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1900] HEMP SUPPLY AND PRICES. The daily and trade papers have said so much lately about the pressure that is being brought to bear on the authorities at Washington, in order to secure the opening of the Manila hemp ports, that we judge it of interest to set down, as nearly as possible, the true situation regarding the visible hemp supply and the probabilities as to further receipts and the price of hemp, in the near future. To obtain a better insight into the present condition, it is necessary to Sours statistics with those of a few years past, when conditions were normal. The total production of hemp for the-years ending Dec: 31st, 1896 and 1897, were 809,000 and 848,000 bales respectively, the largest production of any two years to date. In spite of this increase in production, however, owing to increased demand caused by improved trade conditions and the extremely low prices prevailing for hemp and thus for rope and twine, the stocks of hemp at primary points Dec. 31st, 1897, had decreased 70,000 bales from the year before, and stocks in Great Britain and the United States had de- creased 15,000 bales, leaving stocks at Manila of 154,000 bales and in Great Britain and. the United States of 80,000 bales. in addition to large stocks held by manufacturers. : ‘ The breaking out of hostilities at Manila in the spring of 1898, and the consequent disturbances ever since, have reduced the receipts of hemp at primary ports so that in 1898 they were but 742,000 bales and in 1899 only 493,000 bales, a shortage in supply of 461,000 bales in the two years, as compared with receipts for 1897. To offset this shortage, the high prices of rope and twine have caused a much smaller demand during the last two years, owing to greater economy in use, reduced stocks of rope, and the substitution of other fibres. Notwithstanding this falling off in demand, the stocks of hemp in the three countries referred to, aggregating 234,000 bales, have been drawn on until on December 31st, 1899, they were reduced to 2000 bales in Manila and still less in Great Britain and United States, while stocks in the hands of manufacturers are almost nothing compared with a year ago. These facts have prevented any very great shortage of supplies to date, but have caused a great deal of hemp of inferior grades to be used, these lower grades having probably constituted the bulk of the stocks at primary points, and on goods made from these grades by some makers, the occasional cutting of prices has occurred. ; To sum up the conditions, on January Ist, 1900, there were no re- serves in ports or in the hands of manufacturers, sufficient to be depended on for supply, the only hemp in sight being that now afloat, amounting to 120,000 bales on that date and due any time before April or May next, and all sold. This amount is only about one-eighth of the consumption in 1897, and were the prices as low, the demand would undoubtedly be much greater than in that year, so that the visible supply, together with manu- facturers’ stock, if evenly distributed, would not keep the factories sup- plied two months, in the season when much the largest portion of hemp is needed. The fact that the bulk of this supply is coming to the United States will not help lower prices, since owners will sell the hemp to other users if that is more profitable than to make it up. This was actually done this week, and a quantity of hemp shipped back to England. In addition to the amount of fibre received and shipped from the primary ports during the last two years, there has undoubtedly been something of an accumulation of hemp at various points since the ports were last closed. The estimates as to the amount of this hemp, vary from 150,000 to 300,000 bales, but they are very uncertain. Of this amount, probably 100,000 bales have been sold to be shipped as soon as possible after the ports are opened and some also with posi- tive date of shipment, seller assuming the risk of ports opening, but date of shipment run to April and May next. There seems to be a general impression that all that is required is te have the ports opened and hemp will at once begin to flow into the United States and England and supplies be plentiful and prices low. The facts are that should the principal ports be opened even as early as Feb. Ist, which is very doubtful, and vessels secured to take the hemp to Manila to be baled for shipment, and steamers secured to take the hemp from Manila to Hong Kong for re-shipment by steamer to England and then to the United States, or even direct from ‘Manila to the United States, at least one month will be required before shipments can begin and from two to three months additional before the hemp begins to arrive. The first 10,000 bales or more shipped must be that already sold, so that it will be July or August before any hemp arrives that is now unsold. What the cost of this will be will depend, of course, upon the amount of supply that proves to be on hand in the interior and the amount of work being done there in preparing new supplies. Unless the natives have changed in character, experience has demonstrated that the supplies will be lessened rather than increased by high prices, as they are thus obliged to do less work in order to obtain the amount of money needed to supply their simple wants. Some considerable time also must elapse before affairs in the interior become settled so that regular work can be resumed in all places. While hemp to arrive—say next August or September—is now offered at about three cents per pound less than “spot”? hemp, this still means high prices for rope as compared with any except those of very recent date. It is, therefore, clear that those who anticipate any material reduction in prices this season, or any arrival of hemp in time to effect prices of binder twine this year will probably be very much disappointed. Should first shipments of hemp be delayed beyond dates mentioned, prices may advance indefinitely on stock in sight, and consequently on rope, while dependence on sisal for binder twine will be likely to cause a demand for that fibre that will lead to a still further advance. H. F. LYMAN. Cleveland, Jan. 17, 1900. The Standard Varnish Works, New York City, has just issued a calendar that is not only highly artistic but decidedly novel as well. An ingenious circular device enables the current month to always be kept uppermost, MARINE REVIEW. eee. eee — a aa eS SSE TI IESE ‘ BILLS OF A NAVAL AND MARINE KIND. Washington, D. C., Jan. 17.