Rate of exchange. 1912.-Banque de la Martinique :-Buying: 90 days premium, demand 1 per cent. premium. Demand on London :-Buying: 1. at 25 fr. 10 c.; selling: 1 per cent. premium (17. at 25 fr. 25 c.). Demand on New York:-Buying: 1 dol. at 5 fr. 10 c.; selling: 1 per cent. premium (1 dol. 1913.-Banque de la Martinique :-Buying: 90 days of 1 per cent. discount, demand at par; selling: 90 days of 1 per cent. premium, demand 1 per cent. premium. Demand on London:-Buying: 1. at 25 fr. 10 c.; selling: 1. at 25 fr. 25 c., plus 1 per cent. premium. Demand on New York :-Buying : at 5 fr. 10 c.; selling: 1 dol. at 5 fr. 25 c., plus 1 per cent. premium. Weights and measures.-Metric system as in France. Population. The population at the last census of 1910 was 184,004. Chief towns.-Fort-de-France is the only town of importance. The ports of entry are Fort-de-France, Trinité, François and Marin. NOTE. The figures given in the tables relating to British shipping in the Consular reports are exclusive of vessels arriving at the port to which the tables relate from other ports in the same country, unless they loaded cargo for another country. The figures differ in consequence in some cases from the figures given in the tables relating to shipping of all nationalities, which are based on Reference to previous Report, Annual Series No. 4612. Report on the Trade of Martinique for the Years 1912-13 By MR. CONSUL H. J. MEAGHER. 1912. Total trade. The value of the total trade of Martinique for the year 1912 was 2,081,750l., showing an increase of 384,2471. over the value of the total trade for the year 1911, which amounted to 1,697,5037. Both the total imports and the total exports for 1912 show an increase over the values for the year 1911. The value of the total trade for the year 1912 was the highest since the year 1900, the value of the total imports being the highest since 1901, and the value of the total exports the highest since the year 1884. The value of the foreign trade of Martinique during the years 1909-12 was as follows:-— Total imports.-The value of the total imports in 1912 was 860,8127., with an increase of 66,6181. over the value of the total imports in 1911. Total exports.-The value of the total exports increased from 903,3097. in 1911 to 1,220,9387. in 1912. Distribution of trade.-The value of the total trade with France was 1,603,3731., or 77 per cent. of the value of the total trade. The imports from France were 460,4197., or 534 per cent. of the value of the total imports, and the exports to France 1,142,9547., or 93 6 per cent. of the value of the total exports. The total trade with other French colonies amounted to 56,089., or 26 per cent. of the value of the total trade, the imports from these colonies were 17,6731., or 2 per cent. of the value of the total imports, and the exports to them 38,4167., or 3.1 per cent. of the value of the total exports. (675) A 2 The value of the total trade with all foreign countries, the United Kingdom included, was 422,388., or 20 2 per cent. of the value of the total trade. The imports from foreign countries were 382,7201., or 444 per cent. of the value of the total imports, and the exports to foreign countries 39,5681., or 3 2 per cent. of the value of the total exports. The total trade with the United Kingdom amounted to 64,3701., or 3 per cent. of the value of the total trade, the imports from the United Kingdom being valued at 64,3301., or 74 per cent. of the value of the total imports, and the exports to the United Kingdom only 401. The total trade with British colonies was 30,4467., or 1'4 per cent. of the value of the total trade, the imports from the British colonies being 25,7981., or 2.9 per cent. of the value of the total imports, and the exports to these colonies 4,6487., or 0.3 per cent. of the value of the total exports. Sugar industry.-The exports of crystals in 1912 amounted to 39,454 metric tons, valued at 773,2117., an increase of 3,984 metric tons in quantity and of 288,1127. in value over the figures for 1911. Fifteen central factories were in operation during the year. Of these, six are private concerns for which no figures are available. The remaining nine are operated by companies. Of these nine, three are practically private concerns, being owned by a handful of shareholders. Of the six centrals, which are to all intents and purposes public companies, Petit Bourg, Rivière Salée, François, Ste. Marie and Basse Pointe paid dividends; Lamentin has been recently re-organised after compounding with its creditors. The following particulars, collected from the annual reports of the centrals for 1911-12, may prove of interest : Petit Bourg Central.-Capital, 1,200,000 fr., divided in 500 fr. shares; reserve fund, 383,646 fr. Canes crushed, 70,251,068 kilos. Total production, 5,793,975 kilos. crystals and 2,500,000 litres molasses. Extraction, 6 8576 per cent. first jet, 1.3899 per cent. second jet and 49038 per cent. molasses; total extraction, 13 1513 per cent. Rum manufactured, 1,938,300 litres with an extraction of 77 53 per cent. Net profits of sugar manufacture, 908,067 fr.; net profits of distillery. 44,194 fr.; paid to cane farmers, 39 2227 fr. per metric ton of sugar extracted; paid to shareholders, 3 per cent. interest and 138 fr. 48 c. dividend per share, or a total of 30 69 per cent. Ste. Marie Central.