Reference to previous Report, Annual Series No. 5312. Report on the Trade of the Island of Réunion for the Year 1914 By MR. CONSUL PIAT. Réunion. The colony of Réunion is composed of an island of an area of 970 square miles, situated in the Indian Ocean, 420 miles east of Madagascar and 86 miles south-east of Mauritius. Its capital and chief town, Saint Denis, has a population of some 24,000 inhabitants, the total population of the island being given, in 1911, as 173,822. In the south of the island is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. The centre of the island is composed of lofty mountain ranges raising to a height of 10,200 feet and covering over one-third of the total area. The climate of Réunion is decidedly unhealthy on the littoral, where almost every kind of tropical disease can be found, but the climate in the hills is good and bracing. During the cool season, the temperature of Cilaos, the best hill station, lying some 4,000 feet above sea level, falls as low as 3° Centigrade. This latter place is also famed for its hot mineral springs, and is visited every year by many tourists and invalids from Mauritius and Madagascar. Currency. The currency of Réunion consists of local bank notes and token nickel coinage. It has nominally the same value as that of France. Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture.-The colony possesses a Chamber of Commerce and also a Chamber of Agriculture. Banks. There are two local banks, viz., the Banque de la Réunion, a privileged Government bank, with a capital of 3,000,000 fr. (120,000Z.) and the Société Bourbonnaise de Crédit, with a capital of 1,000,000 fr. (40,000l.). Both these banks have their offices at Saint Denis. There are no branches of French and foreign banks. Exchange. The exchange, which stood at par at the beginning of the year, went up to 2 per cent. as soon as war was declared. However, the colony did not undergo any financial crisis owing to the manner in which the Banque de la Réunion met the situation. Submarine cables.-This island is connected with Port Louis in Mauritius and Tamatave in Madagascar by cable. The cost of telegraphing is as follows: Weights and measures.-The metric system of weights and measures is in force in this colony. Wages. The free agricultural labourer is paid a daily wage varying between 1 fr. 25 c. (1s.) and 1 fr. 75 c. (1s. 5d.). The artisan has a daily wage varying between 2 fr. (1s. 74d.) and 3 fr. 50 c. (2s. 10d.). Ports. The only port of Réunion is at Pointe des Galets, and is a purely artificial one. It is impossible to enter or to leave in rough weather or when there is a heavy swell on. It is not suitable for vessels over 3,500 tons. It has no dry dock, and vessels needing repairs must proceed to Mauritius. The bay at Saint Paul, which is some 2 miles distant from the harbour at Pointe des Galets, affords shelter in all weather except from the south-west. The rest of the island has only open roadsteads. Navigation and harbour dues.-Navigation dues amount to 50 c. per ton registered. Harbour ducs are as follows: (2) For every ton discharged or shipped (3) Or, in lieu of dues (1) and (2), one single due per ton ... 1 80 Every vessel visiting the harbour at Pointe des Galets and paying harbour dues as above will be exempted from the payment of such dues during a period of four months, to begin from date of arrival, if it should happen that the vessel returned to the harbour within that time. Navigation lines.-Réunion is regularly visited by the steamers of two French navigation companies, viz., The Compagnie des Messageries Maritimes de France and the Compagnie Havraise Peninsulaire. The steamers of these two companies start from Marseilles and Le Havre respectively, calling viâ Suez at the following ports:-Jibouti, Aden, Mombasa, Zanzibar, Seychelles, the Madagascar ports, Réunion and Mauritius, which is the terminus port. The Messageries Maritimes have a special line running between Marseilles and London. Since March, 1913, the colony has direct communications with the South African ports and London by the steamers of the Union Castle Mail Steamship Company, which call here on their way to and from Mauritius. Freights. Freights have naturally attained high rates owing to the present war. British trade.-British trade in this colony has never been large, and consists principally of the importation of coal, tissues, soap and a few other articles from the United Kingdom, salt fish and coal from South Africa, rice from India, flour from Australia and a few tons of tobacco exported to Mauritius. It might safely be said that practically all the local products are exported to France and that the exports to British and other countries are nil. However, I would submit that in my opinion the present trade with the United Kingdom could be improved. It would never extend very much, owing to the limited production of the island, but a fair trade could be established in the following commodities:-Exports: Vanilla, rum, tapioca, perfume essences, aloe fibre, vacoa bags. Imports: Corrugated sheets, tin sheets, tissues, haberdashery, soap, codfish, dry fish, stationery and metal works. German trade.