Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-02-27
PHILIPPINE PROSPERITY.
iteadily Increasing, According to Gov
eminent Reports.

| Washington. Feb. 26.-Steadily in
| 're1Sing prosperity in the Philippines
| g shown in an exhaustive study of the
| oreiGn commerce of the archipelago
| ,ust issued from the Insular Rureau of
he War Department.. depending on the
| Attest available figures. which, covering
| nine months of the calendar year 1903.
'ompared with the same period of 1907.
| shows substantially increased values
If the export and import trade.
| The heavy expectation of hemp and
| 'Opra is the prominent feature OF re-
'ent Philippine commercial develop
| ment, and We're it not for the fact that
| greatly increased purchases of rice
| nave been necessary in the last yc;Ir.
] those two products alone would furnish
| the basis for a trade balance in favor
Of the islands approNimating $2,30O.0D0.
| 1t is hoped that the amount of rice
| imported next year will be considerably
! !essened, i'll view of the efforts being
| made by the Philippine Commission to
| provide a food supply from native pro-
| 'uctiOn as large as was obtained he
| fore the shortage in crops due to de-
| Struction by locuStS and the disastrous
| loss Of farm cattle. which We're almost
| totally destroyed by rindcrpcst. IIcW-
ever should it he found that the profit
| in hemp, copra, tobacco and sugar cul-
| tnre is sufficient in amount to enable
| the Inhabitants to purchase rice to bet
| ter advantage as compared with the
| cost of its home production, the future
| imporilti-nS of the l;ttier may not ne
| CCS:'aliiy T4i ate Il l;tcl. of prosperity
| in ~" aTchipola"c.
| Ace ci.lin:5 to tho origin Of imports
| during 1903 with the exception of Ger
tain rice producing countries q general
| falling off is shown; the United States
| trade dropped from $3,1G9.420 to ST.
SlS.f12, decrease of 10 per cent; the
United Kingdom from $4.235.9s5 to. So
| 60G,2S6. or about Is per cent drcrna~c:
| Germany from S1.755.216 to S1.iO2,SO1;
| France shows a gain OF 10 per cent.
| increasing from $S7212G to $3s5.G19.
| Spain has only two-thirds of the
| amount of her trade in 1902, when S.
1861 was received from that source,
as compared with sf,5O2,G77 in 1903;
the net loss in value as shown By these
| figures was more than balanced by the
| gain in importations from Asiatic coun-
| tries. China, with Il trade of s3,G7S,J45
| in 1902, sent slightly increased
| amount. or $3,912.1S1 in nine months of
1903; Japan, s532.S41 and s573,4S7;
British East Indies. $1,152.452 and ST.
s52,902; Siam. s3O3.S29 and s742, 735, and
French East Indies, $3,335,G74 as COM
pared with s6.5s3.139 in 1903
Exports to the leading countries show
that the United States during nine
months of 1902 increased it's purchases
| over the previous years record from
! $1.232.4l1 to $9,3SG,O36: United King
dom, from s5,395,S99 tos6,C63.555:
| France. $1.252.201, increased to $685.
o4e; the trade of Spain was pra ctical!y
| the same amount as in 1902. the figures
showing $i9I,130 and s5O2.119 in 1903;
shipments to China dropped from
| S6G1.oi5 to $fo0,475: Hong Kong. $780,
0?o to $1.557.S3S: British East Indies.
*5'3,6?3 to $494.119 while Japan made
decided Increase in 1908, receiving
l$l.25a,6S4 worth of exports, us against
$ii1,G26 in 1902.
Of the merchandise imported during the
quarters period of 1909 s1S. S9G. SO or
more than half of the total consisted Of
WIS manufactured goods; $780,. i0S. or &
per cent. Included articles of voluntary
use ana lu%ures; $Si2,625. or per cent,
ma t'rial in crude condition. or nartIv
| manufactured, the remaining SIS IS, being
c'aHsed under miscellaneous
Of ne exports we're principally products
! be;nr mn,ic ~, :" per cent or S226457 ~:
| hCmn III ,oo " on II, roun T., oo numbers of
s.. 600. 900 and ,oi,.ccp 81 sn,o, SuSar.
| cigars i'' 'u"ii'o
| The figures on tho carrvin, Trade chou.
mt hut a small part of the United
an,o,ioa n"H as IS III IN, t'SScls living Tn"
re- tannr,i 1'ts ono a.. ~, l'e! cnht. OF
tnreisn hntt tl,,nc OF tn'' iSldnds IS done in
and siiT.lr t'n ~, ',,: incilaihS gold
cbondise c,rrin, va'II ~. alr,r" a mr.
! 81. Ia 90: Pritish s,1 20 900 corn, ~
S"s 100 "p1ihan $h3-"-H' NorWcsian, ST.
-. , GU oaner l"sS. $500; ~ tx
o.. - N'ir 81 an Vessels cari1ed *l" ~;