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The actual production is not great here at present, but the probabilities are that it will largely increase in the near future. As is well known, the plant yields a valuable fiber, but as yet no very successful machine has been invented for extracting it. As a consequence, hand labor has hitherto been mainly used for the purpose.

V.

JAMAICA.

The address of the Governor of Jamaica, Sir Henry Blake, to the Legislative Council, at its meeting on the 7th of March, reviewing the finances and trade of that island, says:

I am glad to be in a position to state that the condition of the island is prosperous. The outlook of trade is promising and the commercial business of the colony is on a sound and satisfactory basis. I observe with satisfaction that the question of improvement in agriculture has begun to engage the attention of the people. Local agricultural societies have been formed, and during the past year the first application has been received in response to the offer of assistance from the Botanic Department made by the Government in 1891. In compliance with an application from the parish of Portland, one of the superintendents of the department visited the locality, where he gave valuable instruction in the planting, pruning and preparation

The meetings were well attended, and his instructions were received with great interest. I hope that this kind of assistance will be freely applied for in the future. It will be readily given and can not fail to be of material assistance to cultivators.

The current year began with a surplus of £62,159 and the revenue to March 31 is estimated to yield approximately £575,482, making a total of £637,641.

The expenditure of the current year to the 31st of March is estimated at £618,419, which will leave us at the commencement of the coming financial year with an approximate surplus of £19,222.

The estimated revenue for the coming year is £576,475, which, added to the estimated surplus of £19,222,makes a total of £595,497; the estimated expenditure is £613,281. These estimates have been prepared with rigid economy and are £10,227 below the average expenditure of the past four years. The result will be an estimated deficit on the 31st of March, 1895, of £17,584. The large surpluses of the past hree years having been absorbed, the time has now. arrived when it becomes necessary to restore to the revenue at least a portion of the income abandoned under the provisions of the customs tariff amendment law of 1892, the abolition of poll tax on certain animals Law of 1892, the export duties abolition law of 1891, and the Jamaica Railway Company's law of 1889. These sums amout in the aggregate to about £70,000 a year.

The following revenue laws have been passed by the Legislative Council of Jamaica and approved by the Governor :

1. The duty to be raised under the provisions of Law 10 of 1878, shall, on and after the 8th day of March, 1894, be a duty at the rate of six shillings upon every imperial gallon of rum of the strength of proof as ascertained by the instrument known as Sykes' (or Sikes) hydrometer and the tables of calculations to be used in connection therewith, and so in proportion for any greater or less degree of strength, or any greater or less quantity, in lieu of the duty imposed by section 5 of the Rum Duty Law of 1878 (Law 10 of 1878) as amended by section of Law 8 of 1890.

2. The strength of the rum required to be stated in the bill of parcels, in accordance with section 43 of Law 10 of 1878, shall be the strength ascertained by the hydrometer and tables aforesaid.

3. The fifth paragraph of section 43 of Law 10 of 1878 is hereby amended by the substitution of the words "forty liquid gallons" for "forty gallons."

4. The first paragraph of section 58 of Law 10 of 1879 is hereby amended by inserting after the word "strength" in the seventh line, the words "according to Sykes' hydrometer and the number of gallons at proof."

5. The words "larger quantity" in subsection 13 of section 25 of

Law 35 of 1881 shall be taken to mean and include rum at a higher strength.

6. This law and laws 10 of 1878, 35 of 1881, 11 of 1889, and 8 of 1890 shall be taken and read together as one law and may be quoted as the Rum Duty Laws, 1878-1894.

7. This law shall remain in force until the 1st day of April, 1894, and no longer, unless otherwise provided by any law to be passed in the present session of the Legislative Council.

THE CUSTOMS TARIFF AMENDMENT LAW, 1894.

Be it enacted by the Governor and Legislative Council of Jamaica as follows:

1. On and after the passage of this law and so long as the same remains in force, there shall be levied, collected, and paid unto Her Majesty, her heirs and successors, for the use of the government of this Island, upon the several articles imported into this Island and enumerated in the schedule to this law, the several duties therein set forth in lieu of the duties now payable on the said articles, respectively.

