings sigjeseinasieracisies Paper aug paper manufactures: Bisetrie-light appatatig ooo : : 8 2 an : an ‘ie , PP Printing (iarepeeiy 54, a7 ne qraiumante, Speen, etc. 1,870 Over e 15, 862 || Beverages and comestibles: : Other -.-------++++--+0+° "679 Biittel. so. .2ssezseess aeeseeses sees 971 Labels -------- «1° -- Gactures ‘All other comestibles . 7 23, 546 tures ..... 1,444 ] > 8 cl otner Pee nora, ete: at | Gone aumenanen a tase, anal o-oo ee Perel es 1.17 Snel ee : "578 Soda, bicarbonate of Mother sine Gy dey ater Tother drugs, ete 16,476 a threads, and raw mate- All other 88, ete ....- Tissues, yarns, ) Dyes, colors, and paints: ~ rials thereo!t Peres Cobalt, oxide of......---.--- a3 Silk, Raw, oe 10, 807 Paint in oil...... pyesnecete 700 Up to 13 denier 39, 934 Paints for vessels’ base : ae Oe eee 17,824 || __Allother dyes, ete, ----.2 22-020. Sik nL handkerchiefs corer aie tower 1,335 || Glass and glass manufa f Silk tissues, Smbroigersd eticresoim Gs ae 1, 183 i anufactures ... All other silk m 7 480 ie 744 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. EXPORTS, BY ARTICLES, IN 1903—Continued. Articles. FOREIGN PRoDUCTs—continued. Grains and seeds: Wheat All other grains and seed: Horns, ivory, skins, hair, shells, ‘ete.: | Leather— All other bones, etc Metal and metal manufactures: Iron and mild steel— Pig and ingot ........- Bar and rod....... Plate and sheet... Roofing and galvan. Galvanized sheet .-- All other manufact and mild steel Noals..:¢: 22. seeeeeseee~ Screws, bolts, and nuts Wire and small rod ... Wire rope.....-.---- Old iron or mild stee Other manufactures Steel, other than mild— Wire rope ........-----------+++ All other manufactures........ Copper— Bar, rod, plate, and sheet. ..-.-. Manufactures of Mercury or quicksilver All other metals and manufac- tures of Oils and waxes: oil— Kerosene — ed Value. Articles. Value. FOREIGN PRODUCTsS—continued. Oils and waxes—Continued. Turpentine ....-..-.-...----22.2005 $1, 066 Paraffin wax......-.... 3,079 All other oils and waxes. 1,074 Paper and stationery ...... 899 Sugar, refined, A and B...........-.... 340 Tissues, yarns, threads, and raw mate- rials thereof: Cotton— Raw, ginned...........--.-.--- 25, 551 Duck........-...+ 2 1,301 All other cotton tissues .... 269 Woolen and worsted tissues. . 669 Flax, linen, or jute canvas ........ 8,392 All other tissuesand manufactures. 603 Tobacco (cigars and tobacco).......... 2, 002 Wines, liquors, and spirits: Champagne............ Seawia theses 710 Other wines and liquors .......-... 2,698 Miscellaneous: Waste cotton yarns 3 Belting and hose for machinery... Brushes and brooms Caoutchouc and gutta-percha,man- WfACtUTes-OF o.505 5 eee ewccacesscwess Cordage and ropes of flax, hemp, ~ jute, and China grass............ Electric light wire... Gunny bags...---.------.02- ee ee eee Lamps and parts thereof for elec- tric lights sccccccs se 2 sewceawaaaens Packing for steam engines All other articles Total foreign products.......-... Total exports............-.---..- 2,478, 489 TRADE WITH UNITED STATES. The exports to the United States were of no commercial importance, amounting in value to only $12,586, half of which were American goods returned. The largest single item was rice, which was exported to the value of $2,010. Coal, the only product exported on a large scale, is not sent to the United States from Nagasaki, but is shipped at Moji and Karatsu. The importations from the United States at Nagasaki amounted to $1,051,874, a decrease of $22,332 from those of 1902. The principal imports were flour to the value of $120,580, more than double the importation of the preceding year; kerosene, valued at $589,475, a falling off of $228,386. Paraffin to the value of $51,938 was imported, an increase of $49,342 over the record for the preced- ing year. IMPORTS FROM THE UNITED STATES IN 1903. . Engines, machinery, etc., valued at $159,141, were also brought in from the United States. Articles. Value. Articles. Value. Balances, measuring scales, etc........ $305 || Instruments: Clocks, standing and hanging......... 12 Medial. coicessc0eeuesses wigan ectin $358 CUREY eis au uianagueeimaccucacaicesun’ 31 Other scientific ............-----.-+ 158 Farmers’ and mechanics’ tools and im- Electric light apparatusorinstruments. 2, 884 plements....... Sieh Muhies soeeemesalse 2,417 |) Electric motors ........022.22.2-2+- 000+ 89, 614 Instruments, musical and accessories. . 501 |] Gas engines...... 2... .. cece eee e ee eeee 716 ASIA: JAPAN. IMPORTS FROM THE UNITED STATES IN 1903—Continued. Articles, Value. Articles, Value. a ee ee Dad Lifting machines ........... ‘ Drilling and boring eidehinas tees #5, h Looks, knobs, bolts, and hinges ....... $347 Sawing machinery , ails, bolts, and nuts......... 2 Turning lathe machinery... 7 ae on metal manufactures 49 ery - il: we oon and machinery . z, es eae Ti COAG, eusuccandcesseuus 589, 475 re Sesisteie se iaec65 ubricating......... ; Benne mactinery 2 4,012 like uct Oe Steam boilers ang eee e an T Ft Sa Reser: 10 A urpentine ............... ay ase "175 || Paraffin wax.......0.... 51 938 er machinery and parts th 8,069 || Other oils and waxes 1) 002 Photographic dry Bape pee Ne ccs sigkcloic ED || BOOKS wesc. evceeces se "349 Sporting guns and accessories . 21 || Ink, writing 2.220.222.2002. 022 IIT 44 a\nteleace x Sreaiee eee c-Si: 1 ° ao accessories..... 338 er Pacis Sawhcelenetaecbaeedoueunes 18 Boeee: a4 Mating Secuneamee nis 1 7: OL onside teodeneecaee ‘ Margarine .......... 108 |; Other stationery 187 Cheene so cciesakeeinisscves 903 || Sugar, refined, B 130 Coffee ....-... pie) hic, crctatels 580 || Molasses .........22.2---2.eceeeee scence 8 Coes oa Bests ly o Cotton, manufactures of: PSPS eee eertieceeee|) AMZ) Duka ce. cess cscs aslceceecaneee 306 PlOUP oi se cewesecingooseckiccee 120, 580 Prints. . Other meals and starches..... 485 Velvets * Fruits, fresh or dried, and nuts. 1, 280 7 153 ae ae beeen seesged Hawes 1, ae Pe and eoen plushes and velvets... 2 wisis Ppisiotccisaletiotediose earaie er silk tissues 7 Salt: Linen tissues..._..-....- 19 CTUGG anicetevicisesewee dees venennccs 27 || Cotton, flax, and hemp twines . 73 Refine 2 cecvsccesec des: 1 || All other tissues, manufactured 25 Salted meats................ 1,399 || All other tissues and raw materi 31 Salted fish -.............2... 118 || Linen handkerchiefs .................. “a Other comestibles. .. 5,311 || Spirits, wines, and malt liquors: Boots and shoes. 305 Beer 1, 684 | wore oe 2 1 PTTL LeRe Seer eee Eee eae Tt Tee 41 SHOETY sis icsssinse se siswsisat Ye sede asic 11 121 WISE Y sedis Soaucecisemteaguinasses 1, 302 on ee eeeiscaieeeldowuseneceses = OT QUOTE 6.6 o.2.2 oss sia sie eee se gan Other drugs and chemicals ... 1,241 |) Caoutchouc and gutta-percha sheet... 208 Varnish..............--..- ene 113 || Lard, tallow, and grease.....-......... 1,148 Other dyes, colors, and paint. 343 || Timbers, lumbers, and boards......... 1,301 ao manufactures of........ Ae grein exercising and gaming instru-| OBIT Bara avs Swiss soistrctsiaieisin casei ateveis: MOMS i: sisisiac.o hearers, s:ciaisiste stearate azaleia stoma 8 once Bete cmme: % a sisapcenetets 32, aU Polungs and hose for machinery .-..... 146 ther grains and seeds ....... rushes and brooms ............-..---- 91 Leather, sole....-...--.-.-.----. 2,529 || Caoutchouc and gutta-percha, manu- Skins, sheep and goat..........- 169 FACTUVES Of). siei areca sc aiecesuicaasiels 367 Other cen and aus pepe eteiginrsie ss 561 eertnee; bicycles, and tricycles...... 1, 042 Iron and mild steel: orks 11 Bar and eae pe plec ess Shs peck teen ed i ipa Sa ees pein eecntsiext 17 ae Plate and sheet ....-.......--2--..- ewelry, imitation of ....... Saskeeears Galvanized sheet .. 1, 464 || Lamps, and parts thereof.............. 193 Other manufactured iron and mild Lamps for électric light................ 655 steel . ssid spp nesirensatheseande dss L, ier Packing for steam engines............. 2a Pipes and tubes..............--.40. f icture paintings .......-...-....e-e8- Pibe and tube fittings.............. a Poreelain and earthen ware...-....... 31 Nails? scccccins sec sitesies 4 joap: Screws, bolts, and nuts "337 Toilet ...2....-2.--- 220-2 cece eee 854 Grates, fenders, stoves . 398 Washing . 165 Other manufackired iro’ aa ee other at steel ....-.--------+ ID crareisteiete Steel wire rope...-.-------- 2,966 || Steam vessels 800 Other steel manufactures. . 14 || Whiting.....< 2 Brass, plate and sheet ....- 7 918 || Hay.......- sveuae é 21 Brass tubes ..--------- gene i. i All other articles. .........22......2.22- 1,307 ss, manufactures of .... aaa Tnpatiles for D0ttletsxanaais ; 26 AS es ence ceamnegen san eas 1, 051, 878 Kitchen utensils....--...------+--+++-- 71 ead: TeaGig, ingot and slab .....-.-........ 1,807 PUES: sveeesice- vedere neneseaseeeeese 1,180 NAVIGATION. The total shipping of the consular district was 10,373 vessels, witha tonnag' nage 0 e of 12,882,231. Those entering numbered 5,140, with a ton- f 6,424,168, there being 3,846 steamers, with a tonnage of 746 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. 