Bisbee daily review., 1915-09-02
JAMAICA HARD HIT
BY WAR CONDITIONS
THROUGHOUT WORLD
West Indies, as a Whole, Suffer
From Impoverished Trade With
Europe But jamaica Is the
Hardest Hit of All Islands.

suffered TO an extent WnlCn rs quite
appreciate owing to special war con-
ditions, yet Jamaica, on account Of
the perishable nature of its principal
commodity, bananas-has a more
| serious setback than any other of the
British West Indian Colonies. The
sister colony of Trinidad is more fav-
orably placed on account Of better
/ shipping facilities offered in neutral
and British vessels.
/ The effect of war conditions i'm jam
aica is exhibited in the customs col
lections. Since August, 1914, imports
and exports have decreased u per
cent while excise revenue has fallen
to an even greater extent The fall
I ing of in exports is due almost en-
tirely to the lack of adequate ship
ping
/ Comparing the latest returns for
1915 with the corresponding pre-war
period in 1914, the following percent
ages illustrate the decrease in various
typical exports: Coffee IL per cent,
cocoa Z per cent. dyewood 80 per
cent, bananas "A per cent, ginger 40
per cent, pimento 80 per cent, rum
/ 81 per cent, sugar - per cent cotton
: 9 per cent and honey 81 per cent.
Bananas, which form the principal
export of the colony, representing 90
per cent of the total exports, have
fallen by almost one half and this i'm
= year when the crop is the largest
/ i'm the islands history. The colony,
in fact, has had a record production
/ i'm almost all lines, but total exports
are almost one-third less than in nor
NAL years. AS a consequence perish
able commodities are wasted and in
some places surplus fruit for banana
plantations, not protected by firm con
tracts with the fruit trading compa-
MES. cannot and buyers at 3 cents
per bunch
1t is the very irony Of fate that
after the hurricane Of 1912 and a peri
cd OF almost continuous drought in
some sections since 1909, just when
[ the seasonal rains have been the best
/ since the year 1906 with record
crop both as regards quantity and
. quality the island should be placed
in a position where it can not market
its produce for lack of vessels to car
ry IT, The situation has been some
what relieved by the action OF the
Imperial government IN arranging for
ocean transport for some of the sur
plus sugar stocks but this benefit to
the island as a whole is small as sugar
occupies but a comparatively insight
fcant position I'm the bulk of the coll
ony's exports The basis on which
Jamaican prosperity rests under pre-
sent conditions, both on account Of
the revenue derived from it, and the
fact that it puts more money into cir
Culation than an the other depart
ments OF agricultural activities put
together Quick, regular and sufi-
cient ocean transport therefore is an
! essential condition to the islands
prosperity. This Jamaica has not got
land there seems no immediate pros
Ipect Of Improvement i'm the situation.
England is not in a position to act,
except to find freights for such prod
ucts as she may Immediately require.
The eyes of Jamaica therefore turn
d TO the United States, not only for the
, reason that she is the islands best
customer for bananas. buying 80 per
cent of the gross production, but for
1.-The further reason that American cap
j ital and energy and enterprise has
developed the banana trade to its
present position of pre-eminence.
Il is interesting here to note the
/ relative position OF the mother state
and America both as buyers and sell
ers In 1874 Jamaica purchased from
Great Britain "a per cent of her en-
4 tire importation and in 1914, 30.5 PEI
cent. while she purchased from Anne
RIGA In 1874 3O.S per cent and in 1914
AZ per cent respectively. In Other
words in 40 years trade with Great
Britain has diminished by 1914 pei
g cent while relations with the United
+ States have improved by 1871 pei
cent OF exports, the mother LAND
i purchased in 1874, 1872 per cent anC
o in the same year the United states
purchased Is per cent In 1914 the
relative positions were: United King
dom 1872 per cent; United States Co.,
"a per cent, and az the same time the
bulk of trade during the period men
tioned has more than doubled il
d value. Jamaicas next best customei
\ is Canada, whose purchases in 1871
amounted to 70 per cent with salei
totaling slightly over per cent.
One reassuring feature of the situa
ti6n is the present high prices Of spe
cial products, which, in a measure
IS help to compensate for other losses
e For instance rum and sugar hay'
scared to a point which has not beef
attained in the present generation
Rum stands at quite double ante-wa
, price, yerying according to qualit
from 81 cents TO 81 per imperial gal
alon while sugar Is practically $50
d per hundred weight at these price
r, very handsome margin is left owe
D, cost of production, certainly not les
than so per cent on capital invested
But in spite these favorable fact
Il. ors, lack of steamship freights hit
the island trade in its most vital spoi