The evening times., 1899-05-27
sPAINsIKATIyE INDUSTRIES.
Trade Not Greatly Empaired by Her
WArIWith America.

Trade Not Greatly Impaired by Her
| WhrIWith America.
Native industries in Spain did not suf-
fer during the war Of 1898 as greatly as
was feared. This is the statement Of the
British Commercial Attache at Madrid, H.
Harrison, whose report to the British Gov
ernment on. the trade of Spain for the
year 1898 has Just reached the Treasury
Bureau of Statistics. Mr.. Harrison's state
ment begins by saying:
| I'm spite of the wars and consequent
general excitement and heavy taxation.
native industries in Spain have not suffer-
ed as greatly as 1t was feared they would
do. The loss Of the colonial markets on
which the export trade Of Spain greatly de-
pended, has made it necessary for the Gov
ernment to take serious steps for finding
new markets for Spanish products, and for
stimulating and enlarging those already
known. With this intention several i'm
portant measures have been instituted.
"A special ub-department in the Min
istry OF Foreign Affairs has been created
for the purpose Of supplying commercial
information and statistics to merchants
and tradesmen. Morocco and the Spanish
American Republics naturally offer the
most promising markets for Spanish pro-
ducts. owing to affinity of race. language,
and customs. and to these countries the at
tentiOn of the Spanish Government is es-
pecially directed.
Commercial attaches have been ap-
| pointed for Mexico, Brazil, Uruguay. the
Argentine Republic, and Chile, and all pos
sible steps are being taken to increase
| Spanish interests in these countries. A
| general assembly of the Spanish Cham
| bers OF Commerce was held at Saragossa
| on November 20 last, to discuss the COM
mercial position of the country. The meet
ing was held under the most orderly condi-
| tions, and their efforts were treated with
respect by the Government. and caused a
| good impression in the country, and petit
| ton embodying the opinions of the cham
bers was duly presented to the Queen Re
| gent. Although 1t has, as yet led to no
practical result. the fact that the assembly
has been held at all is a proof Of the gen.
eral anxiety among large and influential
| portion OF the nation to take immediate
steps for the improvement OF trade.
Increased interest is now being taken
in all mining questions in Spain. as it is
being recognized at last that. il properly
developed. the mineral wealth of the coun-
| try can be turned to enormous advantage
Although retarded at present by the want
| OF railways and the great distances OF
| some OF the important mining provinces
from the coast and the consequent cost OF
carriage. great development has taken
| place IN the last two years In the mining
industry. and the amount of minerals ex-
ported has greatly increased.
THE number OF soldiers who have re-
| turned from foreign service and the re-
| duced number of men now required for
| the army will insure an increased number
| OF laborers. The anxiety to open up new
enterprises for the Improvement of the
| country will, it is hoped. cause the Spanish
Government to encourage in every way the
investment OF foreign capital in Spain.
Under these circumstances the great nat
ural mineral wealth of Spain should be
| taken into serious consideration by those
mining companies that have not at present
| interests in this country.
| THE sole right Of sale and manufacture
OF tobacco in Spain is held by the Bank
OF Spain in the form of a monopoly grant
| ed under royal decree of June TO- 1887
and extended for further twenty five
years under law OF August 30. 1896. The
| cultivation of tobacco In Spain is forbidden
by law. although, judging from the small
quantities grown in many gardens. 1t ap-
4 pears that 1t might be made an important
| industry. According to the regulations,
the cultivation of tobacco Is prohibited
both in Spain and the Balearic Islands.
The tobacco monopoly is required to make
| experiments in the cultivation during three
years in different parts of Spain. These
| experiments are being carried out, but ii
appears that, whatever the result. it is
most improbable that the cultivation o!
tobacco will be allowed during the lease
| of the present monopoly.
Certain features of the home industries
however. suffered. especially those having
close relations with the colonial trade
The imports of raw cotton fell from
| So.1Go,o52 pesetas in 1897 to 73. S07. .9S9 in
| 1898, the decrease being due to crisis In
the Spanish cotton factories which had
| supplied so large a share of their pro-
duction to the colonies. The export of
cotton goods from Spain fell more than
| %, ,0O0, 900 pesetas. The loss in this market
| for raw cotton, of course. fell upon the
United States. which supplies practically
| all of the cotton used by Spain. That
| other features of the import trade were.
however. affected is shown by the fact
| that the imports of iron and steel fell
from "a. 651. .6S6 pesetas in 1897 to 1850. 24S
| in 1898: drugs and chemicals. from so, IS3.
Gle pesetas in 1897 to 53.e39. .52S in 1895;
silks. from 1906, ,231 pesetas to IA, ,i69. .3i2
in the same period; wool and woolens.
from 21.142, Ais pesetas to 15.124. .126:
lumber from 45.342, ,129 pesetas to 34.o45.
| 202; books, maps. etc, from 9.0S0,9dS to
7,OS2.52 pesetas; animals and animal
products. from 61,603.SS5 pesetas to
| Sc, ,126, 500: carriages, vessels. and ma
chinery from 1891 ,62i pesetas to 9,o51 ,263
elementary substances including meats.
provisions, sugar, coffee, tea, wines. ETC..
from 14s. .235. 1856 pesetas to 9s.79S, ,401, and
| wheat alone from 34.015,020 pesetas to
| 13, ,92s, ,5S3. The Importation of sugar from
| Cuba was in 1896, 6,5S9.2S pesetas. in 1897
2.232. .742. and in 1898 s31.25S; from Porto
Rico the total was S.346, ,S3S pesetas in 1898,
9.2s5. PAP in 1897. and 2.322.902 in 1898;
| from the Philippines. 1.62s,160 pesetas in
1896, 1928, ,314 in 1897. and 1876 in 1895.
The report from which the above figures
| were taken adds: There has been a rapid
increase in the number and capacity OF
| sugar factories in Spain. and it is proba-
BILE that the home industries will soon be
able to meet the demand in the Spanish
market and replace the colonial sugar.
10 Imports of coffee also show rapid
| decline.
The Samoan Situation.
(From the New York Tribune)