leave the commercial centers on the coast for the cooler regions in the interior.

Terms.-Importers are familiar with customary American credit terms, such as draft against documents and draft at 30 or 60 days. European shippers often offer longer terms, extending to open account at 3 to 6 months.

Advertising. The value of advertising in a country where the percentage of illiteracy is so great would seem doubtful. There are no window displays in Port au Prince, and only a few billboards. Satisfactory advertising in the local newspapers could hardly be arranged, except by a resident agent, and then the value of such advertising is doubtful.

Trade-mark registration.-Application for the registration of a trade-mark in Haiti should be made to the Department of Commerce, Port au Prince.

Tariff. The following is a statement of present rates of duty on paints and paint materials entering Haiti:

--gourdes per gallon__ .25 ----ad valorem. 10%

Chemical and pharmaceutical products---

Duties are to be multiplied by 1.19, which converts to United States currency and includes surtaxes.

Ad valorem duty is based on value of article in place of production converted in legal currency, plus 10 per cent for expenses.

IMPORTS INTO HAITI OF PAINTS, PIGMENTS, VARNISHES, INKS, COLORS, AND DYES, EXCLUSIVE OF PRINTING AND LITHOGRAPHIC INK, FISCAL YEAR ENDED SEPTEM BER 30, 1923

The value of the United States exports to Haiti of paints, pigments and varnishes, in 1923, was only $44,914, which was an increase of over 100 per cent of the value of 1913 exports. The actual quantity exported in 1923 was not much more than in 1913, the in

creased value being largely due to higher prices. The accompanying table, prepared from Foreign Commerce and Navigation of the United States statistics, shows the exports for the years specified.

CONCLUSION

The market for paints and varnishes in Haiti is undeveloped and the use of such materials is primitive. However, an increase in the buying power of the population would probably reflect an increased purchase of these commodities.

No special preferences or prejudices exist in regard to quality or country of origin for paints and varnishes. Orders are plac d entirely in accordance with prices and credit terms extended. Practically all of the mixed-paint trade is at present held by American firms who send travelers periodically.

EXPORTS OF PAINTS, PIGMENTS, AND VARNISHES FROM THE UNITED STATES TO

Jamaica is an island in the Caribbean Sea, situated about 90 miles southeast of Cuba and 100 west of Haiti. It is the largest island of the British West Indies. The Turks, Caicos, and Cayman Islands; also the Pedro and Morant Cays (Guano Islands) are dependencies of Jamaica. The area is approximately 4,207 square miles, or a little less than that of Connecticut; population in 1921, 858,118, of which the whites numbered 14,476. English is the language of Jamaica. There is only one city of real importance-Kingston, the capital, with a population of 88,000.

Jamaica is a pastoral and fruit-growing country, and the exports, valued at $20,479,130 in 1922, were chiefly bananas, sugar, logwood and logwood extract, and coffee, in the order of their importance. Imports during the same year were valued at $20,290,004.

MARKET FOR PAINTS, PIGMENTS, AND VARNISHES

The majority of the people live on the land as laborers or small landholders and have very little purchasing power, confining themselves largely to absolute necessities. The imports for the year 1922 averaged $23.64 per capita, based on a population of 858,118.

The consumption of paint and varnish in Jamaica can be gauged by a study of the import statistics, inasmuch as there are no local manufacturers. The value of imports is small in comparison with some other countries of equal population; for example, on a per capita basis Porto Rico consumes almost three times as much paint materials. The total trade is, however, approximately twice that of the Dominican Republic, and shows a tendency to grow.

The following table shows the imports, by countries, for specified years:

IMPORTS OF PAINTS AND PAINTER'S COLORS AND MATERIALS INTO JAMAICA DURING 1913 AND 1920-1922

The demand in Jamaica is principally for prepared oil paints in paste form and ready mixed. These are usually imported in cardinal colors and special shades or tints are produced by mixing. Water paints are also imported for application to both exterior and interior of the concrete buildings in the business district. A plaster prepared locally of ingredients found on the island is used to a considerable extent and formerly was usually finished with a water paint or papered, but in recent years the tendency has been to use flat wall paints. Varnish is used to a limited extent for interior trimming. Practically all of the trade is in clear varnish. The wood chiefly used for interior trim is local cedar, although mahagony is also indigenous to Jamaica and is used locally in fine cabinet work and for furniture. Varnish for industrial uses finds but a small demand because of very limited local uses. There are, however, a few carriage builders and automobile painters.

