112 FORESTRY IX SPAIN. 



'The relative cost of spirits of turpentine and of resin, 

 No. 1, indicate the relative cost of the other products, and 

 show that France can put them in the market in Barcelona 

 six pesetas cheaper than we can. In Santander, and other 

 ports of less importance, the effects of this competition are, 

 less manifest, the inequality not being so great as in 

 Barcelona ; and if, from the French products yielded by 

 their renowned plantations, the Landes, we go to the 

 products obtained on a great scale from American forests 

 favoured by an exuberant vegetation, the Spanish products 

 cannot successfully compete with these, since the expense of 

 extraction and elaboration in America is much below 

 what it is in Spain ; and we have little to add to this for 

 expense of transport, as vessels carry this class of products 

 as ballast, at a very low charge for freight. 



'From what has been stated it is manifest that the 

 resin trade cannot be said to be in a lively condition, or to 

 contain germs of vitality, seeing that it cannot compete 

 with imports from abroad, which can be put in the market 

 paying 10 pesetas for 100 kilogrammes duty for spirits of 

 turpentine, and 25 centimes duty for a like quantity of 

 resin, No. 1. It seems then to be indisputably necessary to 

 raise the duty, especially that on resin, which is almost 

 nil; for so long as the duties are what they are at present 

 it is easy to account for the great quantities of the latter 

 products being stored in the manufactories, aud the 

 difficulty in effecting sales. 



' We do not consider that we are competent to discuss 

 the graver question of general regulations, applicable to 

 every case, which would require lengthened consideration 

 and a clear judgment in regard to general utility; but 

 what we think is that with a growing industry, as is the 

 resin trade in our country, everything proper to increase 

 it should be done, and so far as it presses, every difficulty 

 should be taken out of its way, that it may compete freely 

 with foreign products in the home market. Every industry 

 labours under difficulty which has in its beginning to bear 

 equal burdens with those which are already established, 



