The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-16
TRADE IN rHE PHILIPPINES.

WASHINGTON, July l5.-The Bureau @
| Insulaf Affairs places In the ACCURACY o
the figures given in It's recent review OF tn
commerce Of the Philippine Islands for thu
last fifty years O larger faith than som'
authorities have at their immediate com
mand. Take this statement, made IN the
opening paragraphs Of that review:
Tho exports. made UP OF but few commodities
and those OF specific character admit OF easy treat
ment: but the imports. comprising Wide rang
OF articles and subject 70 varying classification
more or less arbitrary for tarin purposes. presen
quite different problem.
The reason here given for the difficulty
OF presenting import figures which may be
accepted as reliable Is insufficient and In.
complete. There are two other factors OF
far greater Importance. These are SNUG
Cling and the corruption which existed In
the Spanish custom houses. In nearly all
countries, and particularly in such coun-
try as the Philippines. during Z period OF
twenty or twenty-five years, there should
appear certain correspondence OF move
ment between imports and exports This
does not appear In the statistics submitted
by the Insular Bureau In regard to the trade
of the Philippines. From 1900 TO 1882 the
yearly trade balances huctuate In most
erratic manner. The exports OF subse-
quent years show fluctuation, but the
variation Is reasonable and the volume
shows general increase. The imports up
to 1880 also show wide fuctuation. The
variation OF later years Is more normal,
but while the exports show an increasing
tendency the imports from 1880 to 1898
show general and considerable decline.
1t Is quite beyond reasonable doubt that
an exact statement Of the value Of all mer-
islands during the last twenty-five years
would vary widely from the submitted
statistics. For this reason we can only
regard as unreasonable and unfair any
comparison Of import figures prior to those
which follow the American occupation.
For any practical consideration it is
useless to 60 back more than twenty
years. From 1885 to 1895 the export trade
Of the islands consisted largely Of hemp
and raw sugar. Each OF these formed
about one-third Of the total. Tobacco
and coffee represent the larger part Of the
remaining third. with copra as an item
Of increasing importance. The figures
from 1895 to 1000 are missing, because Of
the activities Of the instruction During
the American occupation the exports of
hemp have increased nearly $50 per
the exports Of sugar are reduced by more
than one-half the export Of tobacco has
remained practically stationary and the
sale Of copra increased materially. As a
general expression, it may be said that the
export figures Of Philippine trade show
an increase during the American occupa-
ion of about one-third over those OF Spanish
days. The total export Of the present
time is. approximately, SIC, 600 900 a year,
OF which the single item Of hemp represents
a little more than two-thirds.
Assuming, for the sake Of the preeenta-
ton, the correctness of the submitted
figures of importation. the following COM
parison of trade increase with different
countries may be given The figures
represent the average Of annual imports
for the indicated periods, the years in
elusive;