6,357,035, and 1,294 sailing vessels, including junks, with a tonnage of 67,133. The clearances numbered 5,233, with a tonnage amounting to 6,458,063, there being 3,893 steamers, aggregating 6,391,504 tons, and 1,340 sailing vessels, including junks, with a tonnage of 66,559. In the following table are shown the number and tonnage of the ships of each nationality entered and cleared at the ports of this district in 1903: Entered. Cleared. Nationalities. Steamers. Sailing vessels. Steamers. Sailing vessels. Aue Tons. iy Tons. ee Tons. ae Tons. Japanese ........02.----- 000+ 2,110 | 2, 684,359 458 36, 674 | 2,164 | 2,731,501 441 35, 695 Japanese junks Leo votetacedt 395 |) TpBEB: |; nosealen recess] = B58 7, 660 Austro-Hungar! 23 British .. 780 Chinese . 6 Danish 33 Dutch... 9 French ... 18 German... 204 Korean ....- 22, Norwegian. . 311 Russian ..... ---| 230 Swedish....... fine 8 IBD |sscniewe| amseciee sss 8 BBO: Neicesaielosacee gee United States .......-....-.- 92 824,124 1 602 92] 824,124 1 602 TOtBlsscssciedsaiesiceuces 8,846 | 6,357,035 | 1,294 67,133 | 3,893 | 6,391,504 | 1,340 66, 559 SHIPPING AT THE PORT OF NAGASAKI. The ships entering and clearing at the port of Nagasaki in 1903 numbered 2,283, with an aggregate tonnage of 4,014,205, as against 2,238, with an aggregate tonnage of 4,048,211 in 1902. The entries were 1,175, with a tonnage of 2,007,153, comprising 1,055 steamers, with 1,983,867 tons, and 120 sailing vessels, with 23,286 tons. The vessels clearing numbered 1,108, of 2,007,052 tons. Of these, 1,054 were steamers, aggregating 1,985,173 tons, and 54 sailing vessels, aggregating 21,879 tons. In the following table is shown the number of vessels entered and cleared at Nagasaki in 1903: Entered. Cleared. Nationalities. Steamers. Sailing vessels. Steamers. Sailing vessels. Zea Tons. oe Tons. Hane Tons. ane Tons. JAPANESE. 0.0.0. cncceceee sees 519 715, 551 103 2,249 522 720, 870 36 740 1 9,029) [iecrcd eee saat 1 9,999 |. 22. calbwssecenes 2,3 2 ¥ 187, 606 1 602 30 187, 606 1 Total...........2.----- 1,055 | 1,988,867] 120] 28,286 | 1,054 | 1,985,173 54 21, 879 COALING OF SHIPS. As the business of coaling ships is, with the exception perhaps of the dockyard, the most important interest in Nagasaki, a comparison ASIA! JAPAN. T47 of the amounts of coal exported as cargo and for ship’s use for the last three years is given below: Cargo. For ship’s use. Years. Tons. Value. Tons. Value. Mi -aiiiecincidincine Se fate to sasadienetncmueneetiens ee ctuktt 187,823 | $560, 949 316,493 | $1, 232, 534 Rasrded ale GN cesloceaia area dards sictdeanh il 171, 483 500, 065 313,020 | 1,167, 509 siginanreclanaaneniewans4lea Se slaal 205, 271 511, 216 388,709 | 1,512,579 ee ee emer ne SEE 564,577 | 1,572,230 | 1,018,222 | 8,912, 622 Number of tons exported in time stated 1, 582, 799 VALU o102:4)2.cjecje 2)nhcnts= Seinintinle nasi eaaisleisieisice dae $5, 484, 852 Average price per ton for cargo.....-..--.- $2.78 Average price per ton for ship’s use.....-.---.2...2-0- 222. ee eee eee eee ee re $3. 84 DOCKYARD AND ENGINE WORKS. A number of important additions have been made during the year 1903 to the Mitsubishi Dockyard and Engine Works, which is the largest single interest in Nagasaki, employing 5,416 men. The brass foundry, in spite of a considerable extension in 1902, was found insuffi- cient and a further extension of 102 feet by 50 feet has been made. In its equipment are seven 3-ton radial cranes and a 5-ton Stone’s patent bronze air furnace. The iron foundry has also been extended 142 feet by 102 feet, for the purpose of manufacturing steel castings, with all the latest improvements in plant necessary for such work. In differ- ent parts of the works about 90 of the newest types of machines have been installed, including a 50-ton material-testing machine at the Aku- noura Works and a 1U0-ton chain-testing machine at the Tategami ard. After successful experiments during the last two years, pneu- matic tools have been introduced on a large scale. To supply theses tools a powerful air-compressing engine has been installed and a port- able pneumatic plant for working on ships in the docks. To the electric power house at the Akunoura Engine Works has been added a brick building 85 feet long by 34 feet wide, one part of which is used as the hydraulic power house, while in the other has been installed a powerful electric battery plant, consisting of a 100- kilowatt motor-driven booster and 132 cells of the Tudor type, the discharge capacity of which is 3,000 ampere hours. ; The No. 3 dock, now under construction, Is well advanced and is expected to be completed by December of this year. The dimensions of this dock will permit the entrance of very large ships, as the length of the keel blocks will be 714 feet, the width at the top of the entrance 96 feet 7 inches, and at the bottom 88 feet 7 inches, while the depth ’ of water on the blocks at ordinary spring tide will be 34 feet 6 inches. The number of vessels docked ut the yard in 1903 was as follows: War ships. Merchant vessels. Nationalities. Gross Gross Number. tonnage. Number. tonnage. ssistioneebe dg w cee Stee 7 14,791 40 64, 258 Japel Re ese eet ee ee aeeiatena ine eece vansenens 8 98) 441 41 82) 144 reign -----ce 100 | - 100 _ The market is still occupied exclusively by Russian oil. The qual- ity is noticeably inferior to that of American petroleum. It is imported in tin cans containing 4% gallons. In cities on the seacoast it retails at 8} centsa gallon. At Harput the retail price is 21 cents a gallon. The difference in price is a good example of the transporta- tion tax paid by the residents of interior cities on commodities not produced in the immediate vicinity. IMPORTS BY ARTICLES, YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 1904. Articles, Quantity. Value. _, Country or place of origin. From foreign countries: Sp acl a. : PYiNts sceseecacaczseceseeneesees yards..} 1,260,000 $110, 000 | Austria, France, Germany. 100, 000 110,000 | United Kingdom, Germany, Bul- ig Pallas 2 ee ae 400, 000 88,000 | Austria, France. 226, 400 88,000 |. United Kingdom.. Hae 79,200 | Egypt, Russia. 1, 000, 000 66, 000 ae United States, United King- i. ee alte at om. 20, 000 35,200 | Russia. SUPOE oicicsnecuess years caceds pounds... 594, 000 26,400 | Austria, France. Cotton handkerchiefs.......number.. 500,000 | | 22,000 | Austria, France, Germany, TON 3. j2,25 2c oacisisiicce sata cams 17, 600 | Belgium, Sweden. Cigarette paper. . z 15,400 | France, Germany, United States, elvet......- qe renee Germany. i oe aseaeebestanceecncecands ueweeemeees 9, 24 elgium, ‘Trance, ermany, adie : d givnited Kingdom.’ , LCOS Se cwcaewsensaccas veeacoueemees 8,800 | Singapore. _ Nas, 9,240 | Belgium, United Kingdom. Hardware - 6,600 | France, Germany, United States. Leather.... - 6, 600 | On | . Matches - 6,600 | Austria, Italy. Coffee -.. 5 6,160 | France. Crockery erat 5,280 | Austria, France. Sewing machines. . a 5,209 | United States. | Sacking ‘ds 4,400 | Austria, United Kingdom, Ger- many. it COPDOl vices stesisaisiecmnd pounds. . 21, 800 4,400 | Austria, United Kingdom, Stoolen ihderwear dozen.. 600 3, 960 | France, Germany. 8,080 | France. 3,080 | Germany. . FIG 2,640} Germany, Switzerland, United States. Iron (sheet).-.----- Dyes....----------+-+ Clocks and watches - 2,640 | Belgium. Glassware ..------- um. led ware ......------- 2,200 | Austria, Germany, France. ertuierd and toilet accessori 2, 20 shane, Germany. Tea ..---------2002- : , 3 . : i 1,914 | Germany United Kingdom, ieee ageaben : United States. , 1,760 | Austria, Germany, aoa 1, 320 | Austria. 1,320 | Germany, United Kingdom. oe ee 1320} Germany, United © Kingdom, vat States. 5 1, 056 nited Kingdom. inca munneeaen ” 880 France, Germany, United States, oka. 660 | United States, France. ae. : 660 poe fee France. i i I i 352 | Unite es. ee pe eee aseee i 308 | Austria, United States. pe intoahes Sohal = ! 176 | France, Germany. a : pe ceieee 176 | United Kingdom. Fill ns... 66 | Germany. : fie ae ie d ! 2 66 | Germany, United States. Biciting and diy goods o 1,400 | United States. Clothing and dry goods .......-..-----!s-++---++++- 764 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. IMPORTS BY ARTICLES, YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 1904—Continued, Articles. r Quantity. Value. Country or place of origin. ign countries—Continued. : Fee sel soon 5s Seaida saivewstaesle nein esi ae $440 | United States: Furniture and sundries 960 |. Do. Other articles. ......-....---.-0.0eeeee- 75, 000 Total ci .cec sewedecesscamessindgwareces (seeuseseduee 852, 163 Te aoe a annie dea geeeeoe 176, 000 | Bitlis, Diarbekir. Soap .........2-- 37,400 Aleppo, Aintab. Sheep ........- 22,000 | Diarbekir, Bitlis, Erzerum, Mosul. Yarns........- 22,000 | Adana. Salt cc conc eee 7,920 | Diarbekir, Erzerum. Horseshoes. . 6,600 | Constantinople. _ TOW She2-c-cycains bev emweseads Heweeeeeee 6, 600 ctr Constantinople, Hama, arsovan, hoolbooks 3,520 | Constantinople. pees Oil ...... 2,200 | Aleppo, Aintab, Kilis, Bracelets (glass).....