2. The provisions of section 24 of Law 18 of 1877, for ascertaining the value of goods on which the duties are charged according to the value of such goods, are hereby extended and applied to the determining of the value of wines for the purpose of charging the additional duty thereon imposed by this law.

3. This law shall remain in force until the 1st day of April, 1894, and no longer, unless otherwise provided by any other law of this session.

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Rum, the products of and imported from British possessions, per gallon

Whisky, per gallon..........

........... 0 12 6

Spirits of wine, alcohol and all other spirits, cordials or spirituous com. pounds, per gallon.......

0126

Tobacco

Cigarettes, per pound.......

Manufactured (not being cigarettes or cigars), including cavendish, per pound..

Wines

In bulk and in bottle, per gallon..

.........

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O 16

036

.... I 1 6.

And an additional duty on all wines of a value of 16 shillings per gallon and upward, per gallou .... A recent number of the Kingston Gleaner states that a well-known New York business man who is sojourning in Jamaica expresses the opinion that the fruit trade of that island may be largely developed. The export of mangoes in particular, he thinks, can be greatly increased by more careful picking and packing. At present there is great waste in transportation of mangoes to New York city.

The same number of the Gleaner stated that the report of the committee appointed at the public meeting to consider the question of ramie cultivation in Jamaica, is decided as to the suitability of the ramie fiber plant for cultivation in that island. It grows well and freely, producing four or five cuttings a year. The general conclusion is that the enterprise would be one of great industrial and commercial promise.

The Gleaner also advocates the establishment of a manufactory of perfumes in Jamaica. It says: "Jamaica could produce perfumes both of ordinary and special character in abundance. The conditions of cultivation are exceptionally favorable and the establishment of at flower farm, would, we believe, be a profitable undertaking."

VI.

COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL INFORMATION.

GIFTS FOR AMERICAN INSTITUTIONS.

At the conclusion of the Fair most of the Costa Rican exhibitsthose of archæology excepted-were presented to various American institutions. The Commission not being able to comply with the numerous applications received from many places of the United.

States and from abroad, and not wishing to break the collections, decided to make a distribution of them as follows:

To the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D. C., a large collection of stuffed animals, native to Costa Rica.

To the Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C., a collection of fifty-four varieties of fibers.

To the University of Pennsylvania, a valuable collection embracing eightyseven specimens of ancient pottery, Indian arrows, bow, staff, and pellet blowguu. Besides, two large showcases and four smaller ones.

To the city of Philadelphia, for its museums, all natural products, agricul tural, forestal, mineral, as above described, seventy-eight skins, fishing implements, wines, liquors, oils, etc. A collection of national books, the entire educational exhibit, text-books, practical works, etc. A collection of silk and cotton fabrics, a collection of Panama hats, a collection of utensils made of wood, carved, castings from foundries, two models of pieces of statuary, a large collection of photographs, a shield and flags, and eight large showcases.

To the Northwestern University of Chicago, a collection of plants, roots, barks and seeds.

To the Columbian Museum of Chicago, twenty large showcases and twelve fine stone urns with a relief inscription: "Costa Rica en Chicago," as a souvenir of its participation at the World's Columbian Exposition.

BANANA TRADE WITH WEST INDIES AND CENTRAL

AMERICA.

It appears that the banana trade of this country with Central America continues to show a steady development. According to the report of the Chief of the Bureau of Statistics, United States Treasury Department, the imports of bananas during eight months ending February 28, 1894, amounted to $2,685,590, as against $2,603,339 for the same period of 1893. These figures are the more significant in view of the fact that the business depression, and the large fruit crop of last summer in this country had an appreciable effect upon foreign fruit trade, the price of bananas last fall having been nearly 50 per cent lower than during the previous spring. It is stated that for the twelve months ending July 1, 1893, not less than 133 steamers were engaged in carrying bananas between the West Indies, Central America, Colon, and the United States. In 1892 the receipts of bananas in the port of New York aggregated 3.715,625 bunches; in July, 1893, 567,067 bunches arrived in New York. The largest New York supplies were drawn from Jamaica, 1,058,876 bunches being received

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