The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1908-01-27
TRADE IN CEYLoN.
American Products Wherein Manufac-
turers May Hope to Increase Sales.

onlSIlchH TIuuuCIb WhSIciH |11duuldcs
turers May Hope to Increase Sales.
Replying to inquiries, Consul e. A.
Creevey. of Colombo, furnishes the fol-
lowing information relative to Ceylon
as a field for American trade:
American manufacturers and export
ers DESTROYS of competing in this mar
ket must bear in mind that the United
Kingdom has long had a monopoly in
this field, and that it's trade is largely
controlled through a head office in Lon
don and its branches here.
The imports into Ceylon from the
United States in 1906 amounted to s446,-
$50, and they would have been larger
had American exporters studied the
market and worked to supply its needs.
This, however. does not all the
American goods consumed here, as
many such goods are received from and
credited to other countries. 1 know
this has been the case with American
typewriters, small hardware, canned
foodstuffs and druggists ~plies ex-
ported from the United Kingdom, Which
were entered here as British products.
The great increase In the demand
for cigarettes among the native popu-
lation accounts for the predominance
Of the United States in this article.
Cans of cheap straight cut" American
cigarettes can be found In all the
small bazars. The imports of tobacco
In 1906 increased 1916 pounds over 1905,
but cigars, the most of which come
from the United Kingdom, fell off II ,459
pounds from 1905. The imports of
American tobacco amounted to $24, $3.50,
against 500, 800 from the United King
dom.
In the imports of clocks the United
States displaced the United Kingdom
In 1906, the value of the imports from
both being $4,S27 and 1924, respectively.
The value of the clocks was $2.74 each
for the American and $2.5S for the Brit
ish. The increased demand for the
American clock is thought to be due
to most of them being alarm clocks.
There was a general decrease In the
imports of watches. American watches
dropping from 81, 900 to 1920; British
watches fell off 1923.
The imports of canned beef were
twice as large in 1906 as in 1905. the
imports from the United States
amounting to 81. 750, against 1880 in
1906, while the imports from the United
Kingdom amounted to 50, 300, against
1900 in 1906.
The increase in the imports of bis
cults from Germany in 1906 was IS per
cent, while the increase in the imports
from the United Kingdom was only IL
per cent. over 1905. The attractive man
ner in which German biscuits are put
up is the cause of this increased trade.
The imports of iron and steel are
drawn from the United Kingdom, Ger
many, Belgium and Sweden. In hard
ware the imports from the United
Kingdom were valued at 1927 100, in a
total import of $3.50, 800. The imports
Of American hardware amounted to
81, ZOO.
There has probably been no more
remarkable change, within a compare
lively recent period, than in the manner
of lighting the houses and streets of
Ceylon. Today kerosene is used by all,
and lamps are found in the smallest
huts. This has caused a great decrease
in the import of candles. One-half the
lamps imported come from the United
Kingdom, followed by the imports from
Austria and Germany. English and
Austrian lamps are valued at about IS
cents each, German lamps at q cents.
and Japanese lamps at Is cents. The
kerosene in bulk was imported from
Borneo and Asiatic Russia, valued at
$239, 900; all the case oil, valued at $685.
900, was imported from the United
States.
The United Kingdom, Italy and Aus
tria control nearly all the writing paper
trade. The prices of this article, per
rcam, are as follows: British, $1.25;
Italian and Austrian, rs cents.
OF the toilet soap imported into Cey-
lon the United Kingdom supplies "a per
cent, but Germany is beginning to sue
cessfully compete for this trade. OF
the bar soar imports the United King
dom and her colonies supply 90 per
cent.
The value Of The cotton manufac-
lures imported into Ceylon in 1906 was
$2,64S,194 drawn from the following
countries: United Kingdom, 81, 500, 513;
British colonies, s677, 123; all other coun-
tries, $2sO,5 5s. The imports from the
United States in 1906 consisted Of up-
bleached piece goods, valued at $50, 900,
an increase over 1905 of $21 900.
As a resume, 1t may therefore be
said that the imports wherein Ameri-
can exporters may hope to increase
trade are cotton piece goods, tobacco
and tobacco manufactures. iron and
s%teel.2 clocks, canned beef. biscuits,
hardware, lamps, writing paper. per-
fumery, toilet soap, etc. 1t should be
borne i'm mind that Ceylon, with a pop
ulation of, say, 100000, of whom only
about 10000 are Europeans, offers only
a limited market for American prod
Ucts.
BoYERTowN's 18TH VICTIM.