-- 0.22. .0-2ee eee ee|ecee ee eee eee 1,320 | Aleppo, Constantinople. sock ery ete vk oeloermabn mae esmeaees aarp a tae iL ee Conapanle enna.... -pounds.. i i Raisins.........00s06 ce Ossie 7,100 880 | Diarbekir. Apoael( diee) ce pom 43;600'| 748 | Serverum odel (yellow)... Zi ‘ $2 F ) 628 | Trebizond. 628 | Trebizond, Constantinople, Sam- soun. 440 | Bagdad. 182 | Sivas. | 66 | Constantinople. 22,530 | Constantinople, Samsoun. 5, 000 319, 666 1,171, 829 EXPORTS, BY ARTICLES, YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 1904. Articles, Quantity. Value. Destination. To foreign countries: some is Giaraily ieidie Asrwianercyacrsye number. . 500, 000 a Bo frames, Egypt, United States, PIU os ie ccis acne cscs snccssaeewenleecivaesciaes ’ ‘ance, Morocco leather .. .-number.. 150, 000 44,000 | Egypt. fotee casings. a Ren os oe a oer a erence, United States. OCOONS......... pounds... é rance. .-.-boxes.. 42, 000 18, 040 | Russia, Persia.- 17,600 | Russia, United States. 4,620 | France. 4, 400 Do. 4,400 | United States. 880 | France, Egypt. Ue ueguce wen we tameciane ie ued| Lee s2d eee 487, 080 92,400 | Diarbekir, Bitlis, Erzerum. 31,680 | Erzerum, Bitlis, Sivas. sidaiibnrweles 31, 680 | Aintab Diarbekir, Aleppo. 12, 320 Diarbekir, Aleppo. , 8 Diarbekir, Sivas, Aleppo, Erzerum. 8,800 | Erzerum, ‘Mush, Karahissar. aia ails 8, 800 Constantinople, Erzerum, Trebi- passa Sivas. 4,400 | Alepp 4, 400 Gonma tino: le. 4,770 | Trebizond, Constantinople. 1,780 Constantinople, Aleppo. on vate 1320 Diarbekit ao rbe oe mulberries 1, 320 Brera, Siva: Suislssicie arbekir, Mosul, Bagdad. OLA LOCR soca orcsa'nih aie vie wid nine Gu'sieiaicnaraiaio| aineisiais vies a "440 Diarbekir. . Silkworm eggs 440 Do. BOBD sicisteiaiisisictals aes ba Ge wcnememenmeae Seal acess qemears 176 Do. Total scccstersenavsnsecswawtwsesemeiee(eesicecsec as 216, 036 Total exports........ 708,116 ASIA: TURKEY IN ASIA. 765 TRADE WITH THE UNITED STATES. There is a steady increase in direct importations from America since the establishment of this consulate at the close of 1900. Direct expor- tations to America have been checked during the past year, partly on account of fluctuations in American quotations for the skins and sau- sage casings which form the chief articles in this branch of trade, and partly by reason of disturbed conditions in and about Harput for several months during the current year. The following are the more important branches in which a foothold has been gained: AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS. The introduction of American plows, harrows, drills, and a reaper has attracted much attention. Some difficulty was encountered at first in training animals to draw the various implements. The results obtained from the deep plowing of the American plows have afforded a striking object lesson. All have been impressed by the difference in the yield of grain and cotton when comparison was made with adjacent fields which had been cultivated with crude plows, duplicates of those used in the time of Abraham. The introduction of the reaper in 1902 was attended with many riotous manifestations of hostility from those who felt more directly the economic results of the advent of a machine replacing manual labor on so extensive ascale. During the harvest season of 1904 there was no repetition of this opposition. The reaper was kept constantly busy at various points in the fertile plain of Harput. General satis- faction has been expressed by the provincial authorities at the entrance of these modern appliances, and there is every prospect of a good market for American agricultural machinery being opened in the immediate future. IRRIGATION APPLIANCES. An agency has been established for American pumps, and seven have been introduced here. They all do good work and are highly regarded. At present-they are run by hand power. A horsepower has been introduced, and this device may aid materially to solve the irrigation problem of the great Harput plain, where water is found abundantly at no great distance from the surface and where animal as well as human power is exceedingly cheap. ; Great interest is being taken in the drilling of a well by the resident Americans to supply the needs of the Euphrates College. The machinery used is of local make, modeled from American patterns. When completed. it will obviate the necessity of carrying water, often a long distance, in leathern skins to supply the college. As much of the city is now supplied in this crude way, the object lesson can not but be instructive. A 12-foot windmill and pump, imported from America, will bring the water to the surface. This is a means of power unknown in this region, and will also be an important object lesson. SEWING MACHINES. The central agency of the Singer Sewing Machine Company, estab- lished in Harput four years ago, is very successful. Branches are 766 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. now in active operation at Diarbekir, Mosul, Bagdad, and Bassorah. Seven hundred and three sales were made in the five vilayets during the past year. Since this agency was established, at the close of 1900, there have been 1,933 machines sold. The demand at the out: xt was largely for light machines turned by hand. Now the somewhat more costly machines, with treadle, are sold more freely. The great major- ity of the machines are sold on the installment plan, and there seems to be no @ifficulty in making collections. The success with which these machines have been introduced in this region and in Mesopo- tamia, completely displacing all foreign competition and covering promptly and effectively so extensive a territory within two years, is a most striking lesson to all American manufacturers desirous of establishing themselves in a country possessing great commercial possibilities. OTHER ARTICLES FROM UNITED STATES. Following the introduction of the bicycle an agency was established, and a strong durable American wheel of simple type, retailing for $30, was placed upon the market. The advantage of the bicycle was promptly appreciated, and there are now 18 in useat Mamouret-ul- Aziz. Through the efforts of this consulate, several large orders for steel roofing for new buildings have been secured. They are found. to be most satisfactory in every way, as compared with the prevalent types of fragile tiles or heavy roofs of rolled earth. The city hall and the various buildings of Euphrates College at Harput, a large new school building, and the new Protestant church at Mamouret-ul-Aziz are provided with this roofing, while another large school building will be covered by the same material. There is a large consumption of wooden shoe pegs in this region. The demand is met by importation from Germany. A large trial order for American pegs was secured. They have given great satis- faction as far as quality is concerned, and can be sold at prices mate- rially below what is asked for the pegs of European origin. Heretofore rubber overshoes have been supplied exclusively from Austria and Russia. American rubbers have been ordered this year directly from the United States, which in quality, appearance, and price have a decided advantage over the European article. Euphrates College and the mission station at Harput import annu- ally from America books to the value of $500, and furniture, clothing, and supplies to the value of $2,800. PROVINCIAL COMMERCE. In trade with other portions of the Empire, the following are the more important features: Imports of salt from Diarbekir, Erzerum; soap and olive oil from Aleppo; yarn from Tarsus; sheep from Diar- bekir and Mosul; butter from Diarbekir and Mush. Exports of wine to Erzerum; cotton to Diarbekir, Van, and Sivas; raw silk to Aleppo; aon cloth to Erzerum and Mush; opium to Constantinople; rice to rzerum. ASIA: TURKEY IN ASIA. 767 CONDITIONS IN THE VILAYET. POPULATION AND FINANCE. The villayet has an area of 14,614 square miles and a population of 463,000, or 32 people to the square mile. oF 7 The financial condition of the vilayet for the financial year ended March 18, 1904, was: Revenue. Amount. Expenditures. Amount. Land tax ........-----------e eee eee eee $132,000 || Local administration. ... $167, 140 Trade licenses .....-.--...----020eeee-ee+ 24, 640 || Gendarmerie 121, 000 Military exemption tax ...... eee| °°'72;600 || POlICC! cacccc cc xcancems dun cecrmenews sents! 21,340 Tithes on grain and produce . .--| 284,680 || Contribution for the support of the Cattle and sheep tax ......... ---| 110,000 Fourth Army Corps ......--.-.-.----- 365, 420 School tax ssciscsedccdsctecue ---| 16,000 || Contribution for the Navy ............. 11,000 . Miscellaneous .......--..--22-0-0-0--ee 7,000 || Public instruction..............-----+-- 15, 000 Requisition from the Imperial Govern- ment (Havaleh) ............--.------ 80, 740 Motal...c. aseviiesssxineseronsecssne 645, 920 Total expenditure.............--. 