The evening times., 1898-12-09
AMERICAN TRADE
With BONGEONG
Demands Upon the Local Mar
ket From This Country.
CHINESE IN PHILIPPINES
Controlling Factors in Business
Throughout the Islands.
Facts Concerning Activity in ASH
atic Mercantile Circles OMriaII,
Reported by Mr.. Whitman.
CHINESE IN PHILIPPINES

important and significant statements
concerning the increase of American trade
with HongkGng are made by Consul Cen
erai Widman in his annual report to the
State Department. advance sheets of
which were given out for publication yes
tcrday. He says In part:
"A careful survey OF the economic con-
ditions of Hongkong during the first half
of the year lSgs reveals two facts: First
general. permanent increase of trade;
second, unusual activity IN mercantile
circles. owing to the great demands made
on the local market by the large Ameri-
can squadron and army on this coast
While this second condition may be tenn
porary and may cary with il correspond
ing depression in some lines ! predict
that il will be Of great permanent benefit
to American exporters. Nothing that
souId have happened to this coast would
be of so great a help in the introduction
of American goods into these markets.
as the presence of so large body of
american consumers in our midst Our
forces of occupation have done more than
conquer country: they have made an
impression on Asiatic markets that can
never be cffaced. When our feet first ar
rived here dn February, 1s9s) there were
Il few sample cases of American timed
milk, fruits, meats, whisky, beer, etc, in
the big English and German wholesale
houses. The imports. from America were
made up almost wholly of California -four
and American Kerosene To-day. every
steamer and ship from America brings
cargoeS of American goods
While their ultimate destination is Ma
Mia, they are handled by European firms
here and come before the public in such
imposing quantities that first curiosity is
aroused. and demand follows. The great
difficulty in the past has been to get the
great body of Chinese consumers to sam
pie our manufactures. Even if this wee
possible, the goods came over in small
consignments and at prices which were
prohibitive to all but those who could af-
ford to pay for luxuries. With the influx
/. of the Americans into Manila American
firms have found it to their advantage to
send out men To study the needs of this
climate. Already, one house has been
established in HonSkong with branch
at Manila, which is meeting with srat:fy-
ing success. | am informed that there is a
shipment of 10, $50 bales of upland cotton
! from Texas on its way here. which has
been purchased by a large Chinese firm
and is laid down here as cheapiy as the
Indian cotton. The trouble with the in
PRODUCTION of cotton hitherto has been
that American, producers have tried to
place on the market the lowland cotton,
which is too heavy a staple, besides being
too expensive. Even our upland cotton IS
superior TO the best Indian growth. The
new cotton-spinniug mill, regarding which
| wrote on January 15 1898. is nearing
completion, and it is hoped will be in oper-
alton early in the year. 1t will create
new market for cotton in this colony IL
our upland cotton can continue to compete
with the Indian and Chinese growths. the
demand will be almost un United as Ho g.
kong is the feeder for three of the rich
est provinces of southern China, with a
population of over so 900 600 people"
Referring to the Philippines, Consul
General Wildman says the Chinese are
the controlling factors In business He
adds:
There is necessarily very great inter-
est felt In the Philippine Islands, as the
large English firms doing business there
have offices in Hongkong: and the bulk
of the transshipnent cargo from all Eu-
ropean countries. save Spain. goes
through Hongkong- In the year 1897. 113
ships entered this port from the Philip
pine Islands Coinage, $4,000 tons) car
rying .fS1 tons. AS a comparison, Isl
ships entered the same year from Great
Britain tonnage 351, ,17S) CARRYING 179,0S7
tons of cargo and 429,60 tons in transit
The ships clearing at this port for the