Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-06-04
PROGRESS IN SANTO DOMINGO.

statistics of the commerce Of Santa
Domingo prior to the administration Of
its custom houses by agents Of the
United states are not altogether reliable
Smuggling was a common practice anc
juggling in the custom houses was per-
haps no less common The returns for
the last three years. the term Of Amori-
can administration of the customs SER
vice, are to be accepted as accurate.
They are given thus:
Exports. imports
1900 ...................sG.S 9G.0GS So 0as 2G3
1906 ................. 6.543.s72 4'6j. 49,
1871 '................. I,s3S.j 3S J,lj6.t2t
The figures reported for the years 1885,
to 1909 inclusive show average i'm
ports as about 81 5000 and average ex-
ports about 100000.
OF last years imports 81 So. 100 worth.
or 50 per cent. came from the United
states. This is gratifying percentage.
but the qualification is somew what modified
by the fact that the figures of 1905 were
63.3 per cent. Within the same time
Germanys percentage has increased from
14.S to ls5 and England's percentage
has risen from 1l.9 to 149 Cotton man
ufactures form nearly one-quarter OF the
total imports. About fve-:welfths Of the
| supply IS bought here. another five
twolfths in England and the remainder
in Germany. France, Spain and Italy
The United States supplies practically
! all of the -four imported nearly all of
| the fish, and large percentages of the
! iron and steel leather goods and wood
and manufactures thereof. Purchases of
! agricultural implements are fairly divided
| between this country and Germany.
! Italy supplies large share of the hats
and caps; Germany large share of the
! earthernware and china; the United
I States most of the soap, and Germany
! the greater part of the bottled beer.
| The wine and liquor trade is scattered.
with France in the lead. Rice is an
important item (s4726W and Germany
! about two-iifths. The paper trade is
divided between this country and Ger
| many. We have one-half of the trade
in paints and % per cent OF The trade in
oils. More than half the imports arrive
in vessels flying the American flag.
Cocoa is the principal article Of export
| (about So. 90 roo), with sugar (about
! s. 0oO, COO second on the list Tobacco
| I34l, 900 stands third. Bananas, coffee
hides and skins. in that order. and honey.
| ssal wax and hardwoods make up the
| remainder. Germany takes 40 per cent.
| Of the cocoa, the United States 81 per
! cent and France % per cont. The
| United States takes IS per cent. of the
sugar. and England takes the remaining
Il per cent. Germany takes 20 per cent.
| Of the tobacco. and all of the bananas
| $4,000 WORTH came 10 this country.
| While there was gross irreguarity in
| the original intervention there can be
no question that the treaty which dis
placed the Presidents so-called protocol
of agreement" of February Is, 1905. has
brought about an entirely new condition
in that land of frequent disorder. AS the
present arrangement must continue for
number of years there Is ground for
hone that before 1t shall terminate the
people of the island may have acquired
a fixed habit OF behaving themselves.
The experience will at least b. for them
a practical demonstration of the physical
and material advantages of peace and
| order, condition Of which the present
| generation knew little or nothing until
| recently.