Report of the governor general of the Philippine Islands. [1908]

666 REPORT OF THE PHILIPPINE COMMISSION.
against the haul of twenty-one days, consequent quicker delivery and lower
transportation charges by which the Australian flour is benefited. In addition
to the above-mentioned commercial importations, 10,985 barrels of flour arrived
on United States army transports from the United States, and 9,318 were delivered by commercial vessels for the use of United States government forces,
which brings the total importations of flour during 1908 up to 276,369 barrels.
BREADSTUFFS.
In the aggregate invoice value of breadstuffs, exclusive of flour, there was an
increase in 1908 over corresponding importations during 1907 of $66,236, the
total values having been $263,396 during the former and $329,632 during the
latter year. Breadstuffs from the United States contributed 29 per cent of this
value during 1908 as against 24 per cent in 1907. The greater proportion of
breadstuffs received in the Philippine Islands consists of crackers and biscuits
from Great Britain, and Chinese vermicelli and macaroni, while the American
trade consists principally of bran, mill feed, and oats. In view of the specialty
that is made of crackers and biscuits by American manufacturers and the
amount of attention distributers in the United States devote to the purpose of
expanding sales in those lines, the scarcity of the American product in the
Philippine market is surprising. The demand for this class of goods in the
Philippines is supplied largely by those of British manufacture, packed in
hermetically sealed tin packages of various weights from 1 pound upward,
neatly wrapped and labeled, in such manner as to withstand the effects of a
humid tropical climate, and to meet the requirements and taste of the consumer.
DISTILLED SPIRITS.
The value of distilled spirits received during 1908, $240,226, as against
$218,967 for 1907, indicates an increase in that trade of $21,259. According to
the returns, 34,548 gallons of bourbon and rye whiskey, invoiced at $68,074,
were received from the United States, and 1,848 from Canada and the United
Kingdom, whereas during 1907 none of this spirit was entered from the last
two sources and but 4,441 gallons of the American product were imported. The
import figures at the same time show a general decrease in importations of
brandy from the several countries of origin, the total receipts in 1908 having
a value of $24,542, as against $28,941 for 1907, and also a general decline in
other distilled spirits, with the exception of Holland gin, of which importations
during 1907 were valued at $22,235, and increased to $28,943 in 1908. The
United Kingdom held first place in the whisky trade during 1908, with a total
value of $70,630, the American whiskies being second with a value of $68,074,
while importations of French brandies continued in the lead in that spirit with
receipts aggregating $12,949, followed by Spanish brandies with a value of
$7,823.
WINES, SPARKLING LIQUORS, AND CORDIALS.
The 1908 trade in wines, sparkling liquors, and cordials was represented by
substantially the same value-$195,211-as that of the previous year, there
having been a decline of but $687% The greater proportion of this trade consists of ordinary Spanish table wines, in bulk, and, to a less extent, sparkling
liquors and cordials of French origin, in bottles, receipts of the two classes of
beverages during 1908 having been invoiced at $131,198 and $44,587, respectively.
Importations from the United States were represented by a value of $4,334, or
an increase over that of the previous year of $1,650, the net decrease in the total
value of receipts during the year having been due to a reduction in importations from other countries.
MALT LIQUORS.
In the malt-liquor trade, imports during 1908, aggregating in value $90,592,
show a decrease from those of 1907 of $51,246, or a decrease in quantity 'of
91,597 gallons. While this decrease was due largely to decreased consumption,
it is explained in part by an increase over that of the previous year In the
local production. In this connection the following statement of the quantity