Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-01-14
DAILY KENNEBEC JOURNAL SATURDAY JANUARY Il 1899

course. impossible to ascertain fhe cam
| i.aI OF each individual firm. B,1t rough
nrodm"tinrs' r, can be calculated from the
Iuil-sized marketable logs. i.e' logs over
sam "a IA inches) in semi-rirth NAV
5 tIeals aaT iog at ws say 5000 and valued at
a0OW ticals $3.50, OOO) A nerioT az fonr
;rad on an average elapses in the teak
Is can Ita9re any turnover is made; that
lied on TIM '1 fo,r now will not be real
sslmper Is actually in the marker There.
Tore, multiplying 2.lOO,OOO ticais by four.
WE arrive " at 100000 ticals tss52o .ooo,.
wi,;t - necessary to work out the logs
market u'"n 10 the BANGKOK
foa as' in;o me ne average Of the timber that
tha at l1.UO logs, which is. if any, below
( coo n naa we arrive at another sum OF
9 3So 70 tieals ($6So,OoO9 This sum. with
Sa,AW'Ooo invested in the teak forests of
siam. by far the largest proportion of
which is British.
me mineral resources of the country
are extensive and varied though little ore
Is extracted. Gold is found and mined in
many or the provinces. Coal abounds
az ana there are evidences. of the presence
OF iead, copper, iron, zinc, manganese,
an1u.imony and quicksilver.
siam mas as yet no large or important
l lna9strles; although progress is being
OF SILK and cotton cloth. of gold and sill
Ver.ware and of pottery. porcelain and
cabinet-ware has long been carried on to
some extent in native fashion. but no
regular factories exist. Boat building is
more important industry, owing to the
great and constant demand for small riv-
er boats and sailing vessels. The net
york of rivers and canals upon which
slams products are brought to market
swarm with all manner of small craft.
There are several shipyards modelled aft.
ef Eur0Dean establishments Of LII,
Ihe most important industry, although
OF comparatively recent development, rs
mat which has been called into existence
by the expectation of rice and teakwood.
ana consists OF the operation of steam
rice and sawmills. Rice for home con-
sumption among the Siamese is still
slow method in use for centuries al
though in many instances the hand rice
mill Is employed. For the preparation of
rice for export, however. specially built
steam rice mills, equipped with circular
centrifugal and centripedal rice separa-
tors and other appliances OF latest i'm
steam rice mills there We're thirty-three
in Siam in 1896, with Il total capacity of
). 49, 1913 pounds of rice per day. Twenty
SIN OF them were located in the City of
Bangkok, three in Samsoun and the rest
in Paklat and Patrin. All but four of the
mills are. operated by Chinese firms: two
are in the hands of Germans and one
each in the hands of French and English
proprietors. At present considerable
portion of the rice for home consumption
Is cleaned at the steam rice mills, and
there is a constant demand for more
mills. That there is room for their in
crease may be judged from the fact that
Siam would be able to multiply her pro-
duction of rice several times without ex-
hausting her acreage of tillable Soil.
The future of Siam depends largely up
on the progress of it's railway enterprises
and the consequent exploitation of its
immense agricultural and mineral re-
sources. A knowledge of these facts has
prompted European capital to hasten to
the spot, and the result is that Slams
enlightened government has granted nu-
er undertakings. Up to the present time
two lines are in actual operation and the
prospects for more railroads are very
bright.
The total value of the foreign trade of
Bangkok (Which represents almost the
whole foreign trade of Siam in 1896
amounted to $5I 4O7 24O, as against Sl4 sos
iii in 1895 (silyerD Of this trade uSsG1
exports were $50, 362 912 and imports s21.-
O4i 32S. That the trade of this port is
rapidly increasing is shown by compari-
son with the returns of 1892 when the
total was $40. 509. 269 of which exports
were $10GS4 or and imports So, 42o 1872. Rice
is nv far fhe PRINCIPAL item in the eX-
Dorts The most of ii is shipped to Hong
kong. Singapore. Europe and Brazil A
small amount only goes direct to the Uni
ted States but a considerable quantity is
resold in Hongkong to American buyers.
and the demand for it is destined to in
crease. The total exports in 1896 amount
ed to n value of sos ,O43 Jsilver.)
Teakwood. the next export in value aft
err rice, was exported to the value of 81
5as 1l73 This is purchased in large ollantj-
ties for shin-huildinp and the Rritish ma
Wy iss Is an nf ths wand e''''e' u INC "''
which comes from Europe.