The evening times., 1899-03-25
The Agricultural Department
Presents Interesting Data.
Great Value of the Commerce Of
the Islands.
The Exports Consist Principally of
Vegetable Productions, Hemp md
Sugar Being the staples.

tins have from time to time been issued,
but the department is daily in receipt of
new Information.
The average annual value of the gold and
silver coin imported between the years 1888
and 1890, the only years for which statis-
tics could be had, amounted to 1916, ,167.
The average yearly export for the same
period was considerably larger, reaching
as high as s2,195,4 1876.
After deducting from the total import,
and export values for the year 1SS3-9O the
shipments during this period of gold and
silver coin and of lottery tickets it ap
pears that the total imports and exports of
merchandise, exclusive of these other
items. had an average annual value of SS4.
SIG, $50. The average annual value of the
merchandise imported during the eight
years indicated. amounted to 1882, $50.
and that of the merchandise exported to
SIS. .654 $50.
The principal agricultural imports are
wines, rice, wheat -four, and canned goods.
In 1894 wines were imported to the extent
of S35, ,6S1 gallons, having value of $780,
7S3. OF rice, 9S.922, ,622 pounds, valued at
$563, ,S79, were imported, and OF wheat flour
S7.509 barrels, valued at Si61 1914. The i'm
portations of canned goods, including sau-
sages, amounted to 1,472,S07 pounds. with
a value of $3.50, 1853 Each OF these four
items except canned goods, sausages, etc,
shows an increase over 1898 in quantity,
but falling off in value. In the case of
canned goods, sausages, etc, there was
decline in quantity as well as value.
After the leading items just mentioned,
the most important agricultural imports in
1898 and 1894 were distilled spurious
liquors, pork, bacon and lard, vegetables
olive OIL and beer and cider. During 1894
there were imported of distilled spurious
liquors 81 ,335 gallons, worth S16i ,372, and
of beer and cider. 1872 .4e7 gallons. worth
ST., ,O66 The imports of pork, bacon, and
lard amounted to 753,755 pounds, valued
at $l27, ,965. OF vegetables, not including
dried pulse. 5.270,2f1 pounds, worth S119,-
290, were brought in, and of olive oil, 5I2,
O7O pounds, worth $IT6S9. AS compared
with 1893, distilled spiritous liquors in
creased in quantity. but declined in value.
The remainder of these items declined in
both quantity and value.
After cotton manufacturers, the leading
nonagricultural import in 1893 and 1894
was kerosene oil. The value of the kero-
sene imported was recorded at 81 ,0S4.665
for 1898 and at SI03, AS for 1894. 1t was
obtained chiefly from the United States,
either directly or by way of Hongkong
OF iron and steel manufactures there
at S571 600 in 1894. Manufacturers of
wrought iron-such as wire nails, and
screws, and house utensils-formed con-
! siderable part of these imports
| Paper and it's manufactures constituted
another important item. In 1894 the i'm
| ports had a value of $3S7,0 as compared
| with 1916 236 in 1898. Writing paper and
printing paper were the principal kinds
| imported.
Manufactures of fax. hemp, jute. etc,
| formed an item valued at s494 416 in 1898
| and $780, 1873 in 1894. Jute fabrics and
plain fabrics of fax and hemp were the
leading imports under this head.
Candles and matches were imported to
! the value of s377, ,593 in 1898 and 309,970 in
1894 From the statistics for previous
years, when these articles were stated
separately, ii appears that matches formed
| the larger part OF this item.
OF silk manufactures, 1857 155 worth was
| imported in 1898 and 1924, ,S13 worth in 1894.
| Plain or twilled silks comprised the prin-
cipal item, but there We're also important
| imports of velvets and plushes, tulles and
| laces, and thread and yarn.
| Other leading nonagricultural imports
! during 1893 and 1894 were hats and caps,
earthen. stone, and china ware, umbrellas
! and parasols. coal, manufacturers of wool
| and hair, glass and glassware, and boots
and shoes. In addition to these principal
articles the import returns enumerate quite
large number of minor items
The exports of the Philippines consist
very largely of agricultural products Ma
Mia hemp and sugar. the leading staples
of the islands, are the principal factors in
the trade. their combined value amount
! ing to more than rs per cent of the total
export valuation. After hemp and sugar
| the most important articles of expectation
are copra, leaf tobacco, and cigars and
cigarettes. According to the official re-
turns for 1894, these five items comprised
in value fully s5 per cent of the entire
export trade. Coffee is also one of the
leading exports, although the shipments
have been much smaller in recent years
than formerly. owing to decline in pro-
duction caused by the rayages of an in
sect that has done great damage to the
coffee groves. Among the other products
of the islands that are exported quite ex-
tensively should be mentioned sapan wood
indigo, hides and hide cuttings, cocoanut
Oil. ylang-ylang oil, candlenut oil, rice,
aloe fibre, cordage. Manila hats, trepang,
tintarron, copal. mother Of f-peari and
gold.
The cigars and cigarettes exported from
the Philippines are marketed very largely
in the neighboring countries of China and
Japan, the Straits Settlements, the Dutch
East Indies, British India, and the Aus
ments 60 chiefly to the United Kingdom
and Spain.
According to the official trade returns of
the United States. the value of the mer-
chandise imported and exported in our
commerce with the Philippines during the
fiscal year 1897 amounted to $4478 337
These were the smallest annual figures
recorded since 1869. nearly thirty years
ago. when the combined imports and ex-
ports were valued at $4,470.S57 AS far
back as 1887 our trade with the islands
was reported to exceed 81 ,000, ,000 but that
this was an exceptional year is shown by
the fact that the million dollar mark was
not reached again until 1S48, when the
value OF the merchandise exchanged
amounted to s1,22S,667. After that our
Philippine commerce continued to increase.
with some minor fluctuations. down to
1884. during which year it attained it's
greatest development, having total value
of $12.534. .456. The highest figures subse-
quent to the record of 1884 were those for
the year 1890, amounting to I,714.902.
Since the latter year our share of the Phil
ippine trade has been greatly diminished,
owing, in all probability, to the tariff pro-
Visions that were enacted for the islands
Dy the Spanish government in order to give
the Spanish merchants a still further con-
troll OF the commerce. During the past two
or three years our trade with the PhiIip-
pines has been only about half as large
as it was at the beginning of the present
decade. the ten years 1SSS-1S97 showing
loss of fully so per cent. The average an
nuai value of the goods imported and ex
ported in the last five years, 1S93-1S97.
amounted to only $6,1SS, ,460, as compared
with ss.sl6.6So Tor the preceding five years,