Customs changes.-Of great importance to the local rum distilling industry is the application in France of the law against the adulteration of food products. This has dealt a severe blow to the adulteration of Martinique rum, hence a larger demand for the genuine article and higher and more remunerative prices. Of great importance to the development of the cultivation of minor products is the law of August 5, 1913, granting exemption from customs duties on entry into France to cocoa, coffee and vanilla, among other tropical products, grown in Martinique and other French. colonies, which is to become effective on January 1, 1914. New trade developments.-A first direct shipment of flour from Argentina was received in 1913. This shipment consisted of 176 metric tons. This trial shipment, it is reported, was not altogether a success and has not been repeated. The quantity it is stated was too large for a first trial in this small market, hence difficulty in disposing of it. A small quantity of maize was received at the same time from Argentina. This article is likely to meet with success when prices are lower than for the American article from New York. The present difficulty is the question of minimum quantity required for direct shipment to this port. During the year 1913 motor cars first appear in appreciable numbers in the list of imports; 29 cars were imported as against 1 in the year 1912. The cars are mostly low-priced machines of American manufacture. Eight French cars were received and 21 American. Waterworks. Work is being continued on the waterworks for the towns and villages in the island, and it is hoped that in 1914 Fort-de-France will be supplied with a new and abundant water supply. Shipping. According to the figures supplied by the customs the entries in 1913 numbered 457 vessels with a tonnage of 459,390 tons, showing an increase as compared with 1912 of 29 vessels and 31,351 tons. British shipping increased in the number of entries by 10, but decreased in the tonnage by 19,485 tons. As in previous years the imports from and the exports to Havre, Nantes, Bordeaux and St. Nazaire were carried principally by the mail and cargo steamers of the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique. The traffic between Martinique and Marseilles is handled by the cargo steamers of the Austro-Hungarian Austro-Americana Line. A small quantity of freight is also carried to and from Havre by a line of sailing vessels, and an occasional chartered sailing vessel arrives with general cargo from Bordeaux. The general cargo from the United States of America is carried principally by the British steamers of the Quebec Steamship Company, which sail fortnightly from New York. The new Seeberg Steamship Line from Mobile, Alabama, with sailings about once a month, also carried a fair amount of freight from the United States of America composed principally of lumber, cooperage supplies, flour and kerosene oil. This line has under charter small steamers under the British, Norwegian and Swedish flags. During the year the monthly cargo steamer service of L. W. and P. Armstrong from New York was discontinued. The only British line calling regularly at Martinique is the Quebec Steamship Copmany. Occasional calls are made by the cargo steamers of James Nourse, Limited, with rice from Calcutta, and the cargo steamers of Scruttons, Sons and Co., and the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company from the United Kingdom with fertilisers. The bunker coal imported from Philadelphia by the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique is carried mostly by Norwegian colliers. The two entries of German shipping in 1913 were two steamers under charter to the Austro-Americana Line. Health of the colony.-The health of the colony in 1913 was good. Table 1.-SHOWING Total Values of all Articles Imported into Martinique during the Years 1910-13. Table 2.-SHOWING Total Value of all Articles Exported from Martinique during the Years 1910-13. Table 3.-SHOWING the Principal Countries from which came the Imports into Martinique during the Years 1910–13. SHOWING the Principal Countries from which came the Imports into Table 4.-SHOWING the Chief Countries to which went the Exports of Martinique during the Years 1910-13. Table 5.-QUANTITIES and Values of the Principal Articles Imported during the Years 1911-13. |