The Osceola times., 1877-03-31
The Foreign Trade Returns for Jan
uary and What They
Indicate.

AnutsuNs
A summary of the returns to the bu.
reau of statistics of tbe foreign trade of
the United States for the month OF JAN
uary is just published. The returns
show that the imports continue to fall
away and the exports to advance, as they
have done now for more than a year.
The imports of merchandise were S37,-
5000, against $42,099,000 for the
month of January, 1876. Specie was
brought in to the amount of ~, l39,307
against $3.50, ,293 year ago, and the to-
tai decrease OF imports was S3,064, ,i0l.
The exports for January, mixed values
were s6S 1902, ,756, against $57 ,9l2,42i for
for 1876; exports of specie were $685.
629, against S2, ,352,6 ,624 and the total in
crease for the month was Sll 900, ,237.
What is generally called the balance of
trade was, therefore, increased in our
favor TO the extent OF Sl4 4,063,6SS. We
have not as yet compared the items of
export and import, in which noticeable
changes have taken place. Previous to
doing so we invite our readers attention
to some facts in connection with the
trade of 1876, which will not be without
value.
During the last calendar year, the i'm
ports OF merchandise into the United
States fell off $76,376, 600. OF this de-
cline the largest single item was in woods
and manufactures of wool, of which we
took less $l5 $50, 900 than the previous
year. The next largest item, being al
most the same in amount, was coffee, of
which we took less by Sl5,0l2000 than
in 1875. In silks the falling off was $9,-
1913, 600. / flax and its manufactures it
was $l,755,000. In earthen and china
ware it was $2,922,000. In Gotten,
bleached and unbleached. and in prints
and Jeans, etc, it was S3,254 900. In
steel rails it was 81, 100000. In tin it
wasS2, $4,000 In nax-seed, SO, l62, 900,
In precious stones, $4,000. These arti-
cles include those in which the decrease
was the most considerable, ,.and in these it
amounted to $55, ,G69, 900, or about three
fourths of the whole. The significance
of the decline as above described is only
too plain. 1t shows not lessencd abili-
ty to indulge in luxuries only,
as in the case of silks and
precious stones but an inability to COM
mand some articles which, like coffee,
are comforts approximating TO necessi-
ties, and some which are nearly al
ways necessities, as woelen goods and
earthenware and crockery. In the case
of woolen goods, the foreign article was
partially replaced by home manufactures,
and this was true OF cotton goods as well,
but in the items of steel rails, flax seed,
foreign woods and tin, which are raw ma
terials Of American manufacture, the de.
crease was due TO stagnation of Ameri-
can industry.
If, now, we turn to our exports, we
find that the total increase over the pre-
vious year was $40, 40, 900. The most
important items OF increase were as fol-
lows In Indian corn, $l7, ,2s3, 900; in
mineral oils, SlS,423, 900; in bacon and
hams, Sl5, ,703, 900, and in lard, S4,365,
600; in leaf tobocco, 1886, 600; in cop
per. Sl,Sl7,0 600; in uncolored cottons,
S2,410, COO; in clover seed, etc, 81 ,760,-
000 in beef 81 ,304 900; in butter, ST.
100000; in hops, 81 ,027 900, and in
metal cartridges, Sl,l67 900. These
items account for an increase of $780,
COS, 600, which was Offset by falling of
in wheat, 80, 1913, 900; in cotton, 6,4Sl,-
600; in furs. 81 l,219,000; i'm hides, ST.
$4,000; in firearms, 50, ,l30, 900, and in
tallow, 81, 2,159,000. 1t will be seen that
with some important exceptions, the in
crease in our exports is in provisions or
in products in low state of preparation,
and intended as the raw material of
other industries. The most remarkable
items of increase are in Indian corn, IL
Eliminating oil, leaf tobacco and bacon,
hams and lard. These include all but a
few millions of the net increase in ex-
ports. The items which show the fruit
Of American industry carried beyond the
primary stages of manufacture are cart
ridges, uncolored cottons, Illuminating
oils, bacon, hams and lard. These cover
something more than one-half of the net
increase.
These facts indicate healthful process
going on in our commercial relations
with the rest of the world. We are buy
ing less, which, though not sign Of
prosperity, is a condition OF it, especially
where n country or an individual has
previously been buying on a large credit
We are also paying our debts with the
products OF industry, and, in the case Of
colored cottons and OF illuminating cils,
we are showing resources as yet compara-
lively undeveloped. There is no reason
to doubt that this process will continue.
Necessity is the mother Of invention, and
if our European friends will not sell us
goods or lend us money on our corporate
securities, we shall certainly contrive
some way of getting goods and money on
other terms.