STATEMENT SHEWING THE NUMBER OF TRADE LICENSES ISSUED IN THE YEAR 1891-92.

STATEMENT SHEWING THE NUMBER OF SPIRIT LICENSES ISSUED IN 1891-92.

Parish.

Parish.

STATEMENT OF THE NUMBER OF HORSEKIND, CATTLE, CARRIAGES, &C., IN THE ISLAND IN 1891-92.

IMPORTS AND EXPORTS.

THE value of the Imports into the Colony in each of the last ten years was as

Of the goods entered for Island consumption the advalorem duty was paid in respect of £716,379 or 40 per cent. of the whole; specific duties were levied in respect of goods valued at £826,462 or 48 per cent. and goods of the value of £220,158 or 12 per cent. were entered under the free list. The specific duties levied averaged 28 per cent. on cost of the goods in respect of which they were levied and the total amount of duties collected distributed over the total imports was equivalent to a uniform tax of 18 per cent. on first cost of all goods entered for consumption during the year.

Under arrangements made with the Government of the United States to secure to the Colony the advantages of reciprocal trade relations a large addition was made to the free list by which it was estimated that a sacrifice of revenue approximating £30,000 a year would be made. The new tariff came in force as from the 1st February, 1892, and from that date to the end of the financial year the ascertained remission was £7,100. Of this remission 84 per cent. was in respect of imports from the United States and 11 per cent. on imports from the United Kingdom. The imports into the Colony during each of the last three years were drawn from the several countries in the following proportions, viz. : —

The decreased trade with the United Kingdom is due to smaller importations of British manufactured goods and the increase in the importations from the United States to the larger proportion which the imports of foodstuffs during the year bore to total imports. The increase of imports from Canada herald the entry into the local market of manufactured goods, the imports from this source having heretofore consisted almost entirely of fishstuffs.

The value of the exports in each of the last ten years is shown below :

:

Total.

The falling off in the value of island produce exported in 1891-92 on comparison with the exports of the preceding year is due to a serious check met with in the fruit trade, an abundant yield of home fruit in America having both restricted consumption of tropical fruits and brought down prices; the falling off in the single item of bananas represented a loss to the Colony of £181,623 in value, while the exports of oranges was in 1891-92 less than half what they were in the preceding year. There was also a falling off of £30,342 in the value of pimento exported and £29,128 in logwood, the former due to failure of crop and the latter to falling prices. On the other hand the returns made by sugar estates were exceptionally good the value of sugar exported having been £19,288 in excess of the value of the exports for 1890-91, while the increase in the value of rum was £56,540, and in addition to this increase a large quantity of sugar was awaiting shipment at the close of the year and the stocks of rum held in the local Bonding Warehouses were unprecedentedly large. Other items showing large increase in value are coffee £53,040 and ginger £16,188.

The value of each of the several articles of island produce exported bears the following percentage proportion to their total aggregate value :

The exports from the colony during the past six years were distributed among the different countries in the following proportions: