Burma : A Handbook of Practical Information - Khamkoo

290 BURMA
from that year on the figures showing the trade of all the
ports were amalgamated into one set of returns. By
1878-79 the value of the trade had trebled in value, and
reached a total of Rs. 167,658,245. The tonnage of vessels
which entered from and cleared for foreign ports was
381,130 and 525,636, and the tonnage of vessels employed
in the coasting trade was 1,347,017. The great bulk
of the carrying trade then, and still, is in British bottoms.
Practically the whole of the coasting trade between Burma
and the rest of British India, which amounted in 1899-
1900to a total of 2,571,926 tons, of a value of Rs. 1 40,603,460,
went under the British flag. To foreign countries 734,850
tons were cleared, and of this British ships carried 629,967
tons and German vessels only 37,328. It would be well if
the same proportions held in other British possessions.
In 1889-90 the total value of Burma sea-borne trade
was: imports £6,375,001, exports £6,776,800—a total
of £13,151,801. In 1894-95 imports fell to £5,551,259,
but exports rose to a value of £9,11,3,847, with an aggregate
value of £14,665,106. The figures for 1899-1900
were, imports £8,291,029, exports £12,428,963—a total
of £20,819,992.
The chief Customs authority is the financial commissioner,
under whom the chief collector of Customs
administers the port and Customs at Rangoon, with an
assistant collector and a superintendent of preventive
service. Moulmein, Akyab, and Bassein have collectors
in charge of the ports. At Rangoon also, with its great
preponderance of trade, there are a port officer and
assistant port officer, whose duties in the other ports are
performed by the Customs collectors. The proportion
of imports to exports remains fairly consistent : imports
amount to two-fifths and exports to three-fifths. The
value of the exports which go to Europe has passed
£4,000,000 sterling, and is steadily increasing.
The report on the maritime trade of Burma for the
official year 1903-04 shows that the aggregate was the
largest on record. Excluding Government transactions,
61 82 per cent, of the trade was with foreign countries, and
the balance coasting trade. The foreign imports were
valued at Rs. 82,625,707, as against Rs.59,554,645 during