781, 640 It will be noticed that the revenue amounts to but 82 per cent of the expenditure. To the occidental official it might look as if the vilayet were rapidly approaching bankruptcy. The contrary is the case. The table of expenditure represents the annual budget-drawn up at the beginning of the financial year, salaries, etc., being stated at the full, normal, or contract figures. As the year advances pay- ments gradually fall in arrears until, at the close, officials, employees, contractors, etc., on an average have failed to receive 30 per cent of what is due them. A few secure the full amount of their salaries; others secure much less than 70 per cent. No attempt is made to carry the arrearages of the lapsing year into the opening fiscal year. In addition the administration of the public debt received from the taxes on liquors, cocoons, salt, and from stamp duties the sum of $26,930. The tobacco monopoly received $24,000. The branch of the agricultural bank at Mamouret-ul-Aziz made loans amounting to 4,920. Mite real estate of the vilayet is valued at $34,800,000. The value of the annual crop is about $2,900,000. The returns from commerce and manufactures are estimated at $2,000,000. AGRICULTURE. The cereal crops of 1904 are of average amount and quality. The cotton crop isdeficient. There isa fair yield of opium and of all fruits. Barley sells this autumn at 20 piasters per kileh of 50 okes, or 27 cents a bushel of 48 pounds. Wheat sells at 40 piasters per kileh of 60 okes, or 60} cents. a bushel of 60 pounds. No other cereals are grown here. American oats are bein introduced. The grain crop is rarely sufti- cient for the needs of the vilayet, and a small amount of flour or grain is imported from adjoining vilayets, to cover the deficit. The milling facilities of the region have steadily grown, so that but little flour was imported during the past year. The cultivation of the poppy is steadily decreasing as the price of opium falls. — The low price of yellow berries has likewise caused a great shrinkage in the export of this dyestuff. 768 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. SILK. The production of raw silk steadily increases. Great care is taken in the selection of eggs and in utilizing the latest advances in silkworm culture. Extensive additions are being made to the mulberry planta- tions of the vilayet. The crop of cocoons during the spring of 1904 has been of average quality and shows a notable advance in quantity over that of preceding years. The two existing silk factories are doing a prosperous business. Their ye are highly esteemed in Oriental markets and the attempt is made to make sales outside the Empire. The Government is steadily taking more and more interest in seri- culture and is doing much for the advancement of this profitable industry throughout the Empire. July 7 to 11, 1904, the first annual exposition of cocoons in this vilayet was held. It was opened in the resence of the Governor-General, Hassan Bey, Lieut.-Gen. Emin Pasha, other civil and military high officials, and the resident foreign | representatives. Bounties and rewards were offered to all those who had bestowed care and attention on the silk cultivation, especially in the manner of rearing the worms and in the production of cocoons. OTHER INDUSTRIES. This region produces an excellent grade of cotton. A newly estab- lished cotton-spinning factory in this city is turning out a great portion of the cotton of the region. “The production meeting especially the local needs is steadily displacing the yarns of English make. The American ‘“‘Cabot A” is highly appreciated and holds the market. Notwithstanding the high prices demanded the annual importation is being increased. There is an opening also for American yarns, cali- coes, prints, sheetings, in fact, all varieties of cotton textiles. There is a steady but limited production from the Kurdish looms of the region, extending but little beyond the local needs. The rugs made in the American orphanages at Harput and other cities near by find a ready sale in the United States. Much of the work is done to order, after designs sent from America. Circassians have lately estab- lished the weaving of rugs of genuine Persian designs. None of the valuable coal deposits in the vilayet are exploited, as the Government refuses to grant the requisite permission. The rich mine of argentiferous lead at Keban Ma’aden, on the Euphrates, has lain idle for over twenty-five years on account of the exhaustion of the wood supply in the vicinity and the cost of transportation. TRANSPORTATION AND FREIGHT RATES. The chief freight routes into the vilayet are: First, the wagon road from Samsoun, via Amassia, Tocat, and Sivas to Harput and Mamou- ret-ul-Aziz, a distance of 3074 miles, with its prolongation of 93 miles to Diarbekir. This was originally a fair piece of engineering but has not been kept in good repair. Second, the more direct road for pack trains to Aleppo and Alexandretta, somewhat shorter than the preced- ing. Third, a pack road from Harput to Kerassund, on the Black Sea, 250 miles in length. This is used frequently in summer, but is apt to be blocked in winter. It is, furthermore, less secure than the Sam- soun route. It passes through the important cities of Arabkir and ASIA: TURKEY IN ASIA, 769 Egin, and across the highway leading from Sivas through Erzinjan to rzerum. A fourth projected wagon road, also 250 miles in length, and passing through Arabkir and Egin, is destined to connect Harput with the port of Ordou, on the Black Sea. This will materially lessen freight rates. The route is partly built, but the greater portion is still on paper, and there is no immediate prospect of completion. _Freight rates for each 100 pounds from the following ports and cities to Harput and Mamouret-ul-Aziz are: From Samsoun, $1.80; Alexandretta, $1.80; Karassund, $1.50; Aleppo, $1.50; Diarbekir, 40 cents; Sivas, 75 cents; Erzerum, $1.20. The extent of the annual traffic to Harput and Mamouret-ul-Aziz over these routes, as represented by wagon and pack loads, is as fol- lows: From Samsoun and Sivas, 6,000; from Alexandretta and Aleppo, 500; from Kerassund, 4,000; from Diarbekir, 4,000; from Arabkir and other northerly points, 4,000; total, 18,500. The number of loads annually forwarded from Harput and Mamou- ret-ul-Aziz over these routes is about 5,000. H. Doce. 481, 58-3——49 AFRICA. ALGERIA. [From ConsuL D. S. KIDDER, ALGIERS, ALGERIA, DECEMBER 5, 1904.] GENERAL IMPORTS AND EXPORTS. The total importsinto Algeria in 1903 amounted to about $70,000,000, of which $58,000,000 came from France. This applies only to articles intended for consumption in the colony. Coal a ships and goods merely passing in the ports of Algeria are not included. The larger art of the imports trom the United States is included in the $58,000,000 noted as coming from France. The exports from Algeria in 1903 amounted to about $57,500,000, of which $47,000,000 went to France. It is impossible to give official figures for the first six months of 1904. The official volume for 1903 was not issued until September. TRADE WITH THE UNITED STATES. Expozts to the United States have largely increased lately. For the quarter ended September 30, 1904, the invoices presented at the con- sulate for certification amounted to $106,415.27, against $7,546.50 dur- ing the same quarter in 1903. Of the imports from the United States it is impossible to speak with any degree of exactitude, for they come chiefly from entrepéts in France, and having paid the duties there, are not classed as foreign imports on arriving here. Direct imports from the United States in 1903 amounted to about $506,000, an increase over the preceding year of nearly $110,000. The principal articles were: Agricultural implements, $71,000; cotton-seed oil, $114,000; lumber, $110,000; petroleum, $28,000; tobacco, $137,000, and tools and machinery, $25,000. The exports to the United States in 1903 amounted to $140,000. The principal articles were: Corkwood, $26,000; skins, $40,000, and vegetable hair, $60,000. PROSPERITY IN THE COLONY. During the year 1903, and more especially during the present year, Algeria has had a period of prosperity hitherto unexampled.. The rant of autonomy, subject only to the financial control of the French arliament, and the freedom from French centralizing tendencies, due largely to the unwearied efforts of the present popular and energetic governor-general, seem to have inspired new energy in the people and new impulses to every branch of activity. 