The herald., 1898-09-27
Things Told by Our ConsuIs

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XXEEK'KGiNxAXKK q q
Tho general business of the United 6tatea
Of Colombia showed Improvement last year
Notwithstanding the unsatisfactory condi
tion Of the coffeo market. The country Is
however. cursed with a fiuctuating cur
rency. and an instability results which ex
tends to all branches of trade. A MAJ
worth 5000 in Cartagena may in a week
time be worth not more than 1000. though
he may have carefully refradned from do
Ing anything Of any kind. Some activiti,
In railway construction has been shown
there has been a large increase In the
wharfage Of Cartagena, justified by an in
crcasing export and import trade, and
there has been some construction OF steam
ers intended to operate upon the rivers.
O o O
On May 9th Consul Sorsby wrote from
San Juan del Norte that the foreign debt
Of Nicaragua amounted to $l,4o0,ooo. and
that tho government had defaulted two
years in interest on 1t. Some of the officials
have called to see him ad interim. and he
now writes that the foreign debt is only
81, ,SSS2, 900 and the per cent interest on II
has been promptly paid when due, "in
spite Of political troubles and other SERIOUS
upon the resources Of the country"
o o O
Writing from Dawson City under date Of
August 4th, Consul McCook says some sue
cinct and savage things about the klon
dixie country: Prices of provisions are 2
per cent higher than they were last year
Lodging is hardly to be had at any price
Outsiders cannot realize these conditions
Destitution and starvation are imminent tt
many who cannot get away. No one SHOULD
come here without couple of thousan'
dollars and provisions for two years. The
output Of gold has been exaggerated hve
fold"
During 1897 France produced S4,7l3 AZ
gallons Of w.ne.t ! decrease Of more tha'
8. 100000 gallons. In a list Of twenty-five
wine producing countries the United states
stands sixteenth, with 3O,3oS74o gallors, al
Increase Of 50 per cent over the productoi
of 1896 Italy stands next to France, witt
a production Of 6S5 cOo, 900 gallons and Spail
is third, with 5l9 400 900 gallons to its credit
O O o
Consul Nusbaum says that there are
thousand Engl.sh-speaking residents O.
Munich who would buy American shoes !!
they had a chance. He adds that Amerl
can shoe manufacturers can build up
lucrative trade in Germany II they WI
open large stores and display their goods
Bavarans have shorter feet than Ameri
cans. People over there VIII not buy CT
the representations made by English cata
logues II am convinced" he says, THAI
this district would become a profitable
market for Amercan-made roller-tor
desks, brass bedsteads, washing machine:
I'd wringers, if the proper method Of in
Producing them were adopted
O o O
The business of meat extra ction IN Cru-
quay paid last year a dividend Of - pei
cent The gold production of the republic
was only s3S, ,5O5 The Germans have made
great inroads upon Uruguayan trade, driv'
ing out English competitors. Their good:
are not so durable as the English manu-
factures-are, n fact, of distinctly poorer
quality-hut they have studied the dema nds
Of the market and met it. while the Brit
.shers are too conservative to change. The
Germans, however. will be forced to Prov
the quality Of their goods in order to holt
their own. In cotton goods the Un.tef
states IS making satisfactory advances
This year has seen the largest importator
cf agricultural machinery yet recorded II
Uruguay. The consul at Montev.deo says
Our machines have won their place on the
market by sheer merit. being more ser
viceabIe lighter, less liable to breakagt
and better suited for the purpose intended
Intelligent agents have done excellent worl
in this line, and the machines Will do theil
own talking n the harvest fields Of the re
public in 1925. AS long as the quality /:
maintained our exports will increase il
these Ines at the expense Of those of for
e!gn make, some Of which are rank coun
terfe.ts Of American goods."
o o o
In Guadeloupe there is practically a
meat famine. The islands supply of bee1
came from Porto Rico, and the Spanish
war stopped expectation, which has no
been resumed. The last steer has beer
slaughtered Diseased cattle are being
killed. Beef sells at So cents pound, houl
at SO a barrel and small chickens at s
apiece.
O O o
In Switzerland, where the railway sys
TEN Is controlled by the government. pas
senger rates have been reduced to basi:
that seems incredibly low to an American
There railway tickets are sold by time ant
not by mileage. On application non
transferable ticket, good for fifteen days
will be Issued to person. The cost Is
s11.5s. During these fifteen days the holder
NAV travel as much and as long as he likes
over the entire railway system The lake
steamers are also available, a second-class
railway ticket giving the right to first
class passage on any one of the steamers
One may travel for an entire year for s115
These tickets are vigorously personal, ant
each has the photograph of its holder at
tached. No baggage. however, Is carried
free. No allowance Is made for tickets
unused. On the Franco-Swiss frontier al
yexatious questions. demands and delays
have been done away with for members O.
the French Touring club. Their bicycles
are admitted free Of charge. There is M
longer a charge for permit Of entrance. The
wheel is treated simply as ordinary bag