Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-04-12


The debate on the tariff commission bill in the
House gives fresh interest to the facts regard
Ing the foreign commerce of the United States
which are presented In the last report of the
Bureau Of Statistics.
The first point to note is that our exports Of
merchandise to nearly all the great trading coun-
tries have Of late years largely exceeded In
value the imports which we take from them.
This is true Of Great Britain and Ireland of
France OF Germany, of Russia, Of Belgium of
Netherlands. Of Spain, and of Denmark. In q
few countries there Is nearly q balance; while
Cuba, Brazil, the British and Dutch East Indies
China. Japan. and some Spanish colonial possess
sions habitually send us a much greater value Of
merchandise than We export to them. But
taking the whole trade together the value Of
our merchandise exports for the last half dozen
years. in excess of the imports. has been 81 $50,
66S 1885, and during the last fiscal year alone this
excess OF exports was no less than $3.50. 7l2, 71S
In the next place. the value of the imports of
merchandise entered for consumption in the
United States during the last fiscal year was
$6JO.6lS, 800 %. The dutiable part of this was
valued at S4fS, 061 ,5S7 o. while the remainder
or free portion, amounted to 900, 557, All IS.
An average of about 49, per cent on the for
mer sum was levied as duties. the actual
amount collected being s1S8. 800, S79 81. OF this
sum $l36, 211 SO, more than 20 per cent,
was collected at the port OF New York.
Again. the sum of SI33 $50 347SS. or more
% per cent. was SIX classes OF
merchandise These were: Sugar and mOlasses
paying al. 9S4. 632 81; wool and its manufac-
lures. S27. 2S5, ga 7S; iron and steel and their
manufactures, S21 ,462, 534 "a; silk manufactured
$19,OsSS. do 81; cotton manufactures. 80 $685.
11521: fax and its manufactures So 9S4 374 90
The duties on these classes vary from "a 70 per
cent, in the case Of sugar and molasses downto
SEQ per cent, in the case Of fax and its manu-
features.
Turning once more to our aggregate imports,
hafh Ar1fi 10 and G,,I
OF the sugar and molasses was S9S, 4O4 2SS, or
much over IA per cent Of the total imports; that
coffee amounted to CSC, 7S4, 391, or nearly per
cent: iron and steel and their manufactures to
$40 4S9 147. being over per cent; silk and its
manufactures to S42, 94 go; wool and it's manu-
features to $40. $50, S94; drugs dyes and chem
icals, and medicines in general to $50 500 Alb
Thus these six classes Of imports aggregate
S3l7 GA 25S. or nearly half of the total value of
the fiscal years imports. The seventh highest
Class Ii that Of cotton and it's manufactures,
whose value was S3l ,976, 637.
1t should be noted, however that while our
excess of merchandise exports for the fiscal
year ending June 80. 1881. to those countries
which took from us more than they sent in re-
turn was SAL SIS $751; and while the contrary
excess of our merchandise imports from those
countries which sold US more than they bought
was SiSl .9i2. $50, thus leaving the vast balance
already spoken Of in our favor, on this item, of
<259. az us, yet the current movement of trade
In showing different results The latest buIle-
tin of the bureau Of statistics records that
while during the year ending February % 1881,
the excess OF merchandise exports over imports
nd been S225. $40 III this excess for the year
ending February %, 1882, was only S120, 1885,
ola falling OF of $l0l $50, 1855. The
changed tendency becomes strongly marked
also In comparing the two Februarys;
for, while the excess of exports was
3l3 In February. 1881, during the CORE
spending month OF 1882 the imports had resained
the lead, after many years, SURPRISING the ex.
ports by q, 3Sl ,629. The movements In gold and
silver coin and bullion, of course, have a certain
degree of relation to those in merchandise the
excess Of imports Of coin and bullion for the
twelve months ending February 2S, 1882 having
fallen OF nearly half from the twelve months
previous. while the excess Of the past February
was on the export side reaching 81 6S4, 051.
Ii does not follow that We are to see an In
Simultaneous return to the condition of affairs IL
1o2.when the excess of our imports of merchan
disc over the exports amounted tor the fsca
year to SlS24l .491. In fact. the falling off in
some OF our chief exports last fall and winte
was obviously due to an exceptional and purel,
Temporary circumstance. the influence of an ex
tensiye drought In causing many short crops.
MICHAEL RIORDAN was arraigaed for an as
SAINT upon Yang tse Foo, an Oriental sole,
clothes refiner. The magistrate asked him:
''What reason had you for assauiting this in
offensive heathen! The euprit hung his hea,
and made no answer. Again the court In
quired:
What explanation have youto give in defenc'
Of your behavior"
Slowly lifting his eyes until they met the gaz
OF the judge, the prisoner said
Yer honor, he bate Mrs. Riorian out ov n
toine washin' job as liver ye saw, an says Sin
TO me says she, Put vayto on him. Aoixe, an
yaytoed him. n-Byooitua EaJe