The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-07-21
IMPORTS Of
HEMP LARGER
Abolition of Duty Causes
Shipments to Show
Big Increase.

Since the abolition OF the import
duty on henequen (sisalhemP) by the
iAlexican government, the shipments to
Ixhe United States have been greatly
Increased and OF the total amount
now shipped from Progresso In the
{ Yucatan district, a great part OF II Is
finding its way to the port of Mobile,
! saws a special from Mobile.
There are now at least three car
! goes arriving here every month, and
f, the British steamer Maiinche is now
regularly engaged in this trade be
tween Progresso and Mobile. This
j vessel arrived here yesterday conslgn-
! ed toIJames Giboney & Co, after one
! of the quickest round trips she has
yet made. according to the hooks at
the bargs Office, her two previous ar
rivals are scheduled as of June 30
land July 10. and on both occasions
with large cargoes of sisal-
: Taxing her last arrival prior to
THAT of yesterday, it is readily seen
sthat the Malinehe was docked here,
unIoaded her cargo, Went to Progress
s-so and took on another, and returned
There all in eight days. On this trip
.4ler cargo amounted to 400 bales,
and 1T generally averages from this
iRmeWnt to $500 or a general average
) of 5000 bales per cargo. This at
s three cargOes a month, brings the
total up to $4,000 bales, or a total
for full year of 10000 bales,
fair average for each bale would
be 800. the customs house figures Civ
ling the weight as from 2S5 to $50
pounds, which would bring the total
sRumber of pounds received here in
year at the present rate at which it
lis coming in at $4,000. 900, or 24,11I
Iftons. As the total shipments from
EEYucatan are about 100000 tons a year
1t is shown that Mobile is receiving
a fourth OF it.
Last year sisal, on the New York
market, was worth cents a pound.
At the same rate the total shipments
to this port Cor a year as ii is being
received now, would amount to 3d.,
1905 900. OF this amount the plant
er's profit is at the rate of nearly one
half; or, in other words, he realizes
in the neighborhoOd of 100 per cent
on his investment.
These figures as to the amount re-
,ceiyed at tais port are based solely
on the cargoes brought here by the
Malinehe- But there are other YES
sells that occasionally arrive here
with a cargo of sisal and with the
amount these bring adde,H to the Ma
linche's total, the number of bales
handled at this port would be in
creased considerably.
In April of last year the Mexican
government reports showed that the
United States bought from Mexico
95,S34 tons of henequen, valued at
s14, 4S6.569. The imports of henequen
elsewhere than from Mexico amount
ed to but 1855 tons, valued at about
1906. $50. All but less than 5000 tons
of the imports from Mexico was pro-
duced in Yucatan. There is now a
Philadelphia concern that is RAPIDLY
developing the Campeohe district as
henequen-growing country, and this
development promises, to some eX-
tent. to rival in time the Yucatan ter
ritory.
The average yield of henequen in
Yucatan IS about $50 pounds of fibre
to the acre, and, in addition to this
glue has been found to be an import
ant bi-product. According to the
best authority obtainable, the cost to
the planter is about cents a pound.
Last year the product was landed
In New York at a cost of 3 SIS cents,
and the price received averaged Z
cents pound, giving TO the planter
profit approximating 100 per cent.
During the latter part of 1907 the
Mexican government placed an import
duty on henequen, which caused the
imports to drop of materially.
On April 2S. 1908, a new law was
promulgated by the government by
which the export duty on neneQuen
was removed. The rate was 80
cents Mexican a hundred kilos, or
about % cents American money per
220 pounds. BY proclamation of the
president o. the Mexican republic the
export duty on henequen for exports
sinceS Feb. 16, 1908, was ordered re-
funded TO the shippers