XVII. When the liquidation exceeds 20 pesos, the value of the stamped paper and the making of the manifest shall be charged for. XVIII. If the amount of the payment should exceed the limit of $150, silver, examination in detail shall be required, the authorization of the Treasury Department having been previously obtained.

XIX. When the consular invoice states that the merchandise is to order, without mentioning the person for whose account it is remitted, the administrator shall require for the examination that the merchant prove his right to the merchandise, either by presenting a bill of sale from the shipper or the bill of lading of the shipment.

XX. The verification of the manifests shall be made with a copy of the consular invoice of the custom-house and not with a copy belonging to the merchant, but the latter document shall always be attached to the manifest if it should not agree with the copy of the consular invoice of the custom-house.

IV. Decree of March 23, 1904, relating to the manufacture, sale, and importation of imitation grape wine.

["Diario Oficial," No. 71, of March 23, 1904.]

ARTICLE 1. The manufacture and sale of imitation of grape wine are absolutely prohibited in the Republic.

ART. 2. The manufacture of wines from fruits of the country is only permitted in premises solely used for the manufacture of brandy.

ART. 3. The wines referred to in the foregoing article shall be liable, proportionately to their alcoholic strength, to the tax chargeable on ordinary brandy, and shall not be delivered for sale until they have previously undergone chemical analysis.

ART. 4. Wines made from fruits of the country which come within the foregoing conditions may be sold freely and in any part of the country.

ART. 5. The present decree does not cancel previously granted concessions.

ART. 6. Importation of must and materials which can be used in the manufacture of the imitations referred to in the present decree is hereby prohibited.

ART. 7. Persons contravening the stipulations of the present decree shall be punished according to law.

V. Decree of March 21, 1904, relating to the importation of empty bags, galvanized iron sheets, and Portland or Roman cement.

["Diario Oficial" No. 74, of March 26, 1904.]

ARTICLE 1. The decree" of March 16, 1903, exempting from all duties and taxes imported empty coffee and sugar bags, is hereby repealed.

ART. 2. Galvanized iron sheets for roofing and other purposes, and

a See 8th Supp., Ch. III.

also Portland or Roman cement, shall pay an import duty of 3 centavos per kilogram, but no other rate or tax.

ART. 3. This decree shall enter into force twelve days after the date of its publication and shall not apply to stocks now lying in the warehouses of the State.

VI. Decree of April 8, 1904, as to the exportation of coffee.

["Diario Oficial" No. 85, of April 12, 1904.]

ARTICLE. 1. The duty of 64 centavos per quintal levied under the law of February 27, 1902, on coffee exported through the Puerto de la Union, is hereby increased to 12 centavos. This tax shall be applied to the expenses incurred for the laying on of potable water in the Puerto de le Union and in the town of Conchagua.

ART. 3. This decree shall have the effect of law from the date of its publication.

VII.-Ordinance of April 14, 1904, assessing for duty crude or powdered pumice stone.

["Diario Oficial" No. 88, of April 15, 1904.]

Crude or powdered pumice stone shall pay 10 centavos per kilogram.

VIII. Decree of April 26, 1904, relating to the exportation of ores (brozas minerales).

["Diario Oficial," No. 100, of April 29, 1904.]

ARTICLE 1. Ores shall be liable to a 3 per cent ad valorem duty on exportation, and gold and silver in bars, ingots, powder, or in any other form, shall pay 1 per cent.

ART. 2. From the above tax are excepted ores and other metals, which, in virtue of a contract entered into with the Government and sanctioned by the legislative power, are exempted from this duty. IX.— Ordinance of May 10, 1904, classifying for duty salt the product of Central America.

["Diario Oficial," No. 109, of May 10, 1904.]

The ordinance of July 31, 1903, is hereby repealed, and from and after the date hereof salt shall continue to be subject to the duties applicable to goods coming from Central America.

X.-Law of April 25, 1904, establishing a stamp duty on certain foreign merchandise.

["Diario Oficial," No. 127, of May 31, 1904.]

The stamp duty shall be levied on: The sale of foreign goods; the sale of alcohols, fermented and aërated beverages; the sale of tobacco.

ART. 2. In regard to foreign goods, the stamp duty shall be at the rate of 1 per cent on the selling price, and it shall only apply to sales

effected in the importing stores or their branches, except as to the goods referred to in articles 3 and 4, which shall be assessed differently.

ART. 3. The sale tax on alcohols, fermented and aërated beverages, shall be levied on every bottle of a capacity of 24 ounces, whatever be the percentage of admixture:

When the sale takes place in bottles or any other receptacles under 24 ounces capacity, the tax shall apply to the container as if of the capacity fixed for the bottles.

Without prejudice to the duties and taxes payable under the tariff in force, imported tobaccos shall be taxed as follows:

ART. 15. The Executive Power shall establish regulations and adopt all other necessary regulations for the observance of the present law, which shall enter into force on July 1 of this year.

ART. 16. The laws relating to stamped paper and to stamps promulgated on May 15, 1900, and September 25, 1903, are maintained in force so far as they are not inconsistent with the present law.

XI.-Ordinance dated June 1, 1904, as to unbarbed galvanized fence wire.

["Diario Oficial" No. 130, of June 3, 1904.]

The importation of a new form of galvanized wire not furnished with barbs, and consisting of two cables joined together by a netting for penning small cattle and farm-yard stock, shall be free from all duties and taxes by assimilation to barbed wire fencing.

XII.- Decree of June 7, 1904, relating to the importation of apparatus and implements for the consumption of alcohol carburetted by means of naphthaline.

["Diario Oficial" No. 140, of June 15, 1904.]

The effects of the law dated March 19, 1903, granting exemption from duty on importation of apparatus and implements for the consumption of alcohol carburetted by means of naphthaline, are continued for a further period of two years.

XIII.-Ordinance dated June 20, 1904, relating to the collection of the stamp duty.

["Diario Oficial" No. 145, of June 21, 1904.]

The stamp duty referred to in articles 3 and 4 of the decree dated April 21 last (promulgated on April 25) shall be collected by the sea

custom-houses. For that purpose the importers shall specify in the respective customs manifests the number and form of the interior and exterior container and the number or quantity of pieces contained in each package, taking care to declare the capacity of the containers in the case of wines, beers, and liquors imported otherwise than in bottles. The corresponding stamps shall be obliterated by the customs at the time when they are affixed to the return.

UNITED STATES.

TRADE WITH LATIN AMERICA.

STATEMENT OF IMPORTS AND EXPORTS.

Following is the latest statement, from figures compiled by the Bureau of Statistics, United States Department of Commerce and Labor, showing the value of the trade between the United States and LatinAmerican countries. The report is for the month of August, 1904, with a comparative statement for the corresponding month of the previous year; also for the eight months ending August, 1904, as compared with the same period of the preceding year. It should be explained that the figures from the various custom-houses showing imports and exports for any one month are not received at the Treasury Department until about the 20th of the following month, and some time is necessarily consumed in compilation and printing, so that the returns for August, for example, are not published until some time in October.