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SALVADOR. 



S A MO AN (OR NAVIGATORS 1 ) ISLANDS. 



Valentin Amaya. The United States Minister 

 to nearly all Central American republics is 

 Henry C. Hall, residing at Guatemala. The 

 Minister Resident from Salvador at Washington 

 is Sefior Don Miguel Velasco y Velasco. The 

 American Consul at San Salvador is Louis J. 

 Du Pre. The Salvador Consul at New York 

 is Mariano Pomares; New Orleans, Emiliano 

 Martinez ; San Francisco, Jose Mariano Roma. 



Finances. Salvador has practically no foreign 

 debt. The home indebtedness is $5,000,000, 

 acknowledged by the Junta de Clasin'cacion y 

 Liquidacion, under provisions of the decree of 

 March 24, 1886, for which a like amount of 

 treasury-notes was distributed among the cred- 

 itors of the state. The income of the latter in 

 1885 was $3,635,251, and the outlay $3,556,- 

 469, leaving a balance in the Treasury on Jan. 

 1, 1888, of $78,782. The liquor-tax alone pro- 

 duced $605,523 in 1885, being $85,488 less than 

 the previous year, when it netted $691,011. 

 During the ensuing two years it yielded a sur- 

 plus of $188,658. The amount of duties col- 

 lected on imports in 1886 was $2,547,615. 

 During the latter half of 1887 a project was 

 set on foot for canceling the home debt, 

 which, as stated above, amounts to $5,000,- 

 000. It was suggested that the Government 

 be allowed 19 per cent, of the nation's income 

 for administrative purposes and the entire pub- 

 lic service, while the remaining 81 per cent, 

 is set aside to buy up the internal indebted- 

 ness. The Government owes abroad only 

 200,000 advanced on the Salvador Railroad. 



Postal Service. The number of offices in 1885 

 was 38. The receipts in 1883-'84 were $12,700, 

 and the expenses $19,000. 



Railroads. A concession has been applied 

 for to build an extension of the railroad, now 

 in working order, which runs from Acajutta, 

 in the interior, to Sonsonate, Armenia, and 

 Amate Marin, to within 34J miles of the coast. 

 It is now proposed to extend it from San Sal- 

 vador to Ahuachapan. European capitalists 

 made the Government acceptable proposals to 

 that effect during the summer of 1887. 



Telegraphs. The number of offices in 1885 

 was 68; length of wire, 1624 kilometres: re- 

 ceipts in 1883-'84, $58,941 ; expenses, $73,648. 

 All the cities and towns are united by tele- 

 graph, and the submarine cable at LaLibertad 

 places Salvador in communication with the 

 world's system. In May, 1886, the Govern- 

 ment made a contract with Don Florentin 

 Souza for the establishment of communication 

 by telephone in San Salvador and Santa Tecla 

 as well as between these cities. The duration 

 of tlie privilege is to be for fifteen years, the 

 Government to have a separate line. 



Steamship Communication. A contract was 

 made by the Government in June, 1886, with the 

 Kosmos line of German steamers, by virtue 

 of which the latter engage to call regularly at 

 La Union, and receive in compensation a sub- 

 sidy of $500 for every round trip. 



Commerce. In 1886 the amount of coffee ex- 



ported was 210,000 quintals, worth $3,150,000 ; 

 that of indigo 8,001 seroons, worth $1,209,000. 

 The United States imported from Salvador, 

 during the fiscal year 1886, $1,261.275 worth 

 of goods, and exported thither $470,541 worth 

 of domestic merchandise. In the fiscal year 

 1887 the amounts were $1,059,341 and $477,- 

 125 respectively. 



Mining. In February, 1886, the Government 

 made a contract wir.h Dr. Francisco E. Galindo 

 and Mr. John Moifat, representing Mr. E. 

 Reade and John Drummond, respectively, for 

 exploiting the mines in the Departments of 

 Santa Ana and Chalatenango, and the con- 

 struction of a railway in connection therewith 

 between Santa Ana and Metapan. 



Education. In 1885 the number of public 

 schools was 524, attended by 18,970 pupils. 



Commercial Treaties. By virtue of an agree- 

 ment, signed June 28, 1886, the treaty of com- 

 merce and navigation between Salvador and 

 Great Britain was renewed. In November, 

 1887, a treaty was concluded with Spain. 



Adoption of the Metric System. Beginning with 

 1886, Salvador adopted the metric system of 

 weights and measures. 



Agricultural Implements. The only agricultural 

 implements used or understood by the natives 

 are the large hoe, the bill-hook, and the long 

 knife or machete, as they term it. With these 

 they work very cleverly. The native plow is 

 merely a triangular piece of iron, about four 

 inches broad at the base, fastened to a pole, 

 and with oxen the point of this rude imple- 

 ment is run through the land to the depth of 

 about three inches. Such labor-saving ma- 

 chines as seed-sowers, harrows, rakes, plows, 

 etc., are almost unknown. 



SAMOAN (OR NAVIGATORS') ISLANDS. The 

 year 1886 left King Malietoa in control of the 

 Samoan Islands, and the German Imperial Gov- 

 ernment on record officially and conjointly 

 with the French and English Governments 

 through their several consuls to sustain the 

 King as against the opposing chief Tamesese. 

 The importance that has been universally at- 

 tached to the action of the German Govern- 

 ment in connection with these islands in the 

 year 1887 renders it desirable in this place to 

 afford such information concerning the his- 

 tory of the islands as is possible, to be taken 

 in connection with the account given in the 

 volume of this work for 1886. The interest of 

 the United States in these islands may be said 

 to have begun in the year 1872, when Com- 

 mander Meade, United States Navy, made a 

 treaty with Maunga, the great chief of the 

 island of Tutuila, one of the Samoan group, 

 by which the port of Pango-Pango was given up 

 to the Americans on condition that a friendly 

 alliance be made between that island and the 

 United States. In accordance with this treaty 

 President Hayes sent a naval vessel to the 

 Samoan Islands "to make surveys and to take 

 possession of the privileges conceded to the 

 United States by Samoa in the harbor of Pan- 



