The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1877-04-06
The Foreign Trade Returns Tor Jan
nary and What Ihey
Indicate,

Indicate
4 summary of the returns to the bu
reau of statistics of the 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 fer more than year.
The imports of merchandise were $751;
056,00o, against $42, 099, 900 for the
month of January, 1876. Specie was
brought in to the amount OF -, l39, 1907
against sos, 293 year ago, ana the to-
tai decrease of imports was S3,O64, 4Ol.
The exports for January, mixed values,
were SOS, 302, 1856. against S57 1912, 424 for
for 1876; exports of specie were S2,932,-
629, against S2,352 ,624 ; and the total in
crease for the month was ST 900, 237.
What IS generally called the balance OF
trade was, therefore, increased in our
favor to the extent of Sl4, O63,63S. We
have not as vet 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 inn
ports of merchandise into the United
States fell off $76,378,0 600. OF this de-
cline the largest single item was in woods
and manufactures of wool, of which we
took less SO $4,000 than the previous
year. sLsgestsSam, being al
most the same IN amount, was coffee of
which we took less by Sl5,Ol2,000 than
in 1873. In silks the falling OFF was So
10000. | fax and its manufactures it
was S1,755, 600. In earthen and china
ware it was -, 90, 900. In cotton,
bleached and unbleached, and in prints
and Jeans, etc, 1t was So, 90, 600 In
steel rails it was $1,1400 In tin it
was -, $50, 900. In fax-seed, 50, l62, 900,
In precious stones, S919.000 These arti-
Giles include those in which the decrease
was the most considerable, and in these it
amounted to $50 669 900 or about three
fourths of the whole The significance
of the decline as above described is only
too plain. 1T show, not lessened 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 woslen goods and
T
of wooden 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, fax seed,
foreign woods and TN. which are raw ma
terials of American manufacture, the de-
. crease was due to astagnation of Ameri-
can industry.
Ii, now, we turn to our exports, we
G. tl,ot +I,o total srr~oaga n,-af 10 ,,Ya
/ vious year was $704I0, 600. The most
important items OF increase were as fol-
/ lows: In Indian corn, $l7, 2S3, 900; in
mineral oils, Sl8,42S000; in bacon and
/ hams. SIS. 703 900, and in lard S4.365,
O00 in leaf tobOcco, l3, 636, 900: in cop
per, $l,SI7, 600; in uncolored cottons,
/ $2.4IO, GOO; in clover seed, etc, 81, 760,-
600: in beef, 81 100000; in butter, ST.
/ 100000; in hops, 81 ,027 900, and in
metal cartridges, 81 ,167 900. These
items account for an increase of $751;
/ COS 900, which was dfset by falling off
/ in wheat. =, t53, 600 in cotton, SO ,4Sl,-
600: in furs. 81 ,2l99O0; in hide, 81 =
/ $4,000; in firearms, >, 10000 and in
/ tallow. 81. 159, 600. 1t will be seen that
with some importan exceptions, the in
/ crease in our expors IS in provisions or
III HfO0AkL7 III a AON ittNN VI PIC AbAi
and intended as tie raw material o.:
other industries Tie most remarkable
items of increase arr in Indian corn, IL
Illuminating oil, leas tobacco and bacon,
hams and lard Thee include all but a
few millions of the let increase in ex-
ports. The items which show the fruit
Of American industrr carried beyond the
primary stages of manufacture are caIt-
ridges, uncolored ctttons, Illuminating
oils, bacon, hams ant lard. These cover
something more thar one-half of the net
( increase.
These facts indicate healthfGl process
going on III our commercial relations
with the rest of the world. We are buy
ing less, which, though not a sign of
prosperity, Is & condition OF it, especially
where a country or an individual has
+ previously been buying on large credit
We are also payingour debts with the
products of industry, and, in the case ct
colored cottons and o. illuminating oiIs,
we are showing resources as vet compare
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 lis MONEY on our corporate
I securities, we shall certainly contrive
some way OF getting goods and money on
other terms