The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-09-28


Beirut as trade center IL rich In posi-
bilities. 1t is connected with Damascus by
the Beirut-Damascus railroad, well as
by a magnificent road built by the French
been extended to Hauran, 154 miles further
into the interior. Thirty-five miles of this
railway is over the Lebanon mountains. and
is constructed on an incline with toothed
rails From Hauran as center several
roads run off into the interior. one 10 Hama,
thus uniting the Bekaa plains with the sea.
In 1893 an artificial harbor was built at
Beirut. which was joined with the Damas-
Gus railroad In 1903. The high charges for
port and quay duties are damaging Beirut
beyond It's power TO remedy. Tripoli. lew
miles to the north of Beirut with good
roads into the interior. is advancing. The
wnoie country is opening up and offers ex,
cellent opportunities for parties interested
In the sale OF many kinds of agricultural
ana industrial labor-saving machines.
Among the articles for which that market
Is open are iron pipes. which sell We'll
English wares are winning their way
against others that were found 10 be
shamefully thin and weak. The pipes are
sold according TO diameter. Those of ordi-
nary diameter, from Il of an inch 10 :
inches, bring an average price of y cents
pounds per meter There is also a field
Tor sewing machines. The number inn
ported is gradually increasing Enameled
ware Is wanted. Beirut's commercial Inn
portance Is constantly increasing. Since the
Suez canal cut off the caravan trade that
once went by way of Aleppo and Damascus
to Bagdad and Mecca, Syrian commerce has
her harbors. The city has always been
known for its silk industries. and is a good
point at which to pick up Oriental fabrics.
According to a report made during the
latter part of August TO the Department
OF Commerce and Labor, Mexico promises
to become a great fruit-growing country.
1t promises also to send considerable guam
titles of its fruits to the United States.
The figures relating to the planting of fruit
trees during recent years are very impor-
tant. They have been planted all over the
sutea to rf section S, being Te
tnat some fruit trees require years for
their growth, there are others that yield
ricn crops In one, two or three years The
plants that produce the pineapple. melon
and watermelon yield annual crops and
the demand in the United States is largest
for just such fruit as this. The various
kinds or bananas grow in large quantities
in the warmer parts of Mexico. These
may be added to the fruit exports TO the
United States.
try while making every effort TO secure
commercial preponderance in Europe and
South America neglects the opportunities
afforded her in the neighboring States. But
little attention is paid to trade movements
either in Canada or Mexico.
The bureau of statistics, quoting from a
recent report of the German consul at
Odessa TO his government, says sharp
contest in the sale of agricultural machin-
cry has just broken out in Russia. Great
Britain has succeeded, by means of cheap
sea freights, in securing the lead in the
sales of steam thrashers with locomotive
attachments. America was once supreme
in this field. Russia is making every eff
fort to emancipate herself from foreign
agricultural machines. particularly from
gins and cutting, saving, drilling, boring,
hulling and scutching machines. In gins
and schutching machines Russia has pro-
foreign competition. The moving machines
imported into Russia are mostly American.
With these neither Germany nor England
can compete. America and Germany send
rakes. but the German rakes are bound to
vanish entirely from the Russian market
since the teeth in comparison with the
American, leave much to be desired.
The plOws used are mostly of Russian
manufacture. The American pillow offers
the Russian no particular advantage; but
American knives and machine blades are
being bought in large numbers. Russia
offers market for milk separators that
has never been properly considered. The
drums of separators are admitted free OF
duty. A factory in northern Russia for
merly imported the drums from Scandina-
VIA made the other parts itself and put
them all together.
The demand for oil presses is growing
cd of pressing the oil out by means OF
oak beams is giving way to modern meth
DDS and machines. South Russian factor
les have the advantage offered by being
a
-one that finds favor and sells WELL
The Ural country, cis-Caucasia, Siberia
and Manchuria offer markets for all kinds
of machines and apparatus. Machines
for mills. bake shops, sugar refineries, dis
tilleries tanneries, ETC., are needed. Ar
agent with a knowledge of the lands and
their languages would win in the effort tt
get markets. Eastern Siberia offers ar
enormous field for iron and steel ware fol
building purposes. also for tools. etc, fol
carpenters and locksmiths. There is also
a large demand for guns and hunting ma
teriai. The United States by establish.
ing base Of supplies leads the trade In
this line. The buyer in those far-of parts
fers to pick from a large assortment and
will pay any price demanded.
The returns Of Philippine commerce fol
May, 1903, about to be published by the
Bureau of Insular Affairs of the War De-
partment, show the foreign trade of the
islands aggregated for the month ss,s72, 9s2
exclusive of government supplies and gold
and silver, being even greater than that re-
ported for April of the present year, the
value of which exceeded that for any single
month since American occupation.
Importations amounted TO 1881 200, being
| considerably in excess of the monthly aver.
| age as a result of heavy purchases of food
| stuffs, rice imports alone approximatins
| nearly e million and three-quarters dollars
worth The outgoing trade for the month
| of May included shipments of Philippine
| products TO the value of $3,4Sl, 327. Fol
| eleven months ended May 81, 1908, the tota
| trade amounted to s60.576.245. while for the
| corresponding period of 1902 the value wa:
| $50. S24 090.
| The gain indicated by the foregoing fig
! ures is due to the extraordinary increase II
| exports. especially of hemp, which show!
| a trade of S19. 606.211 i'm the eleven months
| ended May 81. 1903. as against $4,513,s75 IN
| the same period of 1902. Copra shipment.
| also are on the increase. and the exporta
| ton of this product now ranks second ir
| Importance, followed by sugar and tobacco
! A material decrease is shown in the cigal
/ trade as compared with record figures fol
| the previous year
Customs revenues TO the value of eigh
| and a half millions were collected during
eleven months Of 1903, an increase amount
| ing to over a million dollars compared
with the previous year.
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