770 AFRICA: BRITISH SOUTH AFRICA. viral _ Many new public works are in progress. The new, or inner, harbor 1s now almost completed, and gives to the port a total length of quays of 3,000 yards. It is connected with the principal harbor by an open- ing 80 yards wide, with a minimum depth of 33 feet. The number of vessels arriving at the port of Algiers in 1903 was 10,598, against 8,558 ta 1902. An important branch of business is the furnishing of coal to steamers, 1,867 ships having stopped here to coal in 1903. The stock of coal varies from 30,000 to 40,000 tons, and loaded barges are always ready to meet vessels. A notable feature in the revival of business is the number and extent of building operations. Speaking of this city only, a large and very handsome quarter has, inside the last two years, sprung up near this consulate, which is now, in consequence of the junction of the two communes of Algiers and Musta in, in the very center of the city. A plot of ground has been recsevell near the consulate for the construc- tion of a new central post-office. The erection of a new palace for the -governor-general in the immediate neighborhood is also contemplated. A much needed reform in the railway system of Algeria is to be realized as soon as the existing concessions expire, which will be within a very few years for the last of them. The colony, aided financially by France, is to buy up all the lines, and is to establish uniform and reduced tariffs over the whole country. No measure is more urgently required nor is more likely to prove a greater boon to Algeria. BRITISH SOUTH AFRICA. CAPE COLONY. [FRom VICE AND DEPUTY CONSUL-GENERAL C. Mi, ents Cape Town, CAPE COLONY, OCTOBER 31, AMERICAN TRADE IN SOUTH AFRICA. AMERICAN BRANCH HOUSES. A few large American manufacturers have established branches in Cape Colony and are doing as well as could be expected under the present conditions of trade. A large proportion of the wholesale mer- chants seriously oppose the establishment of branches by their Ameri- can principals because (1) they have been in the habit of importing, and, naturally, object to goods being brought here and stored for sale to the general wholesale trade, inasmuch as that does away with the speculative part of their business, which has been a considerable source of revenue in the past, owing to the fact that the market was usually either bare or overstocked; and (2) they seem to fear that ultimately the branches will solicit the retail trade direct, and will thus seriously interfere with the volume and profits of their business. This seems rather unlikely, because the retail trade is scattered over such a wide area that to properly solicit it would involve too much expense, the traveling expenses of commercial men being very heavy, particularly in the country districts, and especially when it is necessary to visit the districts far from the railways, where travel is often by post cart or other slow and expensive means. It would be unwise for any but a 772 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. strong house to attempt to operate branches or for anyone to do so without first sending a representative to look over the ground and to examine carefully the matter of storage and forwarding. MEANS OF ADVANCING TRADE. The best way for those who have a moderate trade and wish to develop it further, and for those who have none and are desirous of making a start, would be to place their goods fully before the New York exporters. It is also a good idea to send a man with samples to visit the trade with the understanding that, while he solicits business, the merchants may buy the wares exhibited through their own sources, as the trade is very touchy upon this point, a fact which can not be emphasized too much. Wholesale dealers in the United States should send men to look over the ground, as it is useless for them to put their goods into the hands of English merchants, who will always work harder to push British than American goods. One thing that should be impressed upon the minds of the American exporters is that it is not desirable to consign any large quantity of goods here without a trusted employee to carefully look after them, and not even then unless com- plete arrangements are made for the storing, handling, and disposing of the goods on arrival, as the market is more or less restricted, and advantage can be taken if the buyers know of a quantity of goods here on which storage and other charges are accruing, and for which a ready sale must be found to avoid loss. In such a case it is more than likely that the price eventually realized will be a very poor one. AMERICAN GOODS AND PACKING. The patterns and quality of American manufactures are satisfactory and no radical changes should be made to suit the local requirements. No general complaints are made about packing. It is desirable— in fact, absolutely necessary—that goods shipped here should be prop- erly protected by good, substantial cases—zinc lined, as a rule—as the discharging of cargoes is done mostly by native laborers, who use little care, and consequently goods are knocked about considerably. The same will apply to shipment inland by rail. Transportation facilities are fair, but very expensive; but as this expense is borne by the pur- chaser it is not of so much interest to the exporter. All shipments should be made with goods knocked down, when possible, in order to minimize the ocean freights. BANKING, CREDITS, AND REMITTANCES. The banking arrangements in Cape Colony are fair. The Standard Bank of South Africa, the African Banking Corporation, and the Bank of Africa have headquarters in London and branches in the principal cities in Africa. The African Banking Corporation has also a branch in New York. Exchange between here and London and New York varies from time to time, making it possible sometimes to remit at par to London, while at other times the rate exceeds one-half per cent; the rate at present is about three-eighths per cent on cable remittances to London; to New York a trifle more. European houses carry and control many institutions here, makin it possible for them to ship goods and draw long-time bills. It woul . AFRICA: BRITISH SOUTH AFRICA. 773 be quite useless for American compani ; i i 1 : panies to try to compete against this Sas and it has been found as a general aie rieue dedi nle to ask urchasers of goods in the United States to provide letters of credit rom their bank here to accommodate drafts on London or here, as arranged. This enables the shippers to extend such time as may be required with safety, _The merchants here understand this and the majority are quite willing to protect their credit in this manner. OCEAN FREIGHTS, In freight rates to South Africa for heavy goods the American has the advantage over the British exporter, as is shown by the following ren of freight rates from Great Britain and New York to Durban, atal: FREIGHT RATES FROM GREAT BRITAIN AND NEW YORK TO DURBAN, NATAL. From . From Merchandise. pera. __ | New York. Agricultural machinery..............0.. 0.0. cccecece cece cece eseeeeeceeeeeseees $9.73 . 26 Mining machinery * 7.90 4.26 Wire fencing ................. 7 7.30 4,26 (GalVENIZEG ATOM coo sess intiepsis atsiore arenas bid aamcig iia lajcioutrentematnetneeanmeeenmencn 6.08 4,26 The rate from London and New York to Cape Town is usually about the same as to Durban. FOREIGN COMMERCE. IMPORTS BY COUNTRIES. Year ended June 30— © ~=Countries. 1901. 1902. 1903. United Kingdom .........--....--..-./ Di aistiesacenaaencnine $67,171,701 | $102, 567,763 | $104, 680, 721 British pesteaiona 15, 795, 568 15, 930, 687 11, 796, 108 United States...........-....2..-- , 349, 15, 847, 367 22,079, 510 Argentina .... 1, 707, 041 6, 559, 034 , 831, 553 Belgium 20422 cee reece sees 1, 417, 385 2,515, 226 2, 481, 340 BBE Z1D oo, Bissao .......-- 1, 452 Foreign countries: Windward Coast 44, 022 ETANCE:.j.acwiseaunsneceaineaejusies osasey 34,154 || ~ Leward Coast - 12, 944 Germany -| 354, 254 United States -| 177,646 Holand ys 2:0 scrcrssicsais acai eS erciee 40, 508 LAD CIS s sisinnce nisin Saceawenepecenete , IMPORTS, BY ARTICLES. Articles. Value. Articles. Value. Cigars and tobacco....--...-----+---0-+ $21, 065 Medicines and drugs....... 3 81, 741 PODDO?: ois saceaccuikeaias sans 44 Tobacco, unmanufactured... 165, 975 Methylated spirits ........--. é 16 LOA aie sisisisracs storeaiaispergieessisie.cia - « Sil Beeswax . 2. csseecsevens seeses nie 7 Benne seed ..........-.------ “3 42 Coffee, raw .-.......---0-2-02005 a 6 Cola nuts.......-.-..-..-.---- 2 558 Agusi seed .... Bl GIN BOP oie crsconncarapeisars psbielers Giese ae 634 Ale and porter IF Ground nuts .......-..------- = 6, 834 Aerated and mineral waters oy Gum copal .........------+--- se 369 Bacon and hams : Hides scccvieneescantvecece sec me 4 Beef and pork .. se ORNS 's.s:cassnm sie saisecasee cers . 10 : TL VOLY wisecsgeteis ins caciciseimonaenemss ‘ 51 Palm kernels.........--.----.-+++ 26 RUDD Pies sete cccescseeewesss) se eeeeu cee 2,779 Seeds and plants ........-...--.-------- Apparel)... 2. cesesecssees sveeeeteraess 65, 761 Coffee. . BASS! oo sccacisascgiseceisenceee eee Seas 27,170 Confectionery Cottons..........--- 22 e eee eee eee eee 90, Country cloths ......-.....-.-...---265- 1, 696 Corn, Indian = 9) Ee ees rue ee ten ateeatataenie ss a0 ae Fish, preserve MK POOUS sce cesiecnasassteesseaceseeasey § e : UnifOrMs oocjge'scews ee ciesnenesaieaeine ses 5, 452 Woolen goods .........- 5 51, 299 Agricultural implements ‘ 286 Cutlery sc. -cicevescecine . 12, 003 Electroplated ware Be 2,076 Iron bedsteads .... 2, 284 Hardware goods -| 850, 932 Iron bars........ 1,420 Iron pots ...... 18, 829 Iron safes ........- 1,321 Jewelry .......-.-. 2,129 Machinery .... 58, 009 Ammunition .......... 758 Anchors and chains. 806 Antimony........-.- 4 Baskets ........- Bead: 56 ecceccrccciasmascincwascee 16,270 BIDIOS scecnieiwesss cocceaiete aeiccialineis 1, 223 Bicycles scnsscasemmarascent-eeneene 1, 966 OMG: tesada. Setcnemen eee creas 7, 612 BOOKS CCG isis sisssisinieacwiecinercise ceieerernes 87, 982 fen te, “eH AFRICA: SIERRA LEONE. 