The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1823-04-15


Total exports from Great Britain, computed
according to the Official standard OF the custom
house.
Average of the 9years Of the first
war, namely, from the beginning
Of 1898 y 1902, 3O,76G,oOo
Average ofthe second 10 years, from
1903 to 1912, both Inclusive
emitting 1918, the records Of which
were destroyed by fire, and con-
sidering 1902 as year ofpeace, AZ, 145,000L
Now, If we compsre these returns of the state
Of our expo t., during the war, with the years
Of peace, of which the returns have been made
to parliament, we shall find a considerable in
crease since 1914.
Average of the total exports from
Great Britain, computed official
", for years, 1916 to 1929, 55,922, 0OGL
In both points Of view, therefore, our foreign
commerce is found to have been no less pros
porous in peace than in war; 1t cannot be dis
puted, indeed, thatin peace we have lost some
branches of trade which we possessed in war
the emporium, for example; and deposit trade for
foreign colonial produce. Doubtless many parts
of Germany and Russia now supply themselves
with raw and manufactured articles, which, dur
ing the period of hostility, they took almost
wholly from Great Britain. This il true and
cannot be questioned. But it is equally indis-
putable, that our general trade has received such
an augmentation, as very far to exceed any de-
felt thus Occasioned, and, according to the &C.
counts above stated from the official reports, to
render the total amount Of our commerce in
peace greater by nearly one fourth than our
commerce during the war.
To proceed, however, toour more immediate sub
iect. Our principal imports consist necessarily,
of Tho alc of mn ma Ha~
hemp, WOO, raw and thrown silk and cotton. Now,
through all these imports, the year l822Gust
closed exhibits most large increase in the
year ending Jan. 1921, the official value Of raw
flax, the materials of our linen manufacture,
was 763, 478l. In the year ending Jan 1922,
the value of the same exceeded LOIS, l47L la
the accounts which will be made up to the 5th
Of January, 1923, it will, according to all APP
pearance, reach the sum of 1,250,000L
IN raw silk the amount Of tie import in SEQ
was, in official value, 621 ,384L 10 the year end
ing January 1922, the value Of the same article
was 935,000i. Ia the year ending January 1923
it will exceed 1,000,O0OL In thrown silk, the
official value ia 1920 was 345, 1851 il
1921, it advanced TO 8,547k Ia 1929, the
official value Of the same was 406,307L
In cotton wool, the value of our import for the
year 1921 reached nearly TO 5,00O,00Ol In
January 1922, there was a slight decline from
this sum, owing to the excessive import of the
preceding year. But in the year ending Janu-
AIRY 1923, the official amount of the same import
will probably exceed 5,O00,000L n sleeps
wool, the finer kinds Of which are so extensively
used in our woolen manuta lures, the value Of
the import for 1891 was 375, 494L In 1922, il
rose to GIL, 1874 When the accounts for Janu-
airy shall be made up, we do not hesitate to pro-
nounce, that a very considerable increase, even
upon the amount Of the last year, will be found TO
have taken place. The importations from Sax
ony and Spain into the ports ofLondon and Bris-
tol, during the last summer and autumn, have
been unusually large, and the activity in every
branch Of our wooden manufactures has been
without parallel.
In colonial imports, the accounts are equally
promising. Ia 1921 the official value Of our i'm
port of sugar was 5,552. 1851 For 1929, the Of
fetal value ofthe same was 5,73B. 1871 In l82 /,
official value of our rum imported was 6l7, 245t.
In 1922, the official value of the same was 620,-
48lL. In 1920, the official value Of tea was
1876 ,000L In 1921, 1t rose to 3,014,000L In
1922, its official value was 3,073, l0L
Such is the general state of om Imports. The
condition Of our exports will be found equally
pomising. As the principal articles of our i'm
ports consist in the raw materials Of our manu-
features, SO our principal exports are composed
of those raw materials worked up, or, in other
words of our manufactures. Our great staple
manufactures are, cotton (compoaed of cotton
manufactured goods, and cotton twist and yarn, J
wooden, hnnen, silk, hardware and cutlery /;
iron and steel, and our brass and copper manu-
features. To which may be added our glass and
eartheBware, and British refined sugar. All
these branches, without exception, exhibit a
most promising condition. In 1920, the value
of our cotton manufactures exported was, in
round figures, 16,600,OOol In 1921, the value
of the same was 20,5O0,000t. In 1929, their Off
cial value is q $3.50 O00t an increase Of 100000
above their amount in 1916, and one million a
bove their amount for the preceding year. Up
on this subject two points should always he
borne in mind first, that the value of our cot.
ton exports exceeds one half of the total amount
ofour exports Of British manufactures second,
that the average value of our cotton exports,
during the war, never advanced beyond $4,000,
0O0i. Their present estimate, therefore exceeds,
BY nearly one fourth, their value during the pc
Rod of hostilities. So much for the truth of the
assertion that our general commerce has suffer
ed by the peace.
The value Of our woollen manufactures is e.
qually increased. In 1921, the Official value Of
our woollen manufactures exported was 1890,
000L In 1922, the value of the same export was
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