Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-04-25
DEMAND AT = MANILA
Articles That Are Wanted in the Philip
pines.
Great Consumption of Fancy Cotton
Articles Future for Khaki
Cloth-The Currency.

consul, writes to the State Department
from Manila, February II, that in response
to numerous inquiries from United States
manufacturers, he has had a representative
firm of importers prepare statement and
furnish samples showing the kind of
goods most in demand in the Philippines.
The low qualities of white shirtngs
which have, up to this time, come from
Spain, might we'll undergo change in
favor Of better material and less finish. AS
the Spaniards paid no duty, they loaded
their shirtings with quantities of starch
Now that all the goods have to pay the
same rate, it will probably be found that
the duty paid on finish may be saved and
goods of better quality, or at a cheaper
price furnished. Manila is a consumer of
any quantity of fancy cotton articles.
There Is naturally, not much use for
wOolens, but there is certain consumption
of fannels wool and half WOOL wooden
merinos, union cloth, light wooden trouser-
ings and similar articles. Some light black
cloth and a good many, scarlet wooden
blankets are sold. In woclen well as in
silk goods black is the favorite color.
There is q market for certain lines of
linens and half linens.
Provisions have already come from the
United States to some extent, and need no
special report. 1t is well known that the
city is a large consumer of kerosene
The Russian article completes with the
| AiicIICdll
Production of Woven Stuff.
The Philippines produce q good quantity
Of woven stuff. Probably, the greater part
Is made of imported cotton yarn, gray,
white and dyed; but there are also many
thousands of pieces made of manila hemp,
in ordinary and in fine qualities, the latter
very often mixed with silk.
The principal places for the manufacture
of cotton goods are the two provinces Of
Ilocos, in the north of Luzon and for hemp,
the provinces of Albay and Camarines
The Visayas provinces manufacture all the
different woven stuffs.
An article which appears to have a great
future Is the brown drill, known under the
name of khaki cloth 1t is stuff in which
the English army in India is clad and late
ly the American army here.
Socks and stockings are Of Importance;
so are undershirts (camisetas) in prices
from So to 50 per dozen; more gray than
white and more short sleeves than long
ones are used.
Iron and Steel.
The consumption of pig iron is not very
large. 1t comes only as ballast, paying no
freight.
OF more Importance is galvanized iron.
The unsatisfactory results of things when
subjected to earthquakes have made 1t a
general rule to cover the houses with gal
Vanized iron. The present market price is
per cent cash discount. The packing of the
article is very important, because one has
to allow considerable rebate for goods
stained by sea water, etc.
Nearly all the steel imported comes in
cases feet long and weighing 6s. 10 -
catties according to the wish of the buyer.
People do not like soft steel, it does not
bend, but breaks if struck with a hard
object
Other metal articles of large consumption
tin plate washers wire nails, wire rope,
zinc sheathing, yellow metal, etc.
The Currency.
In old times gold money used to such
an extent that silver was at 10 per cent
premium. Later gold was exported, and in
1893 already p to 112 per cent premium was
paid for 1t. When it was too late to keep
gold the government prohibited the i'm
portation of Mexicans, and in 1887 Joined
to that law a decree according to which
only Mexicans dated before 1878 had legal
value. So the currency consisted of Mexl-
cans of older date than 1878, of Spanish
Carolus and Spanish Fernando dollars and
a great quantity of half dollars.
The export of the Philippines has always
been greater than the import, and there
fore the tendency of exchange was to rise
continually, and money became scarcer and
scarcer. SO it happened that the import
of Mexicans being forbidden and no other
money produced, premium on Hong Kong
went up to IA per cent and more. Then
some large sums were smugg.ed in, and
the premium went down again During
more than ten years the money market
adjusted by smuggling Mexicans from
Hong Kong.
In 1897 the Spanish government minted
Philippine dollars in Spain, which contained
about 10 per cent silver less than the Next
cans, and sent several millions to Manila.
The public had to take these dollars at full
value. These light dollars are still in the
country. The half-dollar and 20-ceut pieces
which the government minted never came
to the full value of Mexican currency