811 IMPORTS, BY ARTICLES—Continued. : Articles. Value. Articles. Value. NEG shai < scotia nis oc $24,181 || Oars $983 IOUS oe ne eee eee ee cee meee cence ein AOL |) Oars ....... 0.22. eee eee eee eee eee Bricks ......... eee : 1,136 |} Oil: Building material ..._. 45, 961 Colza 3, 449 erlenas Re iscet beeen ee 4,631 Groundnu 3&2 andles 2.2... ssaaigte 17, 852 Kerosene ... 32, 346 Carts and carriages . . 57, 302 Olive and salad. 783 Casks and shooks ...... 021 AAING rsecicscjetieie ki sleaeiosneioeee 2,752 Cement ..........22.... 27,683 PO... wiejsiciamoetcin ndewiceens Clocks and watches ... 2,970 POLaiiN, coca eeas aaeeeees a 205 Coal and patent fuel... 94, 439 SPEIM, .tamneaeser eevenaicne a 21 Cooking stoves......... bess 814 Turpentine eesiecizestus a 1, 387 Coopers’ stoves .......... aS 139),|\) PANG case ceasseukatnssesese oa 9, 259 COTA ES oo sosivic ncn en nnn nn see 10,309 |) Perfumery .................... ss 18, 912 COTES 89.0. oc cacisingacinnans ees 290 || Photo materials............... aa! 3, 605 Cotton, cards........... rae 287" |) PiCtUrEs... cosas sxpeceeteeccts i 732 COWTIES . on... ee cccsisse Se 1390 Pipes ajese.ceociowz ives veegeinsie nts aa 4,532 Curiosities - es 48 || Pitch and tar -..-.-.........-. ia 3, 280 Earthenwar 30,451 || Potash .............-.--2-- --- 8 Cartridges . 6,461 || Printing materials. . 492 Fireworks. 752 || Revolvers.. 401 Flags .... 9 || Rum color. 126 Furniture .. : 18,707 || Shea butter 285 Glassware............ zs 7,693 || Slates and ti 232 MONS noe etiiinine see Bina 3,398 || Soap ....... 8, 054. Gunpowder .............2.2...22222220- 4,028 || Spars....... algae 192 Haberdashery ....... vie] 150,408) [| SWOrd 8: «ccc cccoscwaes pescecs suleezeawacay Hats and caps........ a 39,143 |} Tallow..........--..--2----- aig 726 BY «occ cismcrecns anes Sch 36 || Telegraphic materials .....- ei 2,917 EAM ps os:csictcn crm noeenwmy seca etaeees. 6,379) || ‘Timber -22<:22es0 eeseece0% 2 wi 7, 269 MeGther 5 wcene seared casiaiargeruasnties ASTOR Hi) TOONS. 3.05202 so ccemicsseee sini ans 948 VAMC sa ncezeeeestn reecaGiis? vac cegs seed 6,117 || Typewriters.......-......-.--- Zi 834 DUM DER. iss ees se ees beeenasseuese seins 54,301 || Umbrellas ............2....-.- zi 16, 697 MANUTES:,2ciccicie\stcicnasecieieeaclnenenis Sawleize, DSi ll VERTIISN 6 a: des0rd oierarssaicinre aiecateasts a0 498 MUCHOS sc dc.cncoriecwcniarcpeerterionaeisients 7,280 || Whiting«...........--....-- 367 Mathematicand scientific instruments. 4,244 || Musical instruments........ 9, 986 NG@WSDODCIS sissiccdics ceascasariecnncis canes 1 || Memorial stones ............ : 1, 525 Oak or vais ccesccssemtonnsaaseariseien! 745 || Mortars and pestles.................--- 27 EXPORTS. The total value of the export trade was $1,660,941. The total value of African produce exported was $1,613,721, which consisted mainly of rubber, palm oil, palm kernels,-ginger, and kola nuts. Germany received about 34.7 per cent and Great Britain about 30.5 per cent of the exports of the colony. There was an advance in the market value of both rubber and of palm oil, with a decrease in quantity of the former and an increase of the latter during the year. The price of palm ker- nels was lower than that of -1902, resulting in a total loss of $19,466, notwithstanding 187 tons more were exported in 1903 than in 1902. There was a larger quantity of ginger offered for export, but prices ruled lower than in 1902. The African kola-nut trade was quite active, with a considerable increase in quantity in the inter-African markets, which commanded good prices, amounting to $77,864 in bulk of 469 hundredweight. GENERAL TRADE CONDITIONS. The trade of Sierra Leone has been good during the year. The country is fast recovering from the effects of the late hinterland war, and by the progressive road building, railway extension, etc., through the rich sections of the protectorate, the imports and exports of mer- chandise and native products through this port have correspondingly increased. This opening up of the interior is gradually but surely making itself felt as the native comes more and more in touch with 812 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. the markets of Freetown. The wholesale houses have been generally prosperous, owing chiefly to their large sales and shipments to the new establishments in the interior towns along the railway line. Both the barter and retail trade of the protectorate have shared in the general prosperity. There has been, however, much complaint of dullness of trade from the local retail dealers in Freetown, due no doubt to the sharp competition by which the larger firms are practically masters of the situation; with perhaps few exceptions they sell both wholesale and retail at the same rate. The individual buyer can often purchase a single article as cheap as a retail dealer can purchase it by the dozen. In the first part of 1902 there was an influx of Syrian traders from French Guinea to Sierra Leone. These added to the already congested trading population. RAILWAYS. There were 177 miles of railway line opened for traffic in 1903, the gross earnings of which were $178,201 and expenses $155,188, leaving a net balance of $23,013. The total trade of the colony, except specie, was $4,895,163. AGRICULTURE. oi . Agriculture has received more attention during the past than any previous year. The efforts in this direction are made almost wholly in the interest of growing cotton. It remains yet to be seen whether the masses of the civilized people will take hold of this industry. While great quantities of cotton seed, both Egyptian and American, have been distributed to fhe chiefs and alamamis of the interior with varying results, yet the more successful efforts have been the direct results of organized companies under the encouragement of the British Cotton Growing Association. Large plantations have been opened in Sherbro and at Mayumba, in the Romitta district of the protectorate. There are great possibilities for the production of cotton as soon as the people learn to grow it on a commercial scale by modern methods of cultivation. Large concessions have already been obtained from the various chiefs to this end, and the ultimate success of these enterprises will open yast markets in Sierra Leone and elsewhere in West Africa for the sale of American agricultural machinery. American plows, classed as hardware, are being intro- duced and are giving satisfaction. - INDUSTRIES. There have been no new industries established during the year. Elder Dempster & Co., of Liverpool, are preree to establish a steam laundry plant in Freetown. There is talk of a further exten- sion of the mountain railway beyond the present terminus at Wilber- force, to connect with other mountain villages and towns. CUSTOMS RULES AND PORT REGULATIONS. Under ordinance No. 10, of 1908, the following articles are admitted, free of duty: Agricultural and gardening implements and tools, bags intended to be used in exportation of West African produce, Bibles, AFRICA: SIERRA LEONE, 813 bullion, coal, coin, coke, books, stationery and school apparatus gen- erally for use of educational establishments, patent fuel, official sup- plies for consulates, ice, live stock, machinery for agricultural and mdustrial purposes; memorial tablets and tombstones, together with. their necessary accessories; tools, implements, and materials imported by miners and prospectors for their bona fide use in mining or pros- pecting; printing machines and all appliances except printing paper used in the process of printing, and printing ink, printed literary matter, including scientific and technical works in all languages, and printed music. All articles of West African manufacture or made from West African produce. There have been no changes in port regulations, wharf dues, or freight rates. Merchants and dealers in wares or articles of merchan- dise are required to pay a license tax of £2 ($9.73) annually or £1 5s. ($6.08) semiannually. There are no restrictions’ as to commercial travelers or passport requirements, and no discriminating regulations affecting American vessels or merchandise. OCHANITIA. AUSTRALIA.¢ [FRoM CONSUL-GENERAL J. P. BRAY, MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA, FEBRUARY 22, 1905.] AUSTRALIAN EXPORTS IN 1904. Preliminary figures just published by the customs department of the Commonwealth show the leading articles of export from Australia to oversea destinations during 1904. Separating gold bullion and specie from other exports, the totals are as follows: Gold bullion and specie, $86,569,775; other exports, $201,154,475; total exports, $287, 724,250. EXPORTS, BY ARTICLES. Articles. 1903. @ 1904, a Articles. 1903, 4 1904, a Butter. $6, 337, 055 |$12, 343,065 || Tinned meat --| $1,010,025 | $1, 881, 255 Coal... --| 5,269,515 | 4,917,055 |; Pearl sheil .. --| 1,868, 830 1, 437, 050 Oper ingots --| 6,894,735 | 7,096,595 |) Silver bars, e 38, 044, 185 4,022, 875 ADDIES: sac. ssctvdenssscene 806,870 | 1,067,395 || Silver lead .. --| 8,110, 320 4, 052, 815 Gold, uncoined.......--.