The star. (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1874-1875, 1875-04-30

is time that governments had begun t.
consider the welfare of the poor, tn
weak and the ignorant. Nothing for tn
few, everything for all.
|
| Some Important Figures.
The annual report of the Bureau o
Statistics and Commerce furnishes some
| figures on the imports, from which the
following showing of what Americans
annually pay to foreign countries is OBJ
For hats, bonnets and hoods, and fol
trimmings for these articles, we paid IL
the last fiscal year $1,5748 800, and on the
same articles was paid SOS, ,696 for du
ties, which will swell their first cost tC
over $2,00O,00O. But that is not all we
paid for adorning and protecting oul
heads. Feathers and artificial flowers
cost us $3,3l5,09S. For human hair and
articles manufactured from it, such as
wigs, curls and ringlets, we paid 81, H..
945, and for hair-pina, with which to
give it pose and effect, s90, ,4s0. Adding
these items together, we have $6,633, ,Q13,
which represents the original cost Of
merchandise purchased by the people
months ending June 80, 1874, Tor adorn-
ing the head alone, aud in that sum Is
not included the value of ribbons,
which form conspicuous part Of the
head-gear OF our fashionable ladies. To
cover our hands with gloves, mitts and
mittens cost us $4,972,06S, and for the
privilege of carrying tans we pay S464,-
430, which does not include the refresh
ing palm-leaf, of which we imported TO-
13I dozens, at en- expense OF 5000. For
our handkerchiels, hemmed and hem
stitched, we paid $393,07 and for per-
fumery, cosmetics and dentifrices, $25l, :
1872. Our combs cost us $327, ,223. The
cost of umbrellas, parasols and sum
shades ran up to $267, ,976, and $1,513, $50
was paid tor our pocket-knlyes. Many
ladies will be surprised to learn that
l65, 5,971 dozen corsets, valued at $780,
$50, had to be imported to add to their
symmetry and grace. The importation
OF a few additional dozens would be
equal to one corset for every woman in
The State of New York, according to the
census of 1870. 1t required a larger ex-
penditure OF money to cover our pedal
eXtremities than to cover and adorn our
heads, $7,347,347 being paid for hosiery,
and that does not include the cost OF
garters. This hosiery is classified as
follows: Cotton, sc, ,e76; wool, 21S,-
SM pounds, valued at $!6S, 1874; silk.
$169,BS7. Considering the Quantities Of
enamel to be seen on sale in eur fancy
stores. adorned with labels certifying
their foreign origin, we get that article
very cheap, as SPOT was sufficient to pay
for all the enamel imported in 1874.
Whether the enamel thus returned as
imported was for purposes Of personal
ad0rnment or for use in the mechanic
arts the report does not state. For the
ready-made clothing imported we ex-
pended $1,99O,O29, which does not, of
course, embrace the clothing smuggled
in by tourists returning home, nor does
it include that suit Of clothes the Hon.
Samuel S. Cox exhibited in the House of
Representatives during the last session
of Congress to illustrate his argument
against u high tariff.
Our appreciation for buttons is illus.
trated by the fact that we expended for
ton laces, trimmings and gimps cost 50,
463, ,395; thread laces and insertings,
$33, ,962; epaulets, laces tassels and other
articles made Of gold and silver, $102,
444; embroideries of cotton, wool, linen
and silk, 1888, ,539; velvets, velveteens
and braidings, $1,75S,977; turS, dressed
aud undressed, $3, 139, luO. For braids,
laces, fringes and galloons, made of silk,
we expended $2,678,274; and for silk rib
bous we were required to pay $685., 218,
ot when s;,,.. ;,,.. the IIaited States received
for duties the sum Of $2,32l,O15, being
about 60 per cent OF the importers valu-
alton OF the ribbons.
We paid for dress and piece goods
made OF silk, SIG, ,494, ,554, which is about
equal to the sum paid for importations OF
wines and spirits; for silk velyets we
paid $1,7O5,5S3; silk goods and goods
mixed with silk, not otherwise specified,
SIp, ,491, ,078; silk and India-rubber goods,
S273. 1877. The total value OF our silk i'm
portations, was $36, 496, ,9S5, and that, IL
must be remembered, merely represents
the ost OF the merchandise delivered Oh
our docks, with the freight unpaid: In
piece-goods made of wool we received
IL. ISL, ,4OS square yards, for which we
paid, including duties, $35, 1872, 764, an av-
erage cost of fifty cents iii gold per
square yard. OF piece-goods manutac-
tured OF cotton we imported 49, 107, ,047
SQUARE yards, worth $6,YS9, 1854, to which
add 81, 1926 paid for duties, and the
cost is swelled to 1887, 1S9. The guam
tity of piece-goods imported manufac-
tured of wool and and cotton, joined TO-
gether, would cover surface of thirty
nine square miles. For cotton goods not
otherwise specified we paid $S.299,0S4,
and for 13,OB pounds of wool Balmorals
$16, ,4S3.
For 6s2,525 pounds of wool shawls we
paid $3,3SU,918, and 354 silk shawls cost
us $14,l9V, or about $40 for each shawl.
Webbing, betting, binding, bruids and
buttons. manufactured Of wool, were
valued at 81, ,66S, ,2S9, and goods manufac-
tured from tax, jute OF hemp, foot up
$14,4O5,s74. To cover our floors with for
eign carpets cost $6,172,564, while our
beds were supplied with foreign blankets
Tor the sum OF $9,256. In toe way of
watches and jewelry we encouraged the
foreign manufacturers to the extent Of
81, 9S3, ,375; limitations of jet, $319, ,041; bo-
gus jewelry, $3.50, 1853; and coral, $S6. .596.
To adorn ourselves with diamonds,
canoes, mosaics and ,other precious
stones, we paid $a,S37 ,5S9. All the
values here given include the amounts
paid the United States for customs
duties, save in few, INSTANCES in which
the amount paid for duties is separately
stated. Freight and other expenses iu-
cidental to sea transportation ase not
included. -e.s - u ~