Statement showing the total superficies and forest production of the Phillippine Islands-Continued. Molave, dungon, banaba, mangachapuy, narra, Ebano, camagon, narra, guisit, balayon, banaba, Hectares. 262, 090 250,000 417, 355 160,000 nay, and guijo. Pampanga, Tarlac, and Porac. Molave, narra, acle, betis, banaba, calamansa Romblon... Samar Tayabas Union and Benguet . Total Ipil, dungon, supa, amuguis, antipolo, aranga, Molave, narra, catmon, macaasim, guijo, mala. Report by Consul-General Van Buren on the trade and industries of Japan for the year 1882. COMMERCE. As stated in my report to the Department, No. 585, of November 21, 1881, the statistics of the foreign trade of Japan, furnished by the Imperial Customs Bureau, can only be considered as approximate. The values are generally stated in Japanese yen (gold), one of which equals $0.997 United States gold. For all importations into Japan from countries having the standard dollar, the invoice value, expressed in dollars, is taken by the customs authorities as the equivalent of yen. Importations from countries having other than the dollar standard are valued in gold yen according to the mint assay tables. Exportations are expressed in the cost price of the merchandise, omitting costs and charges of brokerage, packing, handling, insurance, &c. Inasmuch as the yen so nearly equals the dollar in value, I have not attempted the very difficult task of reproducing the figures in United States money. Imports during 1882 are stated at $29,285,679.26, and exports at $37,246,031.22, showing an excess of exports over imports to the value of $7,960,351.96. Nearly one-half of the imports (viz, $13,973,308.28) were furnished by Great Britain, and consisted principally of cotton and woolen goods. A little over $3,000,000 in value came from the United States, mainly kerosene oil and clocks. Of exports, the United States was, as usual, the best customer, having purchased goods to the value of $14,253,381.63, mostly tea and silk. France came next ($10,313,969.68), principally silk and curios, while Great Britain bought to the extent of $4,981,991.10, chiefly silk and rice. It will be seen that the balance of trade is against the United States $11,118,659.95, and in favor of Great Britain $8,991,317.18. Compared with the year 1881, the total imports show a decrease of $1,704,527.33, and the exports an increase of $7,807,204.97. Combining imports and exports, it will be seen that the volume of trade during 1882 presents an increase over 1881 of $6,102,677.64, of which amount $4,538,004.89 was with the United States. Trade with Great Britain has decreased $946,491.12, and that with France and China shows but little change. Notwithstanding this general increase, as shown by the figures, the Yokohama Chamber of Commerce, in their annual report, say that The past year must be considered one of the most unsatisfactory, and, taken as a whole, most unprofitable that has been witnessed since Yokohama was first opened to foreign trade. And they add: The course of the import market has been one of almost uninterrupted decline, varied with frequent and prolonged periods of utter stagnation; nor, returning to exports, is a brighter picture to be found; for, whilst silk can hardly be said to have held its own, the tea season of 1882-83 will long be remembered as probably the most disastrous in the history of the trade. Silk.—I think I cannot do better under this head than to forward, which I do herewith, the printed report or circular of the Vivanti Brothers, a firm of Italian gentlemen at this port, who make silk their special study. The paper will well repay perusal. Tea. The recent action by Congress to prevent the introduction into the United States of adulterated tea has excited, very naturally, a large amount of attention in Japan, and the native newspapers have of late contained frequent appeals to tea producers and dealers, urging the necessity of the utmost care in the preparation of teas and the great importance of sustaining their reputation in the American market, to which more than six-sevenths of the exported article are sent. Kerosene.-A special report upon this subject was made to the Department by Vice Consul General Rice, No. 669, dated December 19, 1882. I have also addressed a number of dispatches to the Department from time to time, showing the value of this trade and its very rapid increase during the past few years. I have, in addition, given in detail the steps taken by the Japanese authorities in reference to its storage, the oppressive rates of storage charged, the insufficiency of the storage accommodations, the strenuous efforts of American merchants to provide storage for themselves, and the interference of the local authorities, backed by the United States minister, to bring such efforts to naught. I have likewise called attention to the high tax which was proposed to be laid upon kerosene in the revised treaty now under consideration. The question of enacting a test for the oil to be admitted into Japan has for a long time been before the authorities, and several public notifications of decrees upon the subject have been made; but at this date no law or decree is in force. The notifications providing different test standards and different modes of ascertaining quality have been from time to time severally postponed and withdrawn after merchants had shipped oil, answering the various demands, purchased at higher prices than that formerly shipped, which they were obliged to sell at the same rate with the oil on hand. The amount of kerosene imported into Japan from the United States during the year 1882 is set down as 20,671,671 gallons, valued at $2,319,281.96. In addition, there came from China 10,234 gallons, costing $1,623.16. The customs duties collected on the whole importation were $115,919.81. AGRICULTURE. I inclose an extra table marked I, containing extracts taken and translated in this office from the agricultural report of Japan for 1880, that being the latest published. These extracts show the amount of the different products named raised during the year mentioned, and the areas of ground respectively given to their cultivation, but are defective in not giving the area of cultivation of some of the most important articles, such as tea, tobacco, &c., and in entirely omitting to state values. The sweet potato, it will be seen, is a very important and largely cultivated food plant, while rice maintains its lead over all the food products. The number of cattle in the Empire is stated as 1,125,612, and of horses as 1,609,293. POPULATION. The census bureau gives the population of Japan as follows: The males, it will be seen, exceed the females in number by 497,873. The number of births and deaths in Tokio-Fu, the capital, during 1882, were as follows: The native population of Yokohama is given to me at 71,780, consisting of 38,046 males and 33,734 females; and the foreign residents are stated at 3,513, of different nationalities, as follows: I am just in receipt of the report of the postmaster-general of Japan for the year ending June 30, 1882, a copy of which I forward herewith. By this it will be seen that the income of the department for the year amounted to 1,660,896.52 yen, exclusive of certain incidental revenues, the total of which is not stated; and the expenditures for the same period to 1,470,913.26 yen, "exclusive of the sums of 9,000, 10,000, and 250,000 yen, respectively, paid for the maintenance of" certain steamship lines chargeable upon the department. The increase of revenue over the preceding year was 236,546.06 yen, or about 16.6 per cent., and of expenditures, 123,190.30 yen, or a little over 9 per cent. The aggregate number of letters, newspapers, books, samples, &c., carried was 96,916,235, an increase over the preceding year of 13,622,225, or 16.4 per cent. Of letters, there were 44,221,577; of newspapers, 18,671,570; of postal cards, 29,528,144. The aggregate length of the mail routes is 48,972.5 English miles, an increase of 497.5 miles. THOS. B. VAN BUREN, UNITED STATES CONSULATE-GENERAL, Consul-General. Kanagawa. A.-Statement showing the imports at Kanagawa for the year ending December 31, 1882. |