- 380, 726, 480 | 31,407,720 || Hides...............-2--- 587, 085 508, 050 = , 805 335,865 || Rabbit and hare skins... 690, 735 825, 320 116, 525 676, 880 || Sheepskins..........-.... 5, 858, 310 4, 049, 690 1, 183, 020 | 26, 067, 800 || Other skins . 14,705 | 38,912,280 || Specie, gold. - 201, 930 109,175 || Tallow...... 5 1, 946, 205 982, 520 -| 62, 256,370 | 65, 162, 055 Jams and jellies. . Lea 0. ssi 2 sees oe 1,591,180 | 4,403,190 || Timber ..... 3, 841, 585 4, 209, 255 Sheet and pipe. 111, 580 88,085 | Tin ingots .. -+| 2,666, 705 2, 981, 685 Leather .........-.. 2,635,835 | 1,868,740 || Wine............--.0----- 525, 885 536, 710 Frozen beef ......-- 4,187,505 | 2,203,775 || Wooi: Mutton and lamb .. -| 2,460,570 | 8,211,910 Greasy ....--..----+-- 48, 024,825 | 65, 261, 615 Rabbits and hares........ 1,099,115 | 1,050, 780 Scoured and washed.| 21,983,170 | 20,798, 055 «The consul-general has estimated the value of the pound sterling at $5, when its actual value is 8665. The wool exported in 1904 consisted of 331,891,326 pounds greasy, and 58,605,680 pounds scoured and washed, against 263,546,652 pounds greasy, and 61,143,320 pounds scoured and washed in 1903. The most important headings in which increases occur are: Butter, $6,006,010; wheat and flour, $28,382,355; lead, $2,788,565, and wool $16,046,675. EXPORTS BY GROUPS. Australian exports may be grouped roughly as follows: (1) pastoral in origin, (2) gold, (8) agricultural in origin, (4) the industrial metals, (5) miscellaneous. In 1904 the exports of gold and wool were of almost the same value, each amounting to about $86,500,000. They furnish together, in fact, three-fifths of the export trade of Australia. With “The Federation of Australia is composed of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia. 814 OCEANIA: NEW SOUTH WALES. 815 regard to wool, the large increase, $16,046,675, in the exports, as com- pared with those of 1903 is owing not only to the larger clip and bet- ter prices, but also in some measure to the urging forward of ship- ments. The gold a of 1904 falls somewhat short of that of 1903, when the total was 92,982,850, a decrease of $6,413,075. Next in importance to wool and gold are breadstuffs and the industrial metals, in which. silver extracted from silver-lead ores is included. Aus- tralia exported in 1903 wheat and flour to the value of $30,000,000, being the largest amount ever recorded fora single year. It compares In a striking manner with 1903, when exports reached only about $1,600,000, while the imports necessitated by the almost complete har- vest failure of 1902-3 amounted to $12,750,000. Of the industrial metals, copper, lead, silver-lead, silver and tin, the exports in 1904 amounted to nearly $22,645,195, besides ores of various kinds. NEW SOUTH WALES. [From Consut O. H. BAKER, SYDNEY, MARCH 21, 1905.] IMPORTS AND EXPORTS. The imports into New South Wales from the United States exceeded in 1903 those from France and Germany combined by $8,682,430, though those countries took $8,106,275 more from Australia than the United States did. Both France and Germany have a fine line of first- class steamers plying between Australia and Europe, and yet with all the money they expend in the furtherance of trade the value of their imports into this country falls far below that of the United States. The imports from the United States were valued at $14,028,420, and from France and Germany at $5,345,990. The exports to the United States and dependencies were $10,069,045, and to France and Ger- many $19,069,045. The imports from the Hawaiian and Philippine islands were $130,470, and the exports to them and Alaska were $1,262,350. TRADE BY COUNTRIES IN 1904. Countries. Imports. Exports. Countries. Imports. | Exports. New Zealand...-..--.---- $4, 312,260 | $4,625,080 || Other British posses- i i MD 23985 seco 39, 339, 285 | 50, 742, 220 sions—Continued. wae — —— Straits Settlements ..| $231,830 | $519, 430 Other British possessions: Trinidad ..........-. 13,160 |.......----- A dei ..e Gomesearcce 9, 500 60 a Burmah .......------ 44, 985 10, 985 Total other British Canada ...--- Eee 645, 270 127, 785 possessions......- 6, 249,770 | 14,916, 330 Cape Colony - : 14, 890 688, 045 ; ; Ceylon... ore ee: 1, 302, 760 4, sb. @ Sen oe istmas Island -..- 5 - nee Island 1, 705 SIONS: csc sieccccs 48,901, 415 | 70, 283, 630 Pale 1 Foreign countries i Taya is asetcseiaa 1 ‘oreign countries: Gold Const Colony...|.----.------ 450 Argentina......----- 685 9, 080 Hongkong..-.------- 610, 650 1, 716, 375 Austria....... 3 555 2,565 India ...-- ...| 1,763,760 | 4,862,010 Belgium...... 1,399,305 | 6,115, 455 Malta..-.- ,710 20, 210 Canary Island: ee 40 , OO Mauritius. eit 83, 495 107,970 Caroline Islands...-. Natal ....---- sine 4, 830 460, 620 Celebes.... bie New Guinea ....--.-- 196, 145 158, 870 Chile .... Norfolk Island .---.-. 5,010 39,570 China ......----- Ocean Island ....-... 34, 9380 83, 700 Cochin China .....-.- 816 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904, TRADE BY COUNTRIES IN 1904—Continued. Countries. Imports. Exports. Countries. Imports. Exports. Foreign countries—Con, Foreign countries—Con. Denmark............ $50 $29, 955 OLWBY: wis xicieeiescisis $307, 560 | ...----.---- sieemreiseee PANAMA ces cie atercsocielllaat anise $25, 695 40, 735 TUT 3 tosass ci2n dears acararaiciaiel [orsiersyalatansionas 201, 195 22, 940 Philippine Islands. . 107, 615. 728, 650 10, 529, 145 Portugal.......-..... 15, 780 | cnc csc2ces 11, 855, 125 Portuguese East Deweieiese as ATTICA sxissecke nsec 40 16, 695 275 ReUNION sos eswcreresce basnesrecceee 12, 265 180, 575 South Sea Islands ... 291, 955 430, 775 560, 050 SPaiMs. cosceserssiceec 875 12, 945 1, 753, 850 Sumatra............. 142, 495 2,415 55, 160 Sweden ...........-. 24, 320 4, 030 Switzerland ......... 6, 305 1,670 48, 695 TA . ceecmemasctere 1, 250 140 295 TIMOL. «ence scese asin < 4, 455 60 ise gis eesti Purkey c2escciece secs 205780! P wcniecic cases y ths United States........ 7, 896,725 8,815, 300 , 90 4,975 Total foreign coun- 104, 360 428, 235 TICS secsea cena + 16, 767,870 | 45, 165,280 New Pommern (New —— Britain) ........... 30, 135 $9, 320 Total trade with New Caledonia. ‘ 148, 185 709, 690 all countries..... 65, 669, 285 | 115, 448, 910 New Hebrides....... 85, 755 149, 405 TRADE BY COUNTRIES IN 1903. Countries. Imports. | Exports. Countries. Imports. | Exports. United Kingdom ......... $32, 370, 182 |$36, 788, 594 |) Foreign countries—Con. British possessions; ff JAVA, Loe eee eee eee eee lene ee rece eee $217,872 1, 232,047 | 2, 852,718 $382, 745 4, 889, 861 171, 733 334,732 259 922,017 | 2,338, 732 71,8 507 56, 038 , 250 42,907 | 1,141,0)9 21, 745,590 | 16,538,603 || Italy...... 9, 5382, 149 | 10, 518, 003 Austria-Hungary 8,105,314 | 1, 825, 653 Greece .......... 4,088,648 | 1,737,121 Turkey... Queensland 23,781,748 | 8,718,544 Mexico... New Zealand ......... 4,872,340 | 5,431,170 Egypt ee British New Guinea .. 154, 492 119, 487 China ......... a Al cseescsiwexciearesces 495,264 | 1,109,066 JAPAN | oe. owen ne mes Cape of Good Hope... 5,343 | 1,645, 850 Philippine Islands ... ALAN oo cerns akotk 1,523 839, 622 Hawaiian Islands -... Canada ...........---- 1, 031, 888 116, 066 South Sea Islands ‘ Other possessions..... 142, 126 129, 782 (Foreign) .......-.. 454, 536 557, 389 United States ........ 18, 526, 875 9, 388, 365 Total escaccesatene ee 108,751, 444 | 91,212,012 Chile. s.ncicos sesiececce 26, 472 1, 368, 165 ; POD seoscwcsismenieuwes leesssecesece 182, 181 Foreign countries: Argentina............ 8, 120, 697 |.....-..22-- USL core Siar wcreidisicicieict 4,516 Other foreign coun- Sweden............... 3, 650 UL OS ore Feet einiesstatcieseie 418, 352 347, 904 NOYway s $445, 060 mental: Galvanized 918, 005 Ale, porter, ete 07771 1, 160, 750 Hoop .... 80, 885 Alkalios 1 OM wree renee eee e tenes 508, 425 PBS es cvcece 133' 810 Aniaey TTT rrteeceteteeeeeeseeees 181, 630 Plate and sheet 187, 910 OP oeeemens: 206, oa seeut eesti stsduttercewse sate ,275 || Jams and jellies. 100370 Horses ....020 2000000 1,272,050 || Jewelry...... 588, 100 Apparel wad eaiee 7 30g 480 || Kapok “52, 970 Arms, ammunition, and explosives..| 1/368) 400 Leas ie ipeaee Shes ane 1m B30 Bags, sacks, bales, etc ....--.--..201. 1, 382, 430 Leather and leather ware -_... 1.1... 804, 315 x, MIDE «..----- 2 ee eee eee ee seed cake and oi Belting, composition, and leather... 57, Machines acai eoatsa 1 18 335 i ee noseuinadecae octyl 570, 275 || Machine tools..........022000200000]] 62) 095 Blankets and blanketing -.-.-.11.7_| 1g’ dep | MARUTES ---------e-ee0c TI 138’ Os Books, printed so ocisee acamaet eases 908, 075 || Meats, pres eS ey aaa 236, 600 oe a 8] ee nde sis 525, 600 || Medicines, patent.................... 375, 305 area ars, S £ S: etc... 55, 895 Metals, manufactures of ............. 2, 591, 725 prcee “comm millet... 31, 365 || Oils of all kinds...................... 1, 353, 185 Brush ware ...... 9° 555 ” 247, 130 Candles... ete = 5 1, 448, 115 Canvas... "74, 480 Cement ; ee ment ... Photographic material ee ; China ware... 139, 560 || Piece ooda: ee lity clams and parts.. 59, 955 Cotton and linen ... 