Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1878-11-26
GROWTH oE The ExpoRI Trade.


There are many points of interest in
connection with our foreign trade
which cannot be kept too prominently
before the public, and especially that
portion of our people who seem to be
oblivious to the marvellous progress
which the country has made and is
making in all that pertains to industrial
and commercial progress and material
wealth. In the fiscal year 1S67-69, we
exported domestic merchandise to the
amount Of S269, 389, 300. In 1S77-78 we
exported $3.50, 1888, ,796, an increase of
S4l1, ,293, 1898, or 153 per cent. in ten
years. In twelve commodities alone,
the increase during these years has
been 1852, ,899,614 This gain is all the
more remarkable because the value of
greenbacks has deprecated largely
during that period. And what is quite
as remarkable, our imports have de-
creased nearly in the proportion that
our exports have increased. We have
not only practically driven a long list
of foreign manufactures, textile, iron,
steel, ETC., out of our markets, but we
have obtained for corresponding arti-
N1OC VI AOlhC DCOQlC
foothold III the leading markets Of the
world. Axes, hatchetsa and the machete
Of our manufacture, are sold all over
South America, in Australia, in Cen
tral America and Mexico. Cutlery and
the whole inventory of carpenters and
ioinerS' tools, are largely exported, to-
gether with all the leading products of
iron and steel and innumerable labor
saving implements and machinery.
American locks are fast taking prece-
dence abroad, one of our manufacturers
having recently supplied the postoffice
of Bremen with one of peculiar pattern,
while many OF the bank vaults of Eu-
rope are protected by American locks.
1t was only few years ago that the
cheap Swiss watch was sold everywhere
in this country. But our counlrymen
made a cheaper and better one, and
the sale Of the cheaper kinds Of Swiss
watches has almost ceased in this coun-
try. Nearly all the rifle cartridges,
and the greater part of the rifles used
by the Turkish army, were made in the
United States. Very nearly all the iron
and steel rails used on our railroads are
now made in this country. The Ameri
can locomotive is running on thousands
Of railroads in Russia, as also in South
America and elsewhere. We have
largely increased the exports of the
products of wood, including furniture
and toys, the latter having almost
driven those of German production out
of the market. The importation Of
sole leather has been stopped, and we
are supplying Europe with large guam
titles OF our own oak-tanned product.
We have beaten Russia in the competi-
tion of supplying Western Europe with
bread material, and have enormously
increased our exports Of all the other
products of the soil, besides adding to
the list many new commodities, as
fresh meats, oysters, apples and other
fruit, canned goods of all kinds, eggs,
and even oat meal to Scotland, the
country Of its origin. In fact, our for
eign trade may be said to be completely
revolutionized within comparatively
brief period, and, in the light of the
past, the possibilities of the future seem
almost bewildering. From an enor-
nous adverse trade balance, as usually
figured, and which aggregated the
colossal sum of $S15, 900, 900 in the
seven years, from 1866 to 1873, we have
turned the tables completely, the bal
ance in our favor for the last fiscal
year having been $257 ,S32 900. The
history of the commercial world af-
fords no parallel to this.-,Sh,ppang
List