-German trade in this colony was never at any time important, consisting of the importation of the usual cheap camelotte, such as toys, china and earthenware, clocks and watches, imitation jewellery, &c., amounting to about 2,000l. in 1913. A few bicycles were also imported last year, and I have it from the firm to whom these bicycles were consigned, that the net cost per bicycle, c.i.f. Pointe des Galets, did not exceed 31. 15s. Trade and commerce. The general trade of Réunion during the year 1914 amounted to 1,202,750l., a decrease of 458,9691. over the previous year, when the figures were 1,661,2897. Exports and imports.-The total value of the articles exported during the year amounted to 691,250l. as against 663,6877. in 1913, whereas the imports reached 511,500l. as against 997,5971. in 1913, thus leaving a balance of 179,750l. in favour of exports. The large decrease in the value of imports was mainly due to the fact that, owing to the abnormally large quantity of rice imported in 1913, very little rice was imported in 1914, and also, but to a lesser extent, owing to the present war, which caused a great decrease in the importations from France. Practically the whole export trade of Réunion is carried on with France and the French colonies of Cochin-China and Madagascar. The following lists give the values of exports and imports in 1914 and the countries to or from which they were exported or imported : Principal products.-These are in order of importance sugar, rum, vanilla, tapioca, perfume essences, aloe fibre, vacoa sacks, chou-chou straw. Exports. Sugar.-The total production for the year 1914 was 40,000 tons as against 39,000 tons in the previous year. The prices averaged from 22 fr. 50 c. (18s.) to 27 fr. (1l. 1s. 7d.) per 100 kilos. (220 lbs.), the net average price being 25 fr. (17.) per 100 kilos. It must be understood that the above values are those for the crop 1913-14, i.e., from August 1, 1913, to July 31, 1914. The sugar of the crop 1914-15 fetched much higher prices, the average price having been 45 fr. (11. 16s.) per 100 kilos. (220 lbs.). The estimated expenses, including freight, work out at about 7 fr. 50 c. (6s.) per 100 kilos. (220 lbs.). The charges are paid by the purchaser if the sugar be sold in situ. The détaxe de distance paid on sugar amounts to 2s. per 220 lbs. of refined sugar. The whole of the sugar exported from Réunion goes to France, with the exception of some 2,000 tons which are exported to Madagascar. The next crop, which begins in July next, is expected to amount to about 45,000 tons. Rum. The average annual consumption of the island is about 750,000 litres (165,000 gallons). To that quantity must be added some 300,000 litres (66,000 gallons) for rum fraudulently distilled, thus making a total of 235,000 gallons, or about 136 gallons per head of the population. 918,344 gallons were exported as against 812,592 gallons in 1913. Of that quantity 570,751 gallons were exported to France and 347,593 gallons to Madagascar. The prices averaged 32 fr. 50 c. (17. 6s.) per 22 gallons at 54° Beaumé f.o.b. at the port of Pointe des Galets, exclusive of costs of casks, &c. Vanilla.-54 tons of vanilla were exported in 1914, the figures for the previous year being 50 tons. Prices stood between 30 and 35 fr. (11. 4s. and 11. 8s.) per kilo. before the beginning of the present war, when they came down to 15 and 20 fr. (12s. and 16s.) per kilo., the average price thus being for the year for all quantities 25 fr. (17.) per kilo. Tapioca. The amount exported during the year was 2,174 tons as against 2,200 tons in 1913. The prices varied between 33 and 35 fr. (17. 6s. 5d. and 17. 8s.) per 100 kilos. for the first 10 months of the year, and then varied between 42 fr. 50 c. (17. 14s.) and 50 fr. (27.) per 100 kilos. The estimated expenses, including freight, work out at about 10 fr. (8s.) per 100 kilos. f.o.b. Pointe des Galets. Perfume essences. Geranium.-70,000 kilos. (154,000 lbs.) of that essence were exported in 1914 as against 43,000 kilos. (94,600 lbs.) in 1913. The prices varied very much during the year, starting at 40 fr. (17. 12s.) per kilo. (2.2 lbs.) and gradually going up 77 fr. 50 c. (31. 2s.) in August. However, since the outbreak of the present war prices have dropped to 25 and 20 fr. (11. and 16s.) per kilo. It is not expected that the prices will go up until the war is over, and the planters have therefore greatly reduced their plantations. Ylang-ylang.-2,000 kilos. (4,400 lbs.) were exported in 1914 as |