Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-05-06
TRADE WITH THE PHILIPPINES
The United Statcs- Hns- Consider,b1,
interest in IslnntI,s ysn,nercn

consul Oscar +. Williams our ranresen-
tatlVe at Manila until the recent war began
Is SAD TO be aboard the flagship Olympia
III Mania harbor, having accompanied
No'hihouofe Dewey from Hong Kong so
mat ddNices may come from him to the
S'a'e department as well as from Commo-
oore Dewey to the Navy Department
mail report from Consul Williams reached
the State Department recently under date
OF Manila February % last. 1t gives full
description of the Philippine Islands their
resources, growth OF American trade. etc.
Local and European authorities estimate
the area of the Philippine Islands at $50. 900
square miles and their population at IL 600 :
600.
Twenty-Five consuIates, representing tho
leading commercial countries of the World
are established at Manila. Mr. Williams
makes the surprising statement: 1.-The vol
u ~ OF the export trade, coming under my
oft!cial supervision equals that Of INV twen,
ty-one consular colleagues combined He
tnen shows in detail how the trade C., the
fhi1ppines with the United States exceeds
lnat OF all other countries combined and is
growing at remarkable rate AS fntlicat
ing the extent of this trade he saws. .'ro
oay nave authenticated invoices for ex-
port to the United States amounting to
sl5s,o56. he says the exports to this
country average 81 900 600 a month The
report states that $1,000 bales of hemn
We're exported during the last three months
VI these 13S,192 went to the United States
ana Is,ooo to Great Britain and other coun-
tries Mr.. Williams shows from this that
the United States has Ga per cent of the ex
port trade from the Philippines, ais against
~ per cent for Great Britain and other
countries; he says that last year the in
was l33, o0O bales and the decrease to Great
| Britain 1000 bales. He adds: "Of in
creased shipments from the Philippines,
those to the United States were "a per cent
greater than to all other countries COM
bined." .
He also gives details of the large ship
ments OF sugar, CIGARS tobacco, woods.
NOES. smells, indigo and coffee. In the item
OF sugar which is second in Importance,
the shipments to the United States were IS
per cent OF the total to all points.
IN previous report, dated February TO-
Mr. W1l,iams stated that Manila had just
passed through most devastating fire, the
totai loss being $500 600. He said the city
would have been totally destroyed had it
not been for the splendid service of an
Falls, N. Y.
IN another report Mr.. Williams gives the
ra1iroad and ocean steamship facilities of
the pnilippines. The main railroad from Ma
cuiVerts and English engines which make
forty-f1ve miles an hour There are four
steamship lines to Hpng n'Kong and
monthly line from Manila to Liverpool.
United States consul, the Site Department
also has a gazetteer published at Hong
Kong, which gives fun account of condi-
tons In the Philippines TT shows that by
the last census the population of Manila
was 10000 natives. 81 900, Chinese, 4,lvJ
spaniards and $50 Europeans other than
spaniards. The town Is made up Of low
buildings. as the people are in constant
dread of earthquakes. sOne of these conyul
sions killed 800 people. and the last one, in
1850, wrecked most of the town. The city
proper Is within walls where the govern
ment buildings are located The residence
ana an; business portions are IN the suburbs.
The Escotta is the main business street
and Is lined with European stores and
oazaars. The Rozario is lined with Chinese
banks. mint, a chamber of commerce and
complete electric light and telephone plants.
The Mexican dollar is in general use.