3, 532, 020 ee wesseckan cess 2, 258, 905 Silk or containing sil 1, 496, 370 ocoa and chocolate. . 314, 590 Velvets, velveteens, etc. 35, Coffee and chicory...... 162, 360 Woolen or containing wor 2,787,180 Copper, bars, sheets, etc 866, 530 Flannels and flannelettes 8, 827,725 Confectionery .......... 123, 985 || Pipes, smoking ..... 5,840 Cordage and twine ..........2.-000- 685, 140 Printers’ materials 29; 710 aia aiuials siswiolacss swore eiges eaisinewia ails Cotton, raw, waste, and wick ......- 101,085 || Resin one om 525 ING ssecismeetesicces se ecaeiceas ene 162, 160 || Rugs and rugging . 41,590 Cutlery ......... aestaneeavacaaagtneds 163, 575 || Saddlers’ materials "2 Dause and chemicals .............-.. 2385 VOB) aceon citje aid wise tints eiereiese ain nicole gti eee Earthenware and stoneware ........ Electrical materials ...........- . Fancy goods ......-....-.--+ see Fiber, coir, flax, and hemp... Fish, fresh, smoked, preserved . Floor cloths Bs Fruits, fresh, dried, preserved, etc... Furniture... Furs .... Gelatine 7 imb 1, 911, 880 Glass and glassware . 381, 920 |) Tin, ingots, and plates............... '85, 105 Gloves 357, 870 || Tobacco, cigars, and cigarettes ...... 1, 454, 745 Glue. 35, 625 || Tools of trade..............-.-2.222-- 287,770 Grain and pulse: Trimmings, dress...........2.2..2.--. 578, 020 Barley Turpentine ...........--.. 0. eens 60, 045 Varnishes. :..55<0%0002s03s0c00 25, 295 Vehicles os.csccusedscrcisaecesencs 122, 240 86, 2 VIDOPAT: ceweswescenenwas 31,610 BOUL ss sp cin ce stasis cine arts wraid aaraiecets'eve 976,750 || Watches ............... 174, 915 Maizena and corn flour.......... 58, 675 || Wax, paraffin.......... 27,905 RICO as saeiseeweeesss Sescasedeekies| 474,080 || Woodenware .-..... 189, 750 GTCASES ..-- 022 e eee ce eee eee eee eens 27,780 || Wine .......--. 174,915 Hate and Capt «nenseerssosnrserscnes 597,655 || Wool..........-....-- -| 6,908, 235 HOPS... 2-2 cece cece enc senecerssanacees 247,130 || Yarns, wool and other............... 258, 825 India rubber, manufactures of ...... 590, 860 Inseoticides, ee 55, 935 Instruments: Mugleel co. cessexceersvinecaxinrns 507,015 Scientific .....-..-----.-.--...--- 219, 340 ; EXPORTS, BY ARTICLES. icultural implements and ma- Apparel and attire........... napa $2, 266, 085 se pxaee se : Gisicie ye fiewisisie wieinislseiecis $1, 020, 640 Kpns ammunition, and explosives.. 379, 920 Animals: Bags, sacks, bales, etc.......-.---..+- 293, 710 Cattle 2-0iss etess se eeeasteteseees 1, 726, 050 || Bark, tanning.......-----,..--.--+--- 142, 880 3 1,093, 955 |) Belting, poe and leather... 73,520 5, 668, 285 || Biscuits (crackers).......---ceeeerees 975 832 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904, EXPORTS, BY ARTICLES—Continued. Articles. Value. Articles. Value Books, printed..........-.--.--.--.-- $287,150 || Meats, frozen, preserved, etc......... $3, 010, 925 Boots and shoes. . ---| 1,269,480 || Medicines....-...-....-..-. aisiara 208, 875 Butter and cheese .. 6, 705, 805 || Metals, manufaetures of . 1, 158, 895 Copper......1.------ 145, 950 Cordage and twine ..-. 521, 010 Drugs and chemicals . 250, 720 Electrical material ........... Bis 1, 594, 480 FOU OP es sic sjcie sic since sie cisco sie ce atesen cies 346,910 || Plants 89, Fruits, fresh, dried, preserved, etc...| 1, 248,620 || Potatoes .............02-2--00eeneeeee 398, 655 Gold: Sausage casings. 92, 245 Bullion: sesscsicencgausestetea ses 8,581,170 || Skins ........... 8, 280, 195 DCC Osis cicidsicics sic enien. ---| 28,528,700 || Spirits ........ 445, 340 Grail secre cesecnscinsemsies 2,621, 495 || Starch .........-. 212, 770 Hay and chaff ................ 1, 700, 365 |} Stationery ...... 9, 360 India-rubber manufactures... 467,220 || Sugar ........... 795, 765 Tron and steel... ifs 348, 640 || Tallow........ 283, 165 Jams and jellies 430, 330 || Tea ..........- i Jewelry 712,905 |] Timber ..... 315, 610 Lard ....... 67,610 AN cannes coos sc, 421, 325 Leather and 2,404, 160 || Tobacco, cigars, 1, 053, 760 Machines and machinery. 1,108, 586 || Wine.......... 347, 610 Manures 183, 825 || Wool.... 15, 930, 270 EXPORTS OF MEAT AND DAIRY PRODUCTS IN 1903 anp 1904. A record in the butter exports of the State of Victoria has been established in the shipments for 1904, the previous record year, 1900, being exceeded by 68 tons. The value of the butter exports for 1903 shows an increase of 85 per cent over 1902, and for 1904 an increase of 142 per cent as compared with 1902. Butter comprises in value 69 per cent of the total perishable exports of the State; dairy produce, as a whole, 75 per cent; meat, 11 per cent; rabbits, 9 per cent, and fruit, 5 per cent. Since the inception of the butter trade, about ten years ago, 141,1433 tons have been exported from Victoria and $71,910,315 brought into the State in payment for it. The following statement shows the exports of perishable and frozen produce from the State of Victoria for the calendar years 1903 and 1904: ‘*: 1903. y 1904. Articles. Quantity. |Value,c.i.f.| Quantity. |Value,c.i.f. Dairy produce: Butt -pounds..) 28,379, 851 | $6, 350,000 | 87,948,216 | $8,301,175 do. 1,706, 572 212,830 | 1,072,940 134, 12 do. , 041, 400 212,645 | 1,325,500 188, 070 lozen. 49, 466 12, 365 45, 940 » 11,485 -head 119, 375 149, 720 46, 820 58, 525 ounds 2, 876, 995 419,560 | 1,530,500 228, 225 --do. 154, 240 19, 280 126, 320 15, 790 it ateabii se aeaenein aa alecSianer aE Siplane. chersitiatane ae wise do. 617,040 77,130 | 1,320,300 165, 030 i sieceie. wa eee ieee the een e Apt ection cu ohh 7,453,580 |............] 9,047,420 Meat: ‘ Mutton and lamb .....-.........22--.22. pounds. .| 18, 764,319 | 1,147,045 | 15,126,950 | 1, 260,580 Beef wie sccscs os oeeer cc cceadcsatssevecwss cease! O....| 1,760, 400 110, 025 673, 200 42,075 Total VAlUe iscessiechiviecieisicisk ee cel veiccloaie ce cease cual sues tsk se'se en 1, 302, 655 Habits ONG WATCK aids was sceescoshe eee scteerand pairs 8,501,097 | 1,021,150 | 8,023, 864 1, 056, 610 Tult: Breshiegaeiccctenied sucucatcec wanes vets bushels. . 182, 389 332, 220 95, 006 287,515 Ee -pounds..| 8,644,000 227,760 | 5,842,'700 338, 920 909, 970 leswswinccewes 571, 485 10,291, 720 | owessevencan 11, 978, 120 OCEANIA: VICTORIA, 833 TRADE WITH THE UNITED STATES. The value of imports from the United States into Victoria during the years 1894 to 1903, inclusive, was: Years. | Value. | Years. Value. MS cea cecaeaia doo era ded wanteaetcw deans eames 31, 617,775 1895 Sp Sao 288 2,515, 314 2, 874, 856 4, 299, 416 It will be noted that the imports from the United States into Victoria have increased nearly $7,000,000 in the past seven years. IMPORTS, BY ARTICLES, FROM THE UNITED STATES IN 1903. Articles. Value, Articles. Value. Agricultural implements and ma- Tron and steel. $98, 110 $879, 085 || Jewelry ..............- 8,175 33,590 || Lamps and lamp ware 40, 820 75,056 || Lumber.............-- , 790 49,330 || Leather ware . 152, 980 110, 640 || Machines and machiner. 424, 035 9,840 || Machine tools .......... 15, 535 40,000 || Manures ......-.. 2 18, 425 95,755 || Meats, preserved. 18, 585 58,000 || Medicines ...........------- 61, 540 5,065 || Metals, manufacturing ..... 581, 270 7,080 || Musical instruments.....-.. 47, 965 23,390 || Naphtha..........-...-------- 18, 670 sy 20, 755 on a Pees manana aie ee an Cordage and twine . 58, 480 aints and colors.......---- , Cotton goods...... 86,560 || Paper -...-...-.-eeeeee eee eee u 466, 225 Drugs and chemic: . 8,680 || Perfumery ...-.....-.---.+-+-- ati 11,170 Electrical materials. 28, 420 || Photographic materials......... a 12, 305 Fancy goods .... 19,040 |} Resin ...-.-.--- wes ceceeccee scene Sis 35, 560 Fish, preserved - 27,580 || Saddler’s materials .........-.-- : 47, 240 Furniture.....---- 61, 200 |! Seeds.......------------eeeee eee od 11, 420 Glass and glasswar 87,555 || Soap, perfumed .......-.......-- aisig 16,075 Glucose .....----+--+- 2 49, 450 ee seo atin els b, 40 i e: Surgical instruments .......-- a f er aes 416,900 || Tobacco. ......---------+++--+- # 519, 280 Maize... 5,680 || Tools of trade.....-...-.------ 7 131, 255 Wheat . 2,699,051 || Turpentine .........-.-------+ 58, 215 Flour . 630, 305 || Varnish.......------+00e---eeeee 7,23 Malt .-.- 10, Watches ....---.--22---- 22s eee sis 26, 380 Oatmea 9}370 || Wax, paraffin.............------ ‘| 114,870 Greases ..--------- 19, 326 || Wooden WAare.....----+e-eeeeee aomcne 46, 800 India rubber, man 23,740 EXPORTS IN 1903. Articles. Value. Articles. Vaiue. icultural implements (strippers) .. $19, 624 || Sausage CaSiDgs .......---++--eee-- eee $23, 481 Agricul Mini ats cease! 3,515 || Skins, rabbit, calf, etc. - 13, 987 Be GaCaLyPUUS «..+--scer-sceseereenee BBB || Wool vsccsevesieit ned ese erstenes 1, 760, 605 H. Doc. 481, 58-83-53 834 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, 1904. IMPORTS, FIRST SIX MONTHS IN 1904. According to the comptroller-general of customs, the value of the imports from the United States during the six months ended June 30, 1904, was $3,621,140. The principal articles and their value were: Articles, Value. ‘Apparel an Atms, ammuni Barley. .4.2.sc2