The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-07-29
Trade OF The
Philippines
Washington, July rs.
Special to the Scranton Tribune.

an interesting document
which has Just reached the
Bureau of Statistics. 1t is a
report of the British consul at Manila,
Mr. Rawson Walker, and as 1t was re-
ceived at the British consular office May
81, 1898, 1t is probably the latest and per-
maps most accurate picture OF CONNER
clal conditions In the Philippines which
mas been presented since Admiral Dewey
intensified public interest in that spot.
Consul Walker estimates tho 1897 iru-
ports into Manila at SIG, oc0, OF which
ABOUT one-half was of Spanish origin, the
imports from other countries having ma
terially fallen off in 1887 while those from
spain increased largely. The exports from
Manila have, he says, Increased in the
past year in several OF the trading arti-
| cles, notably tobacco, hemp and copra,
the dried kernel of the cocoanut, the
value of which alone ne estimates at SI5,-
OOOOOO, while he estimates the sugar crop
| at Sl3OOO,0OO and hemp at Sli00O.000 lie
makes no estimate of the tobacco exports
put says they are larger in 1897 than In
| former years.
LOCAL TRADE CONDITIONS.
Consul Walker pictures local trade con-
ditions In way which will greatly in
terest merchants and manufacturers in
the United States, prcfacing his state
| ments by saying that his information Is
| mostly obtairable from British nIer-
| chants, since the Spanish statistics are
not obtainable until too old to be of any
value. He says: "A decidedly bad year
| for importers generally has just closed
What with the upset OF business owing
| to the insurrectiCn or rebellion in the is
lands, the heavy decline In the value OF
| silver and consequent drop in exchange,
and the imposition OF further per cent
| ad valorem duty on all imports, mere
hants may be said to have had a truly
| rough time to contend with
I'm printed cambrics during the year
| just closed, the importation of English
| goods has shown a decided decrease
while imports from the Peninsula have
on the other hand shown an increase.
| This is duo chiefly to the advantage the
| Catalan manufacturer enjoys with pro-
| tective duties. as such allows him to give
a better cloth than his heavily mulctei
competitors can possibly give, and now
that lie has proved his ability to produce
as good and fast colors as his foreign
| competitors, II is expected that each year
will see an increase of prints from Spain.
| Glasgow manufacturers hold the printed
jaconct trade and appear to he able to
keep 1t. Barcelona manufacturers cannot
compete as they cannot manufacture the
cloth in the first place, and even If they
had that, they could not give the required
finish. Linen goods are now almost
things of the PAST, as the high duties have
put them out of the reach of the ordinary
consumer. Jute sacks come from Bar
celona in very large quantities. as nc
other country can compete owing to the
protective duties. Needless to mention
Germany continues to hold her own
against all corners in the hardware de-
partment, and the finer prices have to be
cut the firmer hold she gets on this trade
American machinery has been tried from
time to time on this market, but ha:
proved in the main expensive. Iron forged
in bar rods, etc, also corrugated sheet
iron, owing to the unsettled state OF the
country, has not enjoyed the sale II die
last year, but to all appearances demand
Is reviving, and the near future should
see more house building in progress
Since / transmitted my last report the
better English marks have a frmer stanC
against the Continental marks Car
rage builders again enquire for qualitie'
from Belgium. Enamelled iron good!
meet with a very fair demand-the price
of fuel here calls for thin make o
cooking utensil Small articles (sundry
| all come from Germany. and are of tn,
very cheapest description to suit the ma
tive consumers pocket. Earthen anC
glassware demand calls for steady sup
plies, and the commoner quality emanat
ing from Germany. and the better clas
|
imports of paints and oils this year SHOW
a decrease; well known English marks
are conspicuous by their absence. owint
TO the fact that English manufacturer
do not care to ship such low qualities a
find consumption. Paper-cartridge. PACK
ing and cgarette--come from Spain
France and Germany, and receipts shov
an increase for 1897. In cigarette paper
Spain divides the honor with France ant
Austria, and supplies must of necessit!
be steady. The past year shows a larg
increase both in raw and timed comSsIi
bles, England, Germany and Spain pro
v!ding nearly all, the American product
are too expensive, and are therefore no
In great demand. Wines in bulk ais
show an increase; but supplies of bee
have diminished considerably.
IMPROVEMENTS FOR MANILA HAIR
BOR.
l tIyar oil g.,