The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-06-22

duced From elO2 S6s, o I'm 1895 to
Hardly $50. 600 600 for the Present Els.
cal Year.
Washington. June lS.-A significant re-
port or our trade with Cuba from iss- 10
1897, prepared by Chief Hitchcock, OF the
foreign markets section OF the agricul-
by Secretary Of Agriculture Wilson. The
statistics show very clearly the effect of
present hostilities in Cuba upon the COM
with that island.
During the last fiscal year. ls5. the total
value of our Cuban trade amounted 10
only A..54s, sl0. as compared with sl02. ss4.-
e4 in 1885. the year preceding the break
ing out OF the war. This was a falling off
of more than 80 per cent. in three years.
Returns already available for the current
fiscal year indicate a still further decline.
the records for the nine moths. ending
March 81, 1897. placing the total value OF
the trade for that period as low as sl4.-
926. 81. AT this rate the figures for the
fiscal year 1891 will hardly reach So. 90. 900.
or less than one-ffth the value recorded
for 1893.
During the early years of the present
decade our Cuban trade had received a
material impetus. the years 1~SS7-1S93 in
elusive showing uninterrupted gains and
but for the opening Of the war a still
greater expansion. il is predicted. proba-
bly, would have followed. AS il is, how
ever, commercial interchange between the
United States and Cuba has been very
largely abridged Continuing the report
says:
Our imports from Cuba have generally
been much in excess of our exports 10
that island. the balance of trade being
decidedly against the United States. Dur
ing the ten years, 1~SS.-lS96. the value of
the merchandise imported averaged $50
1856 per annum, and that of the. mer-
chandise exported only $l4 ,011,572 per an
mum. In 1896 the imports fell TO so. or. 40:
exports to 1880. $50. The remarkable de-
cline in our trade from Cuba from July l..
1896, to March 81. 1897. occurred chiefly in
the case of imports. the total value of the
merchandise imported during the nine
months amounting to only S, S4l S3l. or
little more than the value of the exports
for the same period. the latter being re-
turned at Sc, 0S4. CSC.
"Of the merchandise imported into the
United States from Cuba, fully ~ per
cent. is agricultural. Sugar. the most inn
portant of the products imported from
Cuba, amounted in value to more than -
per cent. of the entire imports of the
decade. The heaviest shipments on record
were in 1894. reaching in that year as high
as 2.121, 5O2.3l9 pounds. value $53.l ~. 40. Inn
portatiOnS of sugar were much smaller
in the two succeeding years. amounting
in 1896 to only 1.o@3.lI.3l2 pounds. value
$2i. l02, $50. Returns for the nine months
ending March 21st of the present year
Xhibit a still greater falling off, the
total importation then being only 2O5.-
579. 795 pounds, value $4.25l. G54. Molasses
imports from Cuba. which in 1874 mount
ed to l.. 1893, $40 gallons. valued at $1.l4S.4 l2.
were reduced in 1896 TO l.7l0,16l gallons,
, value $12S.47i.
The largest Importation Of leaf tobacco.
! the next important commodity. prior to
| the fiscal year 1896, was in 1893. reaching
, q. 694, S91 pounds, value S~S,9i0,05>. In 1896,
however. these figures were considerably
: exceeded. the quantity then imported be-
ing 26.11.3I7 pounds. value $lo.6l3, i6S.
! These uninterrupted shipments are prob
! ably accounted for by the fact that the
western end of the island. where the
chief tobacco growing districts are sit
uated, has only recently been invaded by
! the opposing forces. Since the invasion
of this region. however, there has been
a great decline in our importatlonS OF
! Cuban tobacco. the figures for the nine
months ended March u. 1891. placing the
total amount received during that period
! at only Sab. 929 pounds, value Sl.6S1 ,Z9S.
According to the returns for the CORE
spending months of the fiscal year 1896.
the importations during that period
amounted to 21,0S5,25l pounds, value S.
| 05S. 641."
TIL report contains numerous tables
| showing in detail the extent to which
| the importations of all kinds have steadi-
ly declined since the outbreak Of the re-
I DelllOn. Inc most Important indhuidc-
| tured product imported, cigars, cigarettes
and cheroots, comprised in value more
than half of the non-agricultural imports
for the decade. The returns for them last
year were 81, ,215, against 49, $50 in
1890.
AS to the exports from this country 10
Cuba, the relative Importance of the agri-
cultural articles has increased during the
last few years. The shipment of lard to
Cuba during the ten years aggregated
S25, coo, 900 in value, forming one-half of the
| total agricultural exports. For the last
| fiscal year there was an extraordinary
fall in this class of exports to only Sl,351,
1S5. Bacon and hams attained their high
est figure in 1893, since which they have
steadily declined.
Breadstuffs steadily decreased in the
last three years, last years total ship.
ments being only s774, 1872, or a little more
than a fifth of the value returned fol
1898. Wheat -four and indian corn suffered
a marked decline. as did other articles Of
food. Milk is one of the few commodities
whose expectation increased last year
but the falling off in butter and cheese
was so great that the total value of the
three dairy products exported declined
from SIPS, 09S in 1893 to ISL, 440 in 1896. Iror
and steel, manufactures of wood, and Goa
and mineral oil have also materially de.
clined in the last few years.