The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-03-23
MARKET VALUE Of ISLANDS.
FRENCH OFFICIAL PUBLICATION
DISCUSSES 1T.
Recent American Acquisition VIII
show Greater Productive and
Consuming Power Under Indu-

Special Dispatch to the Post-Intelllgoncer
WASHINGTON, March 22-rhe pros
pective value Of Cuba, Puerto Rico and
the Hawaiian. Philippine and Samoan is
lands as markets for the products ot the
farm and factory in the United States Is
Illustrated by a recent publication Of the
French government, which discusses at
considerable length the consuming powers
Of those Islands and their consequent
economic value to the United States, and
the prospective increase in their consurn-
ing powers through enlarged production
under American capital The statement is
as follows;
AT present the imports Of these ooun-
tries amount 70 about 500 0oo. 00o. Those
OF Cuba were, in lS92 (which was an aver
age good year, s52,lol,6 IS; Of the Philip
pines, in 1895, SIS. s.0I5; OF the Hawaiian
Islands, in ISIS. sll, $50 $50 and OF Puerto
Rico. In 1896, S,65e,57S. The imports, how
ever. show already an increase, as is seen
by the American export figures TO these
Islands, those to the Hawaiian islands for
1893 being s.. 3Q54Tp, as against 81, 907 l55 for
Ns,6ls,Sl7 in 1899 as against s. Sol S56 IN 1895
and s.. ,f36 in 1897, the respective figures
OF exports 20 Puerto Rico being 81 eSS, StS
for the year 1899, as compared with 81 Sos
946 for 1925 and 81 .9SS. SIS for 1897. There is
no doubt that with an increased product
i've power which must naturally be fol-
lowed by increased consumption, the vol
ume OF the foreign trade Of these islands
Is likewise bound to increase consider
ably.
Foreign Products Consumed.
The consumption Of foreign products
by these islands Is made up almost equally
OF articles OF manufacture and OF agri-
culture of the temperate zone. Out Of
S20,l& S2l worth Of products exported from
the United States to Cuba I'm 1894 the
value OF s,t49.s5S was in products. Of agri-
culture, and out Of siS.6l6.3Tl worth Of ex-
ports for the year 1899 a799,5i3 worth be-
longed to the same category. The exports
from the United states 10 the Pearl OK
the Antilles are made up principally OF
cereals. live animals, salt meat, cotton
etc
Spain. under normal conditions. sold
annually to Cuba, Puerto Rico and the
Philippines about, $40 900 600 worth OF
goods, principally manufactured articles
besides wines, oils, -four, meats and Vege-
tables. Out OF l35 co. 100 pesetss' worth
Of merchandise shipped from Spain 10
Cuba In 1856. about 80. 0to,oo0 represented the
value OF products Of agriculture. Tho
proportion was nearly the same in tho
case Of Puerto Rico and the Philippine is
lands.
Speaking generally. we may assume
that under normal conditions the surplus
production of Cuba and the Philippines
before the war amounted to about 25O00.-
900 annually. and their consumption to
500, 10000 but that their productive power
Ia capable Of great increase, which in
turn viii cause a similar increase In con-
sumption. About one-half OF the imports
into these islands was OF Spanish origin
and the other half came from other coun-
iriea proportionate TO their proximity or
distance. Thus the United States fur
nished the greater part OF the imports into
Cuba and Puerto Rico. while the Philip
pine islands received whatever Spain was
unable to furnish them with from Hong
Kong. Shanghai Yokohama. Singapore.
Calcutta and Australian ports"
The following statement, prepared by
treasury bureau Of statistics shows tho
exports from the United States. by princi-
pal articles. to each OF the islands mem
toned " the above discussion. The state