The record-union., 1899-09-01
TRADE IN THE PHILIPPINES.
THE STORY OF THE MANILA
CUSTOM-HOUSE.
Opportunities for the Introduction
of American Pro-
ducts.

The financial returns of the Manila
custom house covering the period from
August 22d the date of the American
occupation of the custom house, to De-
cember 81. 1898, tell a story of an I'M
portation race almost as exciting in the
telling as a rush for claims on newly
opened reservation.
The total revenue, in excess or ex-
penses and refunds, amounted to 81
$50, ,55S 76. These figures are of Mexican
currency, or of pesos instead OF dollars,
and can so be considered throughout
the report The duties collected on i'm
ports were 81 SOB, 473.0 Oh, and on exports
$3.50, ,37420. OF these amounts Sf6o.SO
were collected in fines. In other words,
it cost the beWildered Spaniard that
amount to catch the drift Of Uncle
Sans way of doing business. The Span
iardS considered our methods frlSntIully
complicated at the start, but they now
admit them simple, once one gets ac-
customed to them. -Four hundred and
fourteen dollars and fifty-five cents
We're collected as translation fees. II
costs the unlucky skipper VINO mas SO
far neglected his education as TO Slght
the learning of English ten cents a line
for translating every document that
comes to the custom house veiled In the
mysteries of Castellano. Thus viii the
language of the
CONQUERORS PREVAIL IN TIME.
There were seventy-se foreign and
260 coast vessels entered Manila during
this period Eighty foreign and 2ol
coast vessels cleared for ports various
in and beyond the Philippines. These
figures represent a total tonnage of
99047.63 entered and 5S,692.91 tons
cleared. England heads the list of for
eign traders with 67,907.S9 tons regis
tered. and Norway second with ships
registering total of 10153.92 tons.
American ships come next, followed by
Spain, Germany, France, Italy and
Denmark in their order. In the coast
ing trade the American flag floats
proudly above old Spain herself, which
is a very good example of the fickleness
of Spain's sons in thus taking up so
quickly with the new love. May 1t
be said, however, of a few Spanish
Captains. and with the 'l%nor OF
Spain" staring US in the face, that they
prefer to sell or leave their ships for
odium of Old Glory at the masthead.
The tonnage of vessels in coast trade
flying the American flag was o4,OoZ.9l'
while that of poor but once proud Spain
summed up at paltry l,l92.l9 TONS
hardly the size of a Gloucester fisher
man. So
Wen sail the seas with our added tons,
"a part of the white Man 5 Burden,
With a knife in our teeth for the MoroS
(StiiI more of the "White Mans Bur-
den -
Now let us take a. look at the imDor-
tation figures. They rise and fall like
barometer, and one can find no better
method for judging of the enterprise
of the different countries of the world
than to look at the Importation barom-
eter at Manila for the first few months
after her occupation by the Americans.
All my figures are for the period from
August 22d to December 81, 1898.
SCOOPED ON CIGARETTE PAPER.
In a country that probably smokes as
many cigarettes as a good part of the
rest of the world put together, cigarette
paper is an item of Importance as well
as of import There are no paper mills
in the Philippines. They have depended
upon Spain almost exclusively for their
cigarette and print paper. Wrapping
paper is evidently too expensive for it
is very seldom used. In August there
were 4, 800 Kilograms Ga kilogram, or
kilo, is equal to 2.2046 pounds) arrived
from Spain. China was quick to fore
see a paper famine and landed 1,39''
kilos in this month, but its owner evil
IDENTIFY did not meet with the success
hoped for, as China does not again add
fuel for the flames until December,
when she brought in 262 kilos, probably
for Chinese consumption only. In Sep
tember it seemed as if the world saw
a fortune in cigarette paper, for Eng
land jumped in with Ssh kilos, Ger
many with 1852 kilos, France with
10,606 kilos, and Austria with S,432 XII
los. Where was Uncle Sam all this
time? Well, in this case at least he
was ''scooped' for he did not offer TO
Manila a particle of cigarette paper
during the year 1898 and thus missed
the greatest opportunity of his life in
not sending his cigarette fiends on
chase to his new possessions for the
necessary plating for the odorful "cof-
fin nail" Spain, however, was not
out of it for good. In November she
dropped in with 6,415 kilos, and fol-
lowed it up with "A. 762 kilos in De-
cember. She may make a few more
spurts for favor in the paper market
but it is safe to say that Uncle Sam
viii likely look into this question
HIMSELF A BIT IN FUTURE.
The trade in fireworks always has
and more than likely, always will be
TA -
however, be interesting to note that the
importation Of fireworks amounts to
quite a bit in the course of a year in
which time there are no less than 19J
holidays on which the miniature rattle
of musketry is let loose by our newly