Evening star., 1898-10-14
BUSINESS AT MANILA
Chinese Control the Retail Trade of the
Philippines,
Large Cigarette Factories. Some of
Them Employing Four Thou
sand Hands.

Consul Frankenthal at Berne has made
report to the State Department in regard
TO the business conditions in the Philip
pines. in which he says:
The Philippines contain over 700O.ooo in
habitants. The Chinese, who are in the
majority among the aliens, control the re-
tail trade, while next to them come the
Spanish dealers. II is estimated that there
are about three hundred other Europeans
in business in the whole group The rich
est dealers are the creoIes and mestizos, a
combination of Chinese and Tagalese
In Manila there are many large cigarette
factories. some of which employ as many
as 1000 hands. A few German, Swiss ard
English firms have entered that field
There are also sugar refinery. a steam rice
mill, Spanish electrical plant. Spanish
telephone exchange; Spanish tramway.
worked partly by steam and partly by
horse power: rope factories. worked mainly
by hand IA few use oXen); a Spanish brew
cry. which furnishes good beer; a Ger
man cement factory with 30 hands; a Swiss
umbrella factory. and Swiss hat factory.
which makes felt and straw articles, the
latter out of Chinese straw braid A cot
ton mill with 600 spindles and with capital
iEnghsh) of f4o,0o0 tSl.A 600 Is in process
of erection. The European firms in Manila
are divided as follows: Forty-five Spanish
10 German. II English. English and 6
=
large establishments, l Dutch and l Bel
gian. Small retail stores Cforty in numbcr)
are kept by Chinese firms. The German
and Swiss firms are general importers.
while the export Of hemp and sugar, the
import of domestic dry goods, and the ship
chandlery trade are in the hands of the
English.
Credit from one to three months and
per cent is given, while spot cash sales
command a discount of per cent Cau-
ton is advised in dealing with the Chinese
merchants, as Ianila has no mercantile
register like Hong Kong.
Cotton yarns are a heavy import article.
so far mainly from Barcelona. by reason of
the minimum Spanish tariff. The Spanish
manufacturers have done what England,
Germany and Switzerland have always re-
fused to do. and that IS to renumber the
yarns. In Manila No. 10 is sold numbered
"a. No. 16 numbered 30. No. Is numbered
-. No. % numbered 40 No. 30 numbered
30. and No. 36 or 40 numbered 60. The or
ders given are for four-fifths unbleached
and one-fifth bleached. Dyed yarn is
bought in Nos. 20 and 81, in colors of
orange, green and rose. Turkey red yarn.
in the correct Nos. 20 to 30. especially -.
used to come from Elberfeld, but of late
years Spain has managed to supply it,
Bleached and unbleached shirtings and
drills. from Manchester are sold in large
quantities. but of late the pieces have de-
creased in yards as well as in widths. The
staples white shirtings. 26 inches
wide and 80 yards long: gray 7 cloth, -
inches wide and 211h yards long: gray long
cloth, 2S inches wide and % yards long and
gray drills, % inches wide and 27 yards
long. EolOred prints, "a inches wide, with
red ground and fancy crimps. are good SELL
ers. Ginghams and chellass. for bet. COW
erings. etc, common quality in large pat
terms with red ground. some with yellow or
blue squares. some with indigo grounu and
few in green, in pieces of "a yards. find a
good market, while cotton cassnette in
light weight and double width. for trousers
is in demand. Handkerchiefs, IL by IS
inches and - by % inches white, or white
with cOlOred borders, are the correct thing
Black cotton zanellas. 1SIa inches wide. for
the dresses of the country women. and ami
line black satins, in 45-inch goods, are con-
sidered stylish. Woven cotton underwear
is a great staple, and white cotton bed
quilts. in fancy patterns. are used as pom
chos. after a hole has been cut in the CEN
ter. 1t is estimated by my informant that
100000 dozen undershirts are used annually
-twO-thirdS with arms half length sizes
"a to 40, % inches long, bieached white
striped. printed and network. Mems cot
ton socks, to IL, and ladies' cotton hose
to 9l2 are the right sizes. Cheap cotton
lace ptnta fchus are worn by all the wo-
men.
Other articles which have a good sale
are lowpriced sewing machines. carriages
and parts, enameled ware for cooking ute;-
si!s, and, last, but not least American
clocks, which now have a good foothold,
and for which there is an Increasing de-
mand.