A demand has recently developed for floor paints which is likely to increase, in view of the growing tendency of householders to banish the traditional laborious servants' task of polishing the floors with a coconut-fiber brush.

OTHER MARKET FACTORS

Quality. The constant and direct heat of the sun requires that paints stand heat almost exclusively for there is never more than a

slight chill in the air. There is a certain amount of rainfall in some parts of the island, and most of the time a burning sun. The best results with oil paints have been secured with several coats of thin paint rather than two coats of thick paint.

There are no government regulations regarding the composition of household paints.

Packing-Most of the oil paints are imported in 25-pound containers, although the gallon and half-gallon size are quite popular; also 1-pound tins. Paints are sold in round tins and varnish in square cans, as is usual in the United States.

Methods of distribution-Most of the paint imported into Jamaica is handled by merchants at Kingston. All of the wholesale houses are located in that city and it is the logical place for the establishment of an agency. Many of the wholesalers also conduct a retail business, in addition to supplying the small stores throughout the island. Retailers in the smaller towns frequently import direct, especially from New York. Hardware dealers handle the paint trade almost exclusively and sell to the painters or direct to the con

sumer.

Terms. The majority of the stores obtain their requirements on credit of from 30 to 90 days' sight draft, with a small discount for prompt cash payment. Quotations are usually made f. o. b. port of shipment.

Advertising. The best means of press advertising is through the Gleaner, the only daily newspaper which circulates all over the island. The other papers are the Jamaica Times and the Herald, published weekly and also used as advertising media. Signs painted on wooden boards along busy thoroughfares of Kingston would give the product advertised considerable publicity. The space occupied by such signs is rented for about $40 per year. The flashing of advertising slides on the screens in motion-picture houses is another method of advertising in Jamaica.

Tariff-Jamaica is a party to the Canadian trade agreement and grants a 25 per cent preferential on most articles imported from Canada, the United Kingdom, and reciprocating British colonies. Paints are dutiable under the general ad valorem rate of 20 per cent, the preferential rate being 15 per cent.

Trade-mark registration.-Application for the registration of a trade-mark should be made to the Registrar General, Spanish Town, Jamaica.

UNITED STATES PARTICIPATION

Statistics of the total imports of paints into Jamaica since 1922 are not available, but according to the United States Department of Commerce statistics, shown in the following table, the 1923 exports from the United States increased almost 30 per cent compared to 1922. The bulk of the American trade is in ready-mixed paints and varnishes.

EXPORTS OF PAINTS, PIGMENTS, AND VARNISHES FROM THE UNITED STATES TO JAMAICA

The total value of the 1922 imports of paint materials into Jamaica was 65 per cent greater than that of 1913. Considering the higher prices charged in postwar years it is apparent that the actual amount of paint imported annually in the years 1920-1922 was approximately the same as in 1913. American firms entering the market will find that Canadian manufacturers and exporters are making strong efforts to extend commerce in general. Canada is favored with a tariff preference of 25 per cent and is taking energetic steps to promote the sale of Canadian goods by the establishment of strong local representatives and by sending salesmen at frequent intervals to Jamaica and the other islands. The 1922 statistics of paint imports indicate a relatively large increase in receipts from Canada, and a fall in the value of imports from the United Kingdom, but an increase in the quantity of the latter. Vice Consul. Frank Point is of the opinion that much of the imports from the latter country are for Government use in the island.

THE BAHAMAS

The Bahamas are a group of British islands lying east of Florida and northeast of Cuba. There are over 3,000 islets, cays, etc., but only a few are inhabited. The total area is approximately 4,400 square miles; population of entire group about 53,000, of which over 80 per cent is colored, with limited needs and small earnings. The requirements of the smaller places, such as Governors Harbor, Islands of Eleuthera, Grand Bahama, Nicolls Town, etc., are usu ally supplied from Nassau, on the island of New Providence, capital and chief town of the Bahamas with a population of 12,554. Total imports during 1923 were $9,699,251 and exports for the same year $8,390,462.