Its position with regard to sterling money stood thus in 1909 (average rates):

The above were the rates of exchange in Casablanca. At the other ports different rates prevail according to the supply and demand for local transactions, and at the time of writing (August, 1910) the exchange at Casablanca on sterling is 51 per cent. premium, thus 17. 7:57 dol. Hassani.

=

Owing to the continual fluctuations in the value of this coinage, merchants as a rule are obliged to keep their books and accounts in the coinage of their respective countries.

Weights and measures.-The weights and measures of Morocco are extremely intricate and vary in every town and country market throughout the Empire. Those in general use by wholesale merchants on the coast, are the "cantar" or quintal, equal to 1 cwt. English or 50 kilos. and sometimes 54 kilos. (the standard quintal at the customs equals 1 cwt. avoir.). Sugar, tea, rice, &c., are sold by this weight, while oil, soap, skins, meat, &c., are sold by the quintal of 80 kilos. or 176 lbs. English.

The dry measure for grain is the mud, saa or kharoba, which may weigh from 1 to 2 cwts., according to the grain and locality.

Cloth and all imported textiles, when not sold by the piece, are sold by the English yard, French metre or native kala; the latter measures 21 inches.

Carpets, haiks and native woven fabrics are invariably sold by the draa or cubit, though carpets and woollen goods, when unadulterated with cotton, &c., are often sold by weight.

Deals are sold by the span of about 9 inches.

There are many other weights and measures in use in Morocco, but the tendency in the ports is towards the use of the metric system; thus land is now sold by the square metre and is so described in notarial documents.

Reference to previous Report, Annual Series No. 4344.

Report on the Trade of the Consular District of Casablanca for the Year 1909

By MR. CONSUL MADDEN.

Total foreign trade. The year 1909 proved to be a good year for business, though it is considered not to have been so good as 1908. The total foreign trade, imports and exports combined, including all the ports of the Casablanca Consular district, namely, Casablanca, Rabat, Mazagan, Saffi and Mogador, amounted in value to 3,393,4937.

Share of the United Kingdom.-Out of the total value just mentioned, the share of the United Kingdom works out from the statistics at 1,531,138., or slightly over 45 per cent. of the whole. Although well maintaining her first place, the United Kingdom trade dropped nearly 5 per cent. in 1909 below what it was in 1908.

An examination of the statistics discloses that considerably less British manufactured cottons were imported during 1909 than in 1908. French and German sugar on the other hand advanced very much during the same period (see remarks under the heading Imports, and Table 4).

Share of France and Germany.-The value of the French share in the total trade of the district in 1909 was 923,133l., or 27 per cent. of the whole (a gain 8 per cent. over 1908). German trade

amounted in value to 487,820., or 14 per cent. of the total.

Other nations. Other foreign countries improved their position in the trade of the district, rising to 13 per cent. in 1909.

The three tables given immediately below are drawn up so as to indicate clearly (1) the total trade of each port during the year 1909, (2) the trade of the principal foreign nations with the Consular district during the years 1908-09, (3) the relative percentages of total trade during the said two years.

Tea. Six-sevenths of the tea imported came from the United Kingdom. The total value for tea was slightly higher than in 1908

Soumee comes mostly from Hamburg in chests, which is said to be easier for sale. London tea comes in chests as customary. Payment at four months or 3 per cent. discount for ready

money.

Imports from France. Sugar. There were very large importations of sugar from Marseilles in 1909, but an increase in price accounted for a portion of the higher total value of this article of French origin. Merchants bought large quantities in 1909 which were not consumed, very large stocks being carried forward to 1910. This will no doubt show itself in a diminished importation in 1910, when the returns come to be published.

Candles.-2,9191. value of French candles was received at Casablanca in 1909 and smaller amounts at the other ports.

Wines and spirits.-This was a large item at Casablanca (18,000.), owing no doubt to the large French population now resident here. Other imports include semola, salampores (at Mazagan and Mogador principally, from Pondicherry), silks, glassware, hardware and miscellaneous articles.

Tea from China (viâ Marseilles) is also imported.

Imports from Germany. German sugar sold well in Mazagan, Saffi and Mogador. In the southern ports the people will buy sugar of any origin whereas at Casablanca they are conservative in this subject and ask usually for French sugar.

German, Austro-Hungarian, Belgian and Dutch sugars hold the market at Saffi. All these sugars are of an inferior quality to the French makes, but on the other hand they are cheaper while put on the market in much the same form as the French article.

Other imports from Germany are beer, wines and spirits and alcohol, glassware, cheap enamel ware (sold at 66 per cent. discount on catalogue prices), cloth (at 11 fr. 60 c. per metre, less 9 per cent. discount, largely sold in Morocco), tea from China. Hamburg is getting into the China tea trade with Morocco, partly owing to the large numbers of German steamers trading with the East.

Imports from other countries.-Sugar, candles, cement and iron girders and old tyres from Belgium, also cloth. Hollow bricks, tiles (fancy and plain) for building partition walls, &c., from Spain. From Norway and Sweden, deals, pitch and white pine.

Austro-Hungarian sugar is imported at Saffi and Mogador, but often appears on the imports from Germany, as a great quantity is sent across country to Hamburg for shipment.

Austro-Hungarian cloth sold at from 5 to 6 fr. per metre f.o.b. Casablanca, at six months' credit, packed in bales of 300 kilos.

Hardware from the Netherlands (cheap enamelware at 69 to 70 per cent. discount on catalogue prices and 5 per cent. extra discount on the net cost for ready money).

Petroleum. The oil imported is of American origin. Supplies