Portuguese Labor / Trabalho Português
In some dozens of articles scattered throughout this work, and especially those found on page 139 and 303 and following of volume II and mentioned there, we have extensively addressed the industries of this archipelago, to which it would be convenient to give a closer and more logical coordination, but imperative circumstances did not allow us to do so as desired. Being able to provide any clarification on these matters, we must not fail to mention the booklet by the writer and economist Peres Trancoso 'Portuguese Labor, I, Madeira', published in 1929 about the sources of the economic wealth and the industrial and commercial development of this archipelago, although we may disagree with several statements made in the aforementioned work. We particularly wish to refer to some of the conclusions presented by the author, ignoring the statistical data that provided these information and which should have been archived there or at least citing their authorized and reliable source. The notes subordinated to the title 'Wealth' are curious, which we will transcribe verbatim:
Sugarcane 10,000 contos Wines (must) .... 17,000 > Butter 18,000 » Agricultural products (vegetables, cereals) . . . 10,000 » 1,000 » Vanilla Vines 1,800 » Bananas 3,500 » Various (fruit, cheese, wood, etc.) .... 2,000 > 63,300 > or 630,300 £ or approximately 3 £ per inhabitant.
Industrial establishments 1,010 7,978 24,000 contos
Workers including sailors Total salary of these workers Approximate value of the industry (buildings, machinery, land, tools) 288,000 »
Value of residential, commercial, etc. buildings throughout the island .... 500,000 contos (approximate)
(Rural Property) Rural property (farms, gardens, sowing lands, orchards, etc. (Absolute value) Forests (10,000 hectares) average value 461,600
288,000 contos 461,600 » 500,000 > Manufacturing industry . . Rural property » urban
Livestock 70,000 411,600 contos 50,000 > Various (roads, bridges, irrigation channels, port works, etc.) 25,000 1,344,600
With Madeira having approximately 200,000 inhabitants, the individual wealth is 6,670 escudos, or 67 pounds in round numbers, which, being a low value relative to the productive wealth of the island and its possibilities, only demonstrates that the restrictive income laws and excessive taxes, as well as laws that tax export products, etc., impoverish the environment and unbalance the natural economy. However, the numerical conclusion is not discouraging, as the future looks bright for the beautiful island of Madeira, until the day it takes its rightful place in the general economy of the Nation.