The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-09-11
TRADE OF PHILIPPINES
POINTS FROM THE REPORT OF THE
BRITISH CONSUL AT MANILA.
Sugar, Hemp, Copra and Tobacco the
Chief Articles of Commercially
ports for the Years 1897 and 1895.
Special 10 the Indianapolis Journal.

Special to the indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 10.-The trade of
the Philippines in 1898 is discussed by re-
port OF the British consul at Manila, just
received by the Treasury Bureau of Stats
tics. He opens his report by saying: Not
withstandng that for the moment all COM
mercial enterprise is paralyzed, there is
abundant evidence that when peace and
settled form Of government are we'll estab-
lished the future prosperity of the Filipinos
will far exceed the past. The climate of
Manila, as far L have yet experienced it.
is similar to all tropical climates and the
health of Europeans depends principally
upon themselves. The town of Manila.
which is of great extent. has the disadvan-
tage of being only eight ten feet above
the sea level, and as the natives have
hitherto been taught to regard all sanitary
projects as useless, there is heavy work in
the task of draining, etc, and heavier still
in persuading the Filipino that such meas
ures are necessary
Discussing the commerce of the Philip
pines. the report shows something of a
falling off in the year 1898, due 10 the dis
turbed conditions, but shows the exports of
sugar I'm 1898 TO be 177.695 tons. against
202.O92 in 1897, of which four-ffths were
from the island of Iloilo. though in 1897
only about two-thirds of the sugar exports
were from Ilolo. The expectation of hemp
in 1898 falls but little below that of 1897,
two-thirds of the amount being from the
island of Iloilo and the remainder from
Cebu.
The figures showing the expectation of
sugar from Iloilo for long term of years
are interesting and suggestive. They show
that the expectations of sugar from Iloilo
in 1859 were s6.s32 piculs (picul, 1913 1-3
pounds; IN 1869, III sos; in 1879, 762,OO4; in
1889, 1872 119: in 1896, 199437s in 1897, 20ss-
672, and in 1898, 2.41O, 4S2 piculs.
Regarding trade prospects in the Philip
pines the British vice consul at Iloilo, Mr..
Fyfe, says: 1.-The preferential tariff hith-
erto enjoyed by Spanish goods, and which
was rapidly diverting this trade to BARGE
Iona, being now abolished. competition from
that quarter should scarcely be possible any
longer. Notwithstanding the disturbed
state of the country, business has been we'll
UP to the average, several of the neighbor-
ing islands and provinces which have hith-
erto drawn their supplies from Manila hav-
ing had to buy in this market during the
blockade of the former port. Owing to the
uncertainty of The future fresh arrivals
Oh goods have been on a much reduced scale,
so that stocks to-day in the importers
hands are exceptionally light. The import
or petroleum this year has been very small
only $4,000 cases, $4,000 cases being the inn
port in 1897. This is accounted for by the
falling off in consumption among the urinci-
pal classes on account of the high price
and also on account of large stocks held
over from the previous year. On account
OF the unsettled state of affairs in the whole
group of the Philippine islands. the sale of
new milling plants has been almost nothing.
That the Philippines are likely to become
of much greater value with diversiicaticn
and development of industries along the
lines suggested by the requirements of the
markets of the temperate zone is indicated
by Vice Consul Fyfe. who says: THE final
decision of the present crisis is now anx-
iously awaited, and time will show if these
rich islands do not In the future produce
many other products which have never been
developed or cultivated" This suggestion
Is especially interesting taken in connec-
ton with a single item in the table of the
principal exports of the Philippines given
below. This item is indigo, and while it
shows a comparatively small expectation
of this article, 66,5S4 pounds in 1897. il sug-
gests the possibilities to an increase in
| the production of article whose export
| value from India has for years ranged from
| S6O00,O00 upward.
The following tables from the report Of
| the British consul show the principal ex-
| ports from Manila, Cebu and Iloilo In the
wears 1897 and 1898.