Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-01-07
Monday, January z, 1907.
Our Trade With Panama.

1t is true that our trade with Gen.
trail and South America falls far snort
of being what it should be. but with
one country down that way American
trade has increased of late at most
gratifying pace. That country is Pan
anna the little republic which cecede1
from Columbia under very interesting
circumstances and set up in business
for itself. Panama is divided into
two parts, the canal zone in which
Americans of course are chiefly inter-
ested, and the republic proper which
has just had the distinguished honor,
vouchsafed to no other country on
earth. of entertaining the President of
the United States. Panama is almost
as large in area as Maine, but it is
needless to say that in no other way
can it be compared with our own State.
Its population is about half that of
Maine, and included a liberal assOrt-
ment of all the colors of the rainbow.
goods to the value of s., 100000. In 1905
our sale to them was just a little less
than $500, 600 900. while in the year just
ended we sold them over S14,0O0,000
worth of goods. The government sta
tistician goes on to explain as follows:
These figures cover only the exports
to Panama sent in merchant vessels
and do not include that sent by gov
eminent transports or naval vessels
What proportion of this total Of over
S14 100000 worth of merchandise sent
sent by merchant vessels to Panama is
sent for the government, or by its
representatives, can not be determined
at present, since the shipments of this
character when sent by vessels engage
ed in the general transportation Of com
merce are treated in the same manner
as merchandise sent by individual ex-
poltcrs or firms. While a considerable
part of the merchandise exported to
Panama is doubtless for the use of the
government, or at least for use in the
work upon the canal or the Panama
railroad. an examination of the list of
articles forming this total indicates
that large part consists of articles Of
food and clothing or other merchan-
disc intended for Individual use rath-
er than for the canal works. Nor can it
he determined just what proportion Of
this total goes for use of citizens of
Panama located outside of the Canal
Zone.
Some of the items are worth noting
Our principal shipments to Panama
h.ly II In
comotives; $996230: boards. $4,000;
pines and fittings. s5oS,OOO; steel rails.
s3lS.33S: cotton goods Exclusive Of
cloths). s207,9l2; boots and shoes, $685.
600; furniture. s2G3OOO: wheat flour.
S259.047: cotton cloths. $3.50. 392: soft coal
s255.1?l chemicals. S250.600: and lard.
slSi.42l. Other things that we have
been shipping to Panama this year are
lumber, lard compounds ale and beer.
logs. earthernware. scientific instru-
mcntS. soap, oil. structural iron and
steel. prints. gunpowder. fish, butter.
hams, bread and biscuit sailed meats,
cement. writing paper. sugar (refinedJ.
potatoes. fruits. wines. typewriters.
canned meats. bacon, eggs and alcohol
What have we been buying from the
Panamans" The report for the calcn-
day year will he along presently
meanwhile the figures for the fiscal
year-the last half of 1905 and the first
half of 1906-are available and inform
ing. In those twelve months we paid
the Panamans s415595 for bananas.
sl54.033 for rubber. SILL 1898 for hides,
si9.?97 for mahogany. s37. sS5 for other
cabinet woods. s17.1U for vegetables
ivory. ss.957 for Panama hats, etc.
n 70 f,-tI, ~
be interesting to know what breakfast
tables the coffee found its way to. and
what the verdict was on its quality.