Washington sentinel., 1900-02-24
TT ~, SENTINEL
TRADE HINTS FROM OUR
cONSULS ABROAD.


AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS IN
INDIA.--In reply to inquiries by an
Illinois firm, Consul Fee, Of Bonn
bay, under date of December IS,
1899, says:
The population OF India is about
four times that Of the United States,
while the latter has about double
the area of the former. AS the
bulk Of the people are employed
in agricultural pursuits, it is obvi-
Gus that those parts of India capa-
BILE OF cultivation must be divided
into small farms. Each man rents,
generally, but a few acres. There
are, of course, occasional large
plantations run by a rich man, or
rajah, but these are exceptional.
The ancient pillow, costing perhaps
so or IS cents, pulled by oxen
IS used. Few implements are en-
ployed. The mamooties--a kind
of mattock. more like carpenter S
ADJ, with a wider blade-are uni
versally used for all manner Of
work in the ground. Natives will
not use the wheelbarrow or the
shovel. Women carry dirt, mortar.
brick, and in fact everything in
baskets on the heads.
On account of the famine Of
18o6-o7 and again this year in
western India, the country people
are not able to buy. Besides, there
seems to be a disinclination to
adopt new methods, making easier
the daily burden. A short time
since, large agricultural imple-
ment firm of England sent steam
plow and men to exhibit it in India
They took it all over the country
and at a great expense gave prac-
tical exhibitions and instructions.
am reliably informed that they
did not secure single order.
cite this as an example OF the
native indifference to improve
ments.
Just now, there is considerable
talk in local papers on the question
of drilling deep wells for water ii
the famine districts OF India. Here
is a chance for an American 5rn
to do some business.
NEW SPANISH TARIFF.-Julius
G. Lay, American Consul General
at Barcelona, calls attention OF our
exporters to the increased duties
on a number Of articles now ex-
ported from the United States to
Spain, as provided for in the new
Spanish tariff which went into
effect January I, 1900. These in
creased duties will seriously affect
our exports OF typewriters, and,
especially, oils.
Typewriters in Spain are consid-
cred at present a luxury, and not
a necessity, among business men,
and although in time manuiactur
ers, lawyers and others will use
them, still, of course, if the price
is increased, so also will be the
difficulty in introducing them, a!
none are made there. According
to the new Spanish tariff, type writ
ers which formerly paid "a pesetas
per 100 Kilograms plus 20 per cent
war tax, or 29 pesetas per Ioc
kilCgrams-saY, at current eX-
change, less than cents per pounc
weight--are now dutiable at oVer
81 cents per pound weight, OF
about thirty.two times as much as
before. 1t must be noticed, how.
ever, that the ola tariff was on the
gross weight, whereas the new tar.
if charges on the net weight; so
as it may be fairly reckoned tha
the packing of typewriter weigh!
about as much as the machin.
itself, the difference is really only
sixteen times as much. An ordin
arY typewriter weighs from 20 t
80 pounds with its cover and tn,
accessories usually supplied will
it, so that the duty on a first clas
American typewriter is now, say
from SG3 to sac, whereas before i
averaged about halt a dollar ;
machine.
Another item in the new Spanish
tariff covers monographs and theii
parts, which formerly were no
enumerated in the Spanish tariff
but are now dutiAble the same a.
typewriters-64 cents per pcunC
weight.
Every description OF electrical
scientifi: and office labor saVinC
apparatus or instrument IS nov
also classed under a heavy rate
Fol instance, an Edison mumo
graph, which formerly paid SI.4s
now pays 81.
The duties on sewing machines
velocipedes, slaves, and lumbe
remain unchanged.
The new tariff has doubled tn,
dutv previously charged on par
affin wax; this wax now i~porteC
from the United States pays S8.4t
per z2o.4 90 pounds; and from Grea
Britain at S5.88, or a difference o
sass per aao.46 pounds. Thi
increase makes business in oils anC
paraffin impossible in Spain. New
York firms have been cabled I,
stop all shipments. Should tn
Spanish Government offer to re
duce the duty to the same rate a
is now paid on English wax.
would still be too high to compel
with s.earin, which pays only So s
per 100 Kilograms and 20 per cen
TuhricattnJ oils from the Unite