—The committee on commerce has recom- ' mended for passage the Frye bill relating to lights on steam pilot vessels. The bill provides that a steam pilot vessel, when engaged on her station on pilotage duty and in waters of the United States, and not at anchor, shall, in addition to the lights required for all pilot boats, carry at a dis- tance of 8 feet below her white masthead light, a red light visible all around and of such character as to be visible on a dark night with a — clear atmosphere at a distance of at least two miles, and also the colored side lights required to be carried by vessels when under way. When engaged on her station on pilotage duty and in waters of the United States, and at anchor, she shall carry in addition to the lights required - for all pilot boats, the red light above mentioned, but not the colored side lights. When not engaged on her station on pilotage duty she shall carry the same lights as other steam vessels. Representative Brick has introduced a bill authorizing the president, BK upon the application of the governor of any state having sea coast line or bordering on one or more of the great lakes, to direct the secretary of the navy to furnish one well-established military school in that state, cs desiring to afford its cadets instruction in elementary seamanship, one ae fully equipped man-of-war’s cutter for every twenty cadets in actual at- tendance and such other equipment as may be spared and deemed ade- quate for instruction in elementary seamanship. Representative Cummings has introduced a bill to adjust the rank and pay of certain officers of the navy. The bill provides that all com- missioned officers of the navy with creditable records who served during the civil war and who were placed on the retired list prior to June 30, 1899, shall receive the same pay as the commissioned officers of the navy of the same grades who have been retired since June 30, 1899. , senator Cullom has introduced a bill authorizing the president to invite the International ‘Congress of Navigation to hold its ninth session in the Congressional Library in congress. The sum of $25,000 is to be appropriated for expenses. The eighth session of the International Con- gress of Navigation will be held in Paris in July, 1900. A Dr. Walter Wyman, supervising surgeon-general of the marine hospital service, has asked congress for an appropriation of $2,500 for the erection of an isolation ward and mortuary for the marine hospital at Cleveland. The secretary of the treasury approves it. | ; Representative Dayton has introduced a bill granting to every em- ploye of the navy yards, gun factories, naval stations, and arsenals of the United States government thirty days’ leave of absence each year with pay. /Absence on account of sickness is to be deducted from the leave. ; , plese: SameE O¥ VA i“ LAUNCH OF THE DEUTSCHLA Last week witnessed the launching at Steftin of the new Hamburg- American liner Deutschland, the second largest vessel in the world. The : new vessel is 68614 feet over all 6714 feet beam and 44 feet deep. She has bilge keels. According to her builders, the Vulcan Ship Building Co., the Deutschland will be the speediest ocean liner in the world. They have guaranteed to the Hamburg line that the vessel will average 23 knots, which means that passengers from New York for London and Paris will reach their destinations in six days, by way of Southampton and Cher- bourg respectively. The new liner will be fitted with two six-cylinder quadruple expansion engines of 35,000 indicated horse power. Steam will be supplied from twelve compound boilers having eight furnaces each and four single boilers with four furnaces each. The boilers are to provide steam at a pressure of 230 pounds per square inch and it is anticipated that the vessel will be capable of attaining a maximum speed of 25 knots, The Deutschland is fitted with a complete Blake pump equipment, includ- ing twin air pumps similar to those on the Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse, the largest ship in the world. This vessel was named by the minister of foreign affairs, Count Von Bulow, who made a rather lengthy address on the subject of the German merchant marine. In his speech Count Von Bulow dwelt upon the powerful development of the Hamburg-American line, which, he said, with the North German Lloyd, had during half a century grown to be the greatest shipping company in the world. The new ship today added to their fleet, he continued, was to run on that high road of North Atlan- tic traffic which connected Germany with a friendly nation, the United States.. The ship had been built at the Vulcan dock yard, which began its career in as modest a way as the Hamburg-American line, and now provided foreign navies with every type of ship. The Deutschland was intended to be the most powerful ship in the world and to surpass in speed all vessels afloat. As the capability of the Hamburg-American line and the’ Vulcan yard increased, Germany, during the same period, began to regain what had been lost since the days of the Hanse. Since the de- cline of the latter, which went into ruin because. the old empire did not afford it adequate support and because then the German merchant was not sufficiently backed up by the state, Germany had*turiied away from the sea. It was not until after the nation had regained its unity as a state, through the great emperor and his immortal advisers, and the spirit of sacrifice and patriotism upon the part of all races and-classes of the German people, that it again entered the theatre of the world. Germany’$ present transoceanic policy was evolved from her mighty economic re- vival, which, in its turn, was the outcome of the creation of the empire. When German labor had won for itself a position in the markets of the world Germany’s foreign policy had to follow the development of her economic forces. Germany’s present transoceanic policy and world policy necessarily resulted from her economic growth. Germany felt more and more that a nation which allowed itself to be pushed away from the sea would stand aloof from the busy life of the world. Germany, whose com- merce during the last four decades had risen from two and a half mill- iards in 1860 to eight and a half milliards in 1897; who within thirty years had increased fifteenfold the tonnage of her merchant navy and who had moved up into second place in the shipping trade, ought not to remain — behind in economic or political rivalry. ; Officers of the American Ship Building Co, discussed their affairs in Detroit just previous to the meeting of Lake Carriers,