Salvador Camacho Roldan to Ernest Dichman, November 4, 1878
Mr. Roldan to Mr. Dichman.
My Dear Sir: I have the pleasure to answer your inquiries contained in your note of the 15th ultimo.
1st. Revenues of the United States of Colombia.
Those of the national government are estimated for the present fiscal year (September 1, 1878, to August 31, 1879) at ‘$4,200,000. Those of the year which ended with August 31, 1878, will amount to very nearly $6,000,000, but this figure is supposed to be occasioned by the extraordinary increase of importations of one year of peace after another year of war, in which latter the importation of merchandise from abroad was not sufficient for the necessities of commerce.
2d. From what sources they proceed.
The revenues of this country are derived—
- From the duties on importations.
- From the sale of salt derived from the salt-works belonging to the government.
- From the subsidy paid by the Panama Railroad Company.
- From the income of the post-office.
- From the income of the telegraphs.
- From miscellaneous receipts of little importance.
The customs tariff is actually high, and weighs upon the value of foreign merchandise a little more than 36 per cent. ad valorem, and yields, one year with another, $2,500,000.
The income from the salt-works consists in the difference between the cost of production of salt and the price at which it is sold at the national salt-works. The cost of production of salt (of the rock salt from the mines, and of the salt from salt springs, the former costing about 20 cents per cwt., and the latter about $1, more or less, on an average) is about $240,000 annually, and yields more than $1,250,000. There are about 350,000 cwt. of salt sold per year, at a mean price of $3.20 per cwt.
The Panama Railroad Company pays annually a rent of $250,000.
The post-office yields about $50,000 annually.
The postage is 5 cents for a letter weighing 10 grains, within the limits of any State, and 10 cents for letters which are carried through more than one State. The land routes for the mails are, more or less, about 1,800 leagues per week.
The telegraph yields about $40,000. The number of leagues of wire reach about 600.
The miscellaneous receipts consist in the yield from national property, fines, the Bolivar Railroad, &c.
The Bolivar Railroad, recently bought by the nation, is five leagues long, cost $600,000, yields from $90,000 to $100,000 annually, and requires from $70,000 to $80,000 annually for repairs and operating expenses.
3d. Exportations of Colombia in one year.
More or less, $12,000,000, distributed thus:
| Gold and silver in bars and coined | $3,500,000 |
| Quinia 80,000 cwt | 2,500,000 |
| Coffee, 20,000 cwt | 3,200,000 |
| Tobacco, 50,000 cwt | 1,250,000 |
| Hides, 180,000 | 500,000 |
| Divi-divi and dye-woods, 8,000 tons | 300,000 |
| India-rubber, balsam of tolu, cattle on foot, corn, raw sugar, &c | 450,000 |
| Straw hats | 350,000 |
| 12,050,000 |
In this amount are not comprised the exportations from the Isthmus of Panama, nor those from the eastern territories, there being no custom-houses nor means to obtain statistics in either.
4th. Importations of Colombia in one year.
Approximately, $10,000,000. The difference between exportation and importation covers the cost of transportation, duties, &c. Two-thirds of the importation in value consist in cotton, wool, hemp, linen and silk goods, which pay three-fourths or more of the duties on importations. Cotton goods represent themselves alone more than half of all the importations, and pay in reality more than 50 per cent. ad valorem in custom duties.
5th. Quantity of tobacco exported, to the United States before 1860.
There are no statistical data on this point, but I have private information that there was an important commerce in cigars between 1851 and 1858. A Mr. Moore, an American, had contracts to manufacture cigars for the United States, representing three or four millions of cigars annually. And from Cartagena and Santa Marta, considerable quantities were carried to the United States. According to my recollection, the value of these exportations was not below $300,000 annually. The cigars were cheap which, after paying duty, could be sold at from $2.50 to $3 a hundred. It seems to me that this commerce disappeared with the changes which were made in the tariff iii the United States in 1857 and 1863.
Accompanying, you will please find a pamphlet which I had published in 1874, in which you will find some data upon the subject of your inquiries.
In the reports of the Hacienda (revenue and finance) which I have the pleasure also to send you, you will also find some information more detailed.
I am having prepared several statistical tables upon the fluctuations of the revenues, the importations and exportations of this country in the last six years, which I will send later to you.
With, &c.,