the Conservative *
TltADE OF THE PHILIPPINES.
[ The department of agriculture at Washing
ton recently published a bulletin upon the
trade of the Philippine islands , and from it
the following interesting information is ob-
tainwl ] .
Official statistics in regard to the for
eign commerce of the Philippines are
not available for years subsequent to
1894. The annual statements of impor
tation and exportation prepared by the
customs administration of the islands
bring the history of the trade down to
1895 , but for that and later years the
only statistics to be had consist of rough
estimates based partly upon the returns
published by other countries and partly
upon data procured by consular officers
and merchants at Manila. The Philip
pine official records that are available
extend back in an unbroken series from
1894 to 1880 , inclusive , covering a period
of fifteen consecutive years. As regards
the trade carried on prior to 1880 there
is a dearth of statistical information.
Such returns as could be found for
these earlier years have been collated ,
howeverand although far from complete ,
they disclose some interesting facts re
garding the development of Philippine
commerce.
Value of the Philippine TruiU * .
In 1894 , the latest year for which the
official customs returns appear to have
been issued , the imports brought into
the Philippines were valued at 28,558-
552 pesos ( Mexican silver dollar ) or
$14,250,717 , and the exports sent to for
eign markets at 38,149,984 pesos , or
$16,541,842 , making a total trade worth
$30,792,559. These figures are unusually
small , however , as will be seen by com
paring the official values reported for
preceding years. The average annual
value of the commerce enjoyed during
the fifteen years 1880-1894 reached
as high as $87,566,005 , the imports
averaging $17,089,044 and the ex
ports $20,526,961. Many fluctuations
occurred during these years , but taking
the period as a whole there was a notice
able decline in the total value of the
trade. This fact is clearly shown by
contrasting the average yearly values
for the three quinquennial periods 18SO-
1884 , 1885-1889 , and 1890-1894. The
annual average for the first of these
periods amounted to $40,888,599 , that
for the second to $86,780,480 , and that
for the last to only $35,578,987.
Of the fifteen years under considera
tion , 1880 was credited with the largest
figures , the total import and export
trade transacted during that year attain
ing a value of $44,042.815. The imports
were valued at 25,486,461 pesos , or
$22,937,815 , and the exports at 28,450-
000 pesos , or $21,105,000. After there-
turns of 1880 , the highest trade value
reported was that for 1889 , amounting
to $42,628,985. In 1889 the exports had
a value of 84,547,863 pesos , or $25,892-
,079 , and were the largest recorded dur-
ing 1880-1894. The 1889 imports , al
though not exceptionally largo , were
considerably above the average , having
a value of 23,450,689 pesos , or $17,236-
256. The highest valuation attained by
the imports was that for 1880. During
the years following 1880 there was a
rapid decline until 1887 , when the lowest
value of the period was recorded. The
lowest export value of the fifteen years
was that for 1894.
Although the value of Philippine com
merce suffered a considerable decrease
during 1880-1894 , it does not neces
sarily follow that the quantity of mer
chandise exchanged was at all dimin
ished. The decline in value was prob
ably duo merely to the falling off that
occurred in the prices of the commodities
concerned. This is certainly true of the
exports , statistics for the fifteen years
mentioned showing an increase rather
than a decrease in the quantity of the
leading products shipped from the
islands.
In regard to the trade that existed
prior to 1880 , the available records are
few and widely scattered. The earliest
year for which official returns are to bo
had is 1810. The imports for that year
were valued at 5,829,000 pesos , or $5-
488,870 , and the exports at 4,795,000
pesos , or $4,938,850 , the total trade
amounting to $10,427,720. The next
record wo have of the total trade value
is for 1841 , the figures being $7,728,617.
In this year the imports amounted to
8,092,482 pesos , or $8,200,667 , and the
exports to 4,870,000 pesos , or $4,522,950.
Statistics for 1881 , purporting to be of
ficial , place the value of the imports at
1,459,976 pesos , or $1,508,155 , but in
view of the returns just quoted for 1810
and 1841 , these figures seem to bo sus
piciously low. As to the exports in 1831 ,
we are unable to find any statistics.
After 1841 there are no returns avail
able until 1851 , when the imports were
recorded at 4,019,968 pesos , or $4,224-
986 , and the exports at 4,172,000 pesos ,
or $4,884,772 , the value of the total trade
amounting to $8,609,758. The develop
meut of Philippine commerce during the
twenty years beginning with 1851 was
remarkably rapid. By 1856 , the next
year for which wo have statistics , the
value of the total imports and exports
had increased to $17,077,682. In 1861 a
record of $19,769,919 was reached , and
in 1865 one of $40,780,902. The highest
of all the available records , however ,
was that for 1870 , which placed the
total value of the trade at $53,714,500.
These figures are nearly $10,000,000 in
excess of those returned for 1880.
As to the value of the commerce
transacted in the years between 1870 and
1880 , only two records are at hand , one
being for 1873 and the other for 1875.
Bothof these records show a marked
falling off as compared with the figures
returned for 1870. In 1878 the value
fell to $80,570,879 , and in 1875 to $29-
789,696. That this decline was only
; emporary , however , is apparent from
the much higher figures reported for
1880 and subsequent years. During
none'of these later years , in fact , did
the value of the trade again fall as low
as it was between 1870 and 1880.
AN IMPORTANT COMING EVENT.
At a recent dinner in Washington
ex-Governor and ex-Secretary Francis ,
of St. Louis , appeared as the aggressive
head and leading personal force in a
movement for a national celebration of
the Louisiana Purchase. We mark it
in advance as a coming event because
the stout and energetic man of Missouri
proposes to secure it , because it has
already received the approval and co
operation of representative statesmen
and orators of this part of the Union ,
and , | _ for a far stronger and greater
reason , which is , that no act in our
whole history since the adoption of the
federal constitution was over attended
with greater or more beneficent consequences
quences to the people of the United
States than was that of the purchase ,
soon after its cession to Franco by Spain ,
by President Jefferson from Napoleou.of
the vast and rich domain which in
cluded all the territory west of the Mis
sissippi river that did not at the time
belong to Spain Iowa , part of Minnesota
seta , Missouri , Kansas , Nebraska , the
Dakotas , Arkansas , etc. Equal to a
royal kingdom in area , resources and
power , are the rich fruits of the Pur
chase. For a few paltry millions , five
millions less than we have stipulated to
pay Spain for the sovereignty of the
and bob-tail the
rag-tag - possessions on
other side of the globe , which it prom
ises to cost hundreds of millions to hold ,
not counting hundreds and perhaps
thousands of lives to be exact , for
$15,000,000 Jefferson acquired this
vast region by simple direct negotiation
with the emperor.
This great warrior and law-giver of
Franco was at the height of his glory.
Speculation caused men to wonder why
ho should part with this territory for so
small a sum. The answer came that he
needed money , which Mr. Jefferson
probably knew in advance. He was
severely assailed at the time because it
was said , and justly said , that he had no
constitutional warrant for making this
purchase. But the value and advantage
of it to the American people became so
apparent to all that the act was con
doned by them , and from that day to
this it has been regarded , next to the
Declaration of Independence , as the one
great achievement of the principal
founder of popular government in the
United States.
The Emperor William's mnjesty must
be a good deal of trouble to him. Care
less pcoplo did it so much damage in the
year 1898 that they had to bo sent to
prison for terms aggregating 2600 years.