The evening times., 1899-07-29
@AlN'S Loss IN TRADE.
Former Colonies Bought $40, 900, :
900 Worth Of Goods a Year.
More Than Half of This Commerce
Wns With Cuba Alone-A Prohib-
sibIe for Foreign Manufacturers to
Compete for the Islands, business.

statement has just been received by
the Treasury Bureau of Statistics, pre-
pared by the British consul at Barcelona,
in which. he says that Spain found a mar
ket for over $4,000, 600 worth of goods an
nually in Cuba, Porto Rico, and the Philip
pines. About three fourths of this amount
was in manufactured articles. and consid-
erably more than one-half OF this market
was that of Cuba alone
According to the statement which Consul
Roberts sends to the British Foreign ONCE.
dated June Is. 1899, the exports of Spain
to Cuba in 1896 amounted to 134, 461 ,675 Pc
setas; TO Forto Rico 1850. 800 pesetas, and
to the Philippines. SS.357.757 pesetas. max
ing total of 19,48O,241 pesetas, or, ar-
cepting the value OF the psssta at 20 cents.
$42,096,04S. OF the 134, 461. SIS pesetas worth
of goods exported to Cuba in 1896. 1862
,C93 pesetas, according to Consul Roberts.
consisted of manufactures. 50.S50.556 pese
tas in provisions, and $50 ,026 pesetas in raw
materials.
OF the 37.660.S09 pesetas worth of goods
exported from Spain to Porto Rico in 1896.
20. 1887 pesetas was manufactured goods,
S.401.501 pssetas provisions, and 151.321 pc
setas raw materials. OF the 81, ,357,751 De
setas worth OF goods exported from Splin
TO the Philippines. 34,25o,S92 pesetas vas
manufactures. 4.670.557 pasetas provisions.
and 36, 308 pesetas raw materials. o. tbs
210. .4S0, ,241 pesatas worth OF goods exported
from Spain 10 Cuba, Porto Rico. and the
Philippines in 1896, l46,010,962 pssetas was
manufactures. s.. .322, ,624 pesetas provisions.
and /, 1,146. Cos pesetas raw materials.
To this market for s42. .060.000 worth Of
Spanish produce which the three colo
nies supplied. Consul Roberts adds 23,0O0,-
600 pesetas. or 81, SOC. .0c0. for money paid
to the Spanish steamship companies for the
carrying trade to and from the colonies.
The imports into Spain from the colonies,
he says amounted in 1896 to 260,S77 tons
from Cuba, 26.071 tons from Porto Rico,
and 40.9S5 tens from the Philippines. He
computes that the amount paid In freight
amounted in the commerce with Cuba to
7,S26,310 pesetas; Porto Rico, 1S2. 1870 pc
setas. and the Philippines, 2,254, lis pese-
tas, total of TO- S62. .615 pssetas. If to this
be added the value of passage money to and
from the colonies. putting it at the low
average OF ESQ pesetas a head, il shows a
further 100000 pesetas per aunum. Civ
ing total Of 23.000.000 pesetas paid III
freight and passage money yearly to the
steamship companies for the carrying trade
TO and from the colonies
Consul Roberts expresses the opinion
that Spanish manufacturers and dealers
are not going TO give up the markets of
Cuba, Porto Rieo.- and the Philippines
without a struggle. He also intiuatss that
other nationaiities have in the past par
tieipated in the so-called Spanish trade
with these islands by locating in Spain and
thus getting the advantage Of low tariff
rates into the .isia nds which were originally
given to commerce originating in Spain.
On this subject he says:
In the year 1892 the Spanish customs
tariff on manufactured goods was very
considerably increased with the view OF
manufactured here for expectation to the
colonies; this, OF course, gave an enor-
nous impetus TO manufacture in this prov
ince. factories increased largely in num-
Der and the Catalan manufacturers grew
rapidly rich. The only way in which for
eigners who had good clients in the colo
niss could meet this competition AMI re-
tain their markets was by starting facto-
res in this country, the goods thus manu-
factured in the Peninsula entering the
Spanish colonies on the same terms as
those OF the Spanish manufacturers,
whereas If shipped from England Or else
where the prohibitiye duty rendered con-
petition impossible; or by having a resi- =
dent agent in this city who. purchasing
from the Catalan manufacturers. exporte
the merchandise from here free OF duty"