The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-07-17
COMMERCE OF NEST indies.


Special Dfxpatch to the Post-rntesiigencer.
WASHINGTON. July 1.-THE details OF
the commerce Of those portions. OF the
British West Indies with which reciproc-
ity treaties are under consideration are
discussed somewhat In Detail By the
Monthly Summary OF Commerce and FL
nance, Just issued by the treasury bureau
OF statistics The imports Of Jamaica ard
Barbas.oes, with which reciprocity dis
eussions have reached such an advanced
stage as TO render this subject q matter
OF special interest. amount TO nearly ti5.-
gss.dsse annually. Discussing the details
OF the commerce of these two islands
the summary says:
Jamaica. the largest Of the British West
India islands, lies 80 miles south OF Cuba,
and 100 miles west Of Hayti: has an area
of <s99 square miles. and a population
Of st0.aae. The total number Of acres nn-
der cultivation and care In 1887 was 81.
SO. Of which 81. 9is was under pasture,
-. sss acres was devoted to sugar cane.
z2.3S to coffee. I9.7so to bananas, 1879 to
cocoanuts. 1.gll 20 cacoa. Sc 10 pimiento,
rs To corn. and SO to ground provis-
ions. The tfliable soil of Jamaica has
since the abolition Of slavery. passed to
a great extent from the hands Of large
the productions have at the same time
been greatly diversified. coffee. bananas,
cocoanuss and cacao having. In many
cases. occupied the AREA formerly de-
voted To sugar cane. Business facilities
include a colonial bank with a circula-
ton of H.eS.og7 and assets OF SIT $50 s44
The government savings bank has 10. eee
depositors. with depoaits amounting TO
E85s.is3. The local currency IL that Of
Great britain. but various American
coins are also current. The registered
shipping of Jamaica consists Of 1a4 sail
Ing vessels Of 1854 tons. and one steamer
OF sas tons. There are In operation lN
miles Of railway and a57 miles OF teie-
graph.
The products OF Jamaica are besides
tropical fruits already mentioned dye
woods cabinet woods. spices. and other
valuable tropical products. The coffee
raised in certain districts OF the Biue
mountains brings. II IL said. the highest
price paid for coffee In the London mar
kes. The exports from Jamaica I'm the
year Isa7-ss included Ss.4i0 ewt. OF coffee.
f46.sss of bananas, ii.s33. 72s cocoanuts
ss.ai3.1st oranges. Los lss pounds of gin
ger. f.3ss.2ss gallons OF rum. s4.375 cwt.
OF raw sugar. q. 600 tons OF logwood and
2s.s2s ewt- OF pimiento. The total value of
the exports OF 1878 was Ef4R443 and
OF the imports Ct, $50. SOL The imports In
ctudcd 32.tS7 cwt. of bread and biscuit
7.s.s cwt. Of butter and compounds, hS.Ses
tons Of coal and coke, 300, soi bushels of
corn. s7os3 barrels OF meal Eas.317 of
| cotton manufactures, s.si2 cwt. OF dried
| or salted fish. 1855 barrels Of -four. G2S.-
| fe4 ~ hardware and cutlery. f3s.775 OF
| linen manufactures. millinery and haber-
| dashery. s5Ae.oe9 feet OF lumber. s5oo. 900
| pounds OF rice. and saos. 100 pounds OF
| soap. or the Ri.6sS. SGT OF importations
| In isss. erase was from the United
| Kingdom. fTis.76s from the United States,
| Eils.sss from British North America.
while Of the 9i.4ss.4i3 Of exports I'm 1895.
EsiaNs went 20 the I niied Kingdom and
| fso2.s52 To the United States
jamaica was discovered by Columbus
May g. 1894. taken possession OF by the
spaniards In 1909. but taken I'm 1855 by a
British expedition sent out by Cromwell
which. after an unsuccessful attempt 10
capture the island OF San Domingo, seized
jamaica, which has since been held by
the British government having been ced-
ed to England In 1870.
The island OF Barbados, with whose
government a reciprocity treaty has al
ready been signed, lies on the east OF a
chain OF islands which stretch south
wnrdly from Porto Rico to the coast OF
South America. and which geographess
| divide into windward and Ieeward
EfUbpSs ltA phrutation 49, aESOFdinx 10
| the Statesman's Year Book of ISsa, about
$4,000. Its area about les square miles
| and the area under cultivation about
| ins.sTe acres. The staple product of the
/ Island Is sugar. about nea acres being
| annually planted With sugar cane, which
| yielded in 1887 SEQ hegsheads q sugar.
| as against 30. AL In 1876 and 40 sss In iss.
| There were iti sugar works and nine rum
disssilsrses. Sugar is the chief export
though 1850 tons OF .'maniak's or glance
pitch"--a hltumsnons petroleum for fuel
was exported I'm 1897 In the exports OF
that year were ss.ssT hogshesds of raw
sugar, valued ut sseasai7: 2aos hogs
heads of other sugar. valued al ti2a AS
s. ,3ss punchecus az moiassss valued at
Ats.a1s. Estsa auintais OF dried fab valu-
ed AZ tzs2a1s and considerable quantities
| Of coal corn. -four and manufactured ar
| tlciss. much ~ which was apparently Inn
| ported into Barhsiaes and Distribute
4 thence To others ~ the West INDIA group
| The imports Included 5as7 .Isf pounds OF
/ bread and biscuit 10 80 pounds Of butter
| ard compounds. 1919 tons Of eoai and
/ coke s4s7s bushels Of corn and ether
grain, s.sss barrels 81 indian cern neal.
| IS ess barrels az -four. ~ AZ auintais Of
| dried fish, ss2i 80 value al hardware and
metals ssss 80 Of linen and cotton goods.
/ asfEisY Zee. of lumber ssai sa pounds az
saitsd ar pekles meat tssl Sss pounds OF
| OIL meat ard oIl cake ssilS pounds
(! ~ Zee. isssss slaves and shocks the
| total value of the years snsporfatscns
berg aSs ~ os which saaayT~ came
from tire United kiaxtan,. ST.. s@ came
| from Sorta America. Hsss1S4 from
the United States ard The remainder
| .ram British india British West Indies
| British and Dutch Guiana and Peru or
the Years exports. which amounted 20
| ss,SSs SsT Il, value. s,dsAsS5 anns from the
4 United states
/ Facilities fer satisfactory transaction
ef business include colonial bank, with
/ paid-up capital az fsaeN having a
| circulation ot 81 ssS. asT. The chief city.
/ Gridee.own has population of Il ass
/ wtte three daily. twa weekly. two III
weekly and t~e fnnrthlv newspapers The
rsr.sssred shipping 81 1881 consisted ~ n
/ sailing vessels ard steamers. total sar-
nags sl1S tons net. There are upon the
island - miles NJ railroad. s7o miles 81
wagon rad "a miles af telegraph Ene q
/ miles u police telephone Ire ana 6a9 miles
cf private tsienAcMc isys " AsFh supplies