-Capital, 1,200,000 fr., divided in 500 fr. shares ; reserve fund, 547,161 fr. Canes crushed in 1911-12, 52,114,680 kilos. Total production, 4,346,804 kilos. crystals and 1,455,961 litres molasses. Extraction, 6 842 per cent. first jet, 1497 per cent. second jet and 3 910 per cent. molasses; total extraction, 12 249 per cent. Rum manufactured, 880,207 litres with an extraction of 79 352 per cent. Net profits of sugar manufacture, 559,743 fr. ; net profits of distillery, 27,151 fr.; paid to cane farmers, 37 13936 and 38 51436 fr. per ton of sugar extracted; paid to shareholders, 3 per cent. interest and 123 fr. per share dividend, or a total of 27 60 per cent. François Central.-Capital, 1,200,000 fr.; reserve fund, 481,915 fr. ; shares 500 fr. each. Canes crushed, 42,815,426 kilos. Total production, 3,352,583 kilos. crystals and 1,192,323 litres molasses. Extraction, 6.70 per cent. first jet, 113 per cent. second jet and 3.84 per cent. molasses; total extraction, 11 67 per cent. Rum manufactured, 927,201 litres with an extraction of 80 28 per cent. Net profits of sugar manufacture, 472,204 fr.; net profits of distillery, 22,348 fr.; paid to cane farmers, 33 64764 fr. per 1,000 kilos. of sugar extracted; paid to shareholders, 3 per cent. interest and 77 fr. 80 c. dividend per share, or, in all, 18.56 per cent. Rivière Salée Central.-Capital, 1,161,000 fr. in 500 fr. shares ; reserve fund, 300,000 fr. Canes crushed in 1911-12, 45,264,443 kilos. Production, 4,013,648 kilos. crystals. Extraction, 7 190 per cent. first jet, 1676 per cent. second jet and 4 619 per cent. molasses; total extraction, 13 485 per cent. No rum is manufactured by this central, which sells its molasses to distillers. Net profits of sugar manufacture, 567,106 fr.; paid to cane farmers, 39 790 fr. per metric ton of sugar extracted; paid to shareholders, 3 per cent. interest and 100 fr. dividend per share, in all 23 per cent. Basse Pointe Central.-Capital, 700,000 fr. in 500 fr. shares ; reserve fund, 247,695 fr. Canes crushed in 1911-12, 19,688,590 kilos. Total production, 2,785,906 kilos. crystals and 543,731 litres molasses. Extraction, 7 793 per cent. first jet, 1.277 per cent. second jet and 3 865 per cent. molasses; total extraction, 12 935 per cent. Rum manufactured, 262,997 litres with an extraction of 78 385 per cent. Net profits of sugar manufacture, 151,551 fr.; net profits of distillery, 15,288 fr.; paid to cane farmers, 28 fr. per metric ton of sugar extracted; paid to shareholders, 5 per cent. Lement in Central.-Capital, 2,000,000 fr.; no reserve fund. Canes crushed, 1911-12, 59,433,035 kilos. Total production, 5,072,920 kilos. crystals and 1,604,920 litres molasses. Extraction, 6 89 per cent. first jet, 163 per cent. second jet and 3 77 per cent. molasses; total extraction, 12 29 per cent. Paid to cane farmers, 36 9232 fr. per metric ton of sugar extracted. No interest and no dividend paid. Other centrals.-No dividend or interest paid by Marin Central and by Bassignac Central. No figures available for Lorrain Central. Manufacture of rum.-The exports of rum in 1912 were 3,102,314 gallons as against 2,954,531 gallons in 1911, an increase of 147,783 gallons in quantity and of 32,1147. in value. The total production of rum in 1912 was 2,128,723 gallons of pure alcohol or 3,870,399 gallons of commercial rum. There were in operation during the year 45 distilleries distilling their own syrups, with an output of 1,156,004 gallons of rum; 12 central sugar factory distilleries distilling the molasses of the factories with an output of 1,885,435 gallons of rum and 9 distilleries distilling molasses and syrups purchased from third parties, with an output of 828,960 gallons of rum. The local consumption of rum in 1912 was 361,470 gallons of pure alcohol, as against 366,044 gallons in 1911. Consumption tax of 1 fr. 60 c. per litre of pure alcohol on the rum consumed locally brought in a revenue of over 2,600,000 fr. Cocoa. The total exports of cocoa decreased from 1,326,237 lbs. in 1911 to 1,104,281 lbs. in 1912, a decrease due principally to unfavourable weather conditions. Bananas.-Exports decreased from 435,609 lbs. in 1911 to 349,906 lbs. in 1912. Shipments consist of small lots purchased by the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique and shipped by their fortnightly mail steamers. The space available on these steamers being limited and freight rate reported to be excessive, namely, 25 fr. per cubic metre, or approximately 3 fr. per bunch, expectations of building up an export trade in bananas with France have been abandoned. Limes.-Attention is now being directed to the advantages of lime cultivation. The nurseries attached to the experimental stations delivered to planters during the year 1912 38,920 lime plants. A first shipment was made during the year of 4,940 kilos. of lime juice to Europe and of 600 kilos. to Dominica, British West Indies. Pineapple cannery.-Pineapples are being planted, and it is hoped that the cannery, which was set up at Gros Morne, will begin to ship shortly. Direct trade with the United Kingdom.-The following were the principal imports received direct from the United Kingdom during the year 1912 : Direct trade with the British colonies.-The following were the principal imports received direct from the British colonies: be Imports of fertilisers.-The imports from the United Kingdom consisted principally of fertilisers. The following particulars may of interest:Guano.-The imports of guano were 2,245 metric tons, valued at 14,7321. Of these, 2,244 metric tons were imported from the United Kingdom and the balance from the British colonies. Sulphate of ammonia.-The total imports were 1,281 metric tons, valued at 15,6491. The imports from the United Kingdom were 1,111 metric tons, from the Netherlands 163 metric tons and from the United States of America 7 metric tons. Chemical manures.-Of the total import of 1,617 metric tons, valued at 11,7701., 1,594 metric tons came from the United Kingdom and 23 metric tons from France. |