The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-03-25
SPANS INDUSTRIAL CRISIS.
The Commercial situation Laid BE
fore the Provisional Council


fore the Provisional Council
Mr.. Lay. the United states Consul Gen
eral at Barcelona, has sent TO the State
Department a translation Of a report
made TO the provisional council by So
ciety Of Barcelona manufacturers upon
the causes of the present industrial crisis
in Spain and the means to remedy it. The
report deals comprehensiveiy with the de
velopment Of Spanish manufacturing in
tereSts in the last ten years. giving tables
of imports and exports in all the princi-
pal lines of trade The following para
craps are extracted:
The two industries that have suffered
most through the loss Of the colonies are
those connected with cotton and flour.
nearly the whole Of their large production
having been sent to that market The
cotton trade had its most profitable year
in 1897, which Immediately preceded the
loss Of the colonies. the following year
its exports We're reduced one-half. and
though there are signs that efforts are
being made to open up other markets, the
results are slow and costly; meanwhile
the sDindles that prepared those 4.D,V'
Kilograms (S.S1S40O pounds and the looms
that wove the output of those spindles
for the colonial market must remain idle
or manufacture for nome consumption,
| causing overproduction, which has al
ways been the cause Of crises.
Among the various branches of the
cotton trade. knitted goods are those that
best hold their ground, finding their way
to almost every market in the world
after having been unable to export
any flour to Cuba during the time that
the commercial agreement with the Uni
ted States was in force. when il Iapsed
in 1894 this branch of industry resumed
its exports. which reached the highest fig
ures in 1891, falling oue-third in the fol-
lowing year and disappearing altogether
after the Treaty of Paris Today, the
-four mills, with their excellent ma
chinery which furnished these exports.
are no longer necessary, their output
| causing OverprOductiOn, from which the
trade suffered severely last year
Ropes and twines show diminishing
exports from 1893. due partly to the COM
| mercial arrangement with the United
States and partly to the war which broke
| out in 1885
The war was also responsible for the
decline in the exports of wooden goods.
| linens. and silks. which have fallen
steadily and brought about general
| crisis in these branches of trade more
| especially in wooden. hemp. and linen
manufactures. Silks were never export
ed in Ereat quantities TO the colonies. and
| during recent years new markets have
/ been opened Linen textiles having ac-
| credited marks and speciaIties are able
! 10 hold their own in the Cuban market.
| Since 1885 owing to the destruction of
| the sugar crops in the island. the ex-
| ports Of empty jute saks to Cuba have
| suffered heavily. il Is to be noted. how
| b-1r ry,.yy,sr-.
| ot'ed with some success TO secure a share
/ of the trade in other markets.
Boots and shoes, which represented
| our largest exports 20 Cuba, have since
/ 1888 been met by the American competi-
/ ton. and during the past two years the
| exports have declined considerably In
| 1888, the exports fell 20 nearly a third.
/ but doubled themselves in 1898 and show
| signs Of this year reaching an even high
| er figure In the year 1893 this industry
may be said 10 have been entirely depend
| eut upon the colonial market, while in
| 1898 it had by dint of energy and pe-se-
verance obtained a footing in other mar
| kets, developing at tho same time the
| home trade
| We do not mention several other pro-
/ ducts, the exports of which were uniu-
| portant; but, generally speaking, we ma
I So that al nav q SLALEIt-1 D4 LIEt- loss OF
| the colonies. as IS proved by the fact
/ that the exports TO Cuba, which amount
| cd 70 one hundred and thirty-SiX millions,
were IN the year 1898 reduced To sixty
| six millions. those to- Porto Rico fell from
| sorty-tour millions 10 thirteen millions,
| and those TO the Philippines from forty
| nine millions to- only twenty-seven mil
| ions in 1883 -
| The report notes, the general revival in
| Spanish traderWhich followed the signing
| of the treaty Of peace in Paris, which was
fostered by the immigration OF over 100,-
90 SpaniardS with their capital. Although
| colonies, this was not felt in Spain, as
| the home demand absorbed the surplus.
| Increase in taxation and the high prices
! FOR articles OF necessity have aggravated
| the situation. As a solution OF the crisis.
| an increase Of exports. the growth of
| home consumption. and the perfscting of
! manufacture are urged. IN regard TO tn
! increase Of exports. the report says:
| "A close study OF our tariff VIII show
that II Was drawn solely with view TO
| the imports. and 10 obtaining large re-
! ceiptS for the treasury. at the same time
! securing the home market for native pro-
! ducts In the whole tariff there is not a
| single article that is free OF duty-not
| even those raw materials which are not
! produced in Spain and which are used for
I manufactures. not even are those chefni-
/ Gals free which are required to produce
| fertilizers, so indispensable to agricul-
, ture. Our present position requires that
/ our tariff be revised from the pOiat of
view of exports, allowing free entry for.
| or at any rate reducing the duty on. ali
| products used by our export trade.
! If We fail to place our manufacturers
! on the same footing as their foreign II
/ walls, II is out OF the question that they
! should he able to compete with them il
| the cost Of production.
/ Against the cheapuesS of productions
/ we have the new transport duty, which
| imposes a tax Of 50 cents per ton on near
| " all raw materials imported for manu-
( featuring purposes when brought from
/ Europe and from Mediterranean ports ~
/ from Africa on the Atlantic Coast as far
! as Cape BOjador; when imported from
! any other country in the world, the duty
| is Slip per ton
This tax is contrary to the extra 5usy
! which is levied on products other than
I European but shipped from European
: ports seeing that. tallOw and hides from
I the Argentine Republic: cotton. coal and
! slaves from the United States. nitrate OF
/ soda from Chile; and raw jute from In
! dId all pay less duty If imported from Eli
I rCpean depOts than il bought in the origi-
/ nal markets II IS needless TO point out
/ how prejudicIal this is 10 our commerce
! navigation, and manufactures. to the ben
! eft Of European Intermediates 1t IS a b.
/ SOlutely necessary that this transport
! duty be modified ana that more exceptions
/ be made in favor of those materials used
! in manufactures
| New markets are secured only at the
| fore idle to look for immediate relief IN
/ that direction. as 1t is impossible to i'm
! prOVlSe consumers.
| Seeing that we already have = market
| Of our own in our ex-cOIOnieS We should
! be able 10 retain the greater part Of that
| trade, as we have in our favor not o6iy
! the acquired tastes of the people but also
/ vested interests. numerous Spanish pop
! Ulation, and trademarks that enjoy a
| certain preference
&.