466
THE PHILIPPINES.
The chief articles of produce are sugar, hemp, and tobacco, the exports of which in 1880 were valued as follows:--Hemp, $5,481,087; sugar, $11,408,966; tobacco, $2,476,577. The value of piece goods imported was as follows:-Cotton, $7,843,104 woollen, $280,121; silk, $445,227; and other fabrics, $456,786. The total value of the imports was $25,493,319, and that of the exports $23,450,285, against imports $18.031,547 and exports $18,813,452 in 1879. The total amount of customs dues collersed in 1880 was $2,019,833. There entered the different ports with cargoes 371 vessels of 301,288 tons (Spanish), and 171 vessels of 148,649 tons in ballast; and left with cargoes 488 vessels of 421,092 tons, and 37 vessels of 38,320 tons in ballast. The returns of the carrying trade show the curious fact of the carrying of imports being nearly monopolised by the flag of one nation, while that of the exports is tolerably equally distributed. This is accounted for by the nature of the arrange- ments made by the Government with certain subsidised steamship lines. The vessels which carry the exports arrive for the most part in ballast from Hongkong or other ports in the East where they have discharged a car.o. The following is a summary of the value of the trade, taken from the Customs Returns for 1880:-
Spain
Spanish Possessions
England
1
Imports. $ 833,171 738
Fxports. $1,114,030
99
+
..
6,377,877
6,070,800
English Possessions China
United States
16,319,399
5,099,301
768,005
39,563
49,258
10,417,491
French Possessions
Dutch Possessions
Germany
Australia
Japan
Jolo
182,350
409,924
89,464
48,384
284,968
60,503
31,888
185,625
50,6-2
4,505
33,509
The subjoined statistics show the distribution of the carrying trade:
Spanish flag
English flag
American flag..
German flag...
Dutch flag
French flag
Danish flag
Italian flag
Norwegian flag
Russian flag
Imports. $15,794,097 8, 32,5+1
Exports. $5,900,085
5,911,615
231,596 342,849
7,667,678
3,334,864
+
4,351
85,763
45,502
49,295
10.080
171,469
7,528
65,00-i
2,150
132,045
Belgian flag
+1
+
Hawaii u flag
222,665
46,387
87,084
A Royal decree, dated the 26th June, 1881, abolished the Government monopoly in the growing of the tobacco leaf and manufacture of cigars, and from the 1st July, 1882, the cultivation of the tobacco plant and manufacture of cigars was made free throughout the Philippines. To cover the anticipated deficit in the revenue from this cause an export duty not exceeding 10 per cent. per quintal of leal tobacco and cigars has been imposed. Companies have been formed to engage extensively in the to' acco and cigar production and manufacture.
The climate of the Philippines varies little from that of other places in the same latitude. The range of the thermometer during the year is from a little over sixty degrees to about ninety. The rainy season usually lasts six months, and during this time inundations of rivers are frequent and travelling in the interior almost impossible. Long continued droughts, however, sometimes occur, when the ground becomes parched and the crops are utterly destroyed. Husbandry also suffers from the ravages of locusts, which will sometimes almost entirely denude a whole province of herbage. The principal part of the group comes within the range of the typhoons, and terrific storms are of frequent occurrence. The islands are also the centre of
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