58 COTTON TEXTILES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



plus 20 per cent.; for instance, first cost-price $2 + 20 percent. = $2.40; 

 10 per cent, duties = 24 cents. 



The population of this colony amounts to 57,000, of which nine- tenths 

 wear cotton clothes. 



THOMAS BROWNE, 



UNITED STATES CONSULATE, Consul. 



Paramaribo, July 24, 1889. 



CHILI.* 

 IQUIQUE. 



REPORT BY CONSUL MERRIAM. 



Immediately on receipt of the circular of May 27, 1889, concerning 

 cotton textiles, I at once took steps to obtain the requisite data at the 

 custom-house. 1 was treated very courteously and referred to the chief 

 of the section on statistics, who offered me his hearty co-operation and 

 promised to give me the information required as soon as the pressure of 

 official business should permit. After waiting a proper time 1 reminded 

 him of the subject, and on that occasion and several subsequent ones 

 I was put off with plausible excuses, proffered with much politeness and 

 apparent regret for his non-compliance with his agreement. 



On the last occasion referred to he expressed his regret that through 

 inadvertence the re'sume' of statistics of importations had all been sent 

 to Santiago, and that no copies had been preserved on file at the custom- 

 house. I thanked him for his promise to have his subordinates go ovet 

 the work again and extract the data required from the original mani- 

 fests. The time named by him for the completion and delivery of the 

 work has already expired more than fifteen days ago and I have given 

 up all expectation of obtaining the information necessary to enable me 

 to comply with the instructions of the circular. 



J. W. MERRIAM, 



Consul. 



UNITED STATES CONSULATE, 



Iquique, Chili, November 6, 1889. 



* See foot note on. next page. 



