National Republican., 1883-08-24
OUR FOREIGN COMMERCE.
Report Of the Statistical Bureau for the Year
Ended June 30, 1888.
A Balance Of Trade in Our Favor Of
Over a Hundred Millions.
The Total Value Of All Goods Exported and Imported
Reaches Si,5469Ss,485.
Remarks on Transportation-The Trade
of the Pacific Coast,
Remarks ON Transportation-The Trade
of the Pacific Coast,

hdo hthN0u W ble beCTeUHTY OF inc treasury
his preliminary report on the foreign COM
merco of the United States for the fiscal year
ended juno 80, 1888
The total value of the imports and exports
of merchandise during the year amounted to
h,546,92s, ass. being larger than during any
previous year in the history of the country.
The balance of trade in our favor amounted
to &006s3,153, as against $25902, ,6s3 during
the preceding fiscal year.
The value of tho exports of merchandise
from the United States during the year ended
June 30, 1883, amounted TO $S23, sos S19, rs
against $3.50, 257 during the preceding
fiscal year, showing an increase of So, 1868 ,562.
The effects of the short crops during the
season Of 1881, consequent upon the protracted
drought, and other unfavorable meteorolog-
cal influences which prevailed during that
season, not only tended to diminish the ex-
ports of the agricultural products of the
country during the year ended June 80, 1882,
but also projected themselves far into tho
year ended June 80, 1883 1t was not until
the month Of October, 1882, that the exports
of domestic merchandise from the country
began to exhibit any material increase over
the exports of the corresponding month of
the preceding year. The influence of the
crops upon our exports of merchandise is evil
dent from the fact that during the ten years
ended June 80, 1882 78 per cent of our ex-
ports of merchandise consisted of products of
agriculture.
The leading articles of expectation during
the last fiscal year were, as during preceding
years, cotton, breadstufs, meat products, and
petroleum, cotton being very largely the
leading commodity.
1t appears that during the year ended June
80, 1883, the value of the exports of cotton
amounted to $247 1896 ,621, as against $199, ,s12,-
GA during the preceding fiscal year, an in
crease of I7,513,97 and that the value of
the exports of wheat and wheat flour amounted
to $l74,703,S30, as against $l49,304, 773 during
the preceding fiscal year, an increase Of
$25, ,399,057. 1t also appears that tho value OF
the exports of corn and corn meal amounted
to $27, ,736, ,SS0 as against $29, ,S40,031 during
the preceding fiscal year, n decrease of
$2,103,151; that the exports Of meat products
and dairy products amounted to $99,6 ,62l
as against $l14, 726 during the preceding
fiscal year. decrease of $l4, ,S19,S05 and that
the exports of petroleum amounted to $44,-
913,02S as against SOL ,232 706 during the pre-
ceding fiscal year, decrease of $6,319,67S.
The value of the imports of merchandise
into the United States during the year ended
June 80, 1889, amounted to $723, 122, 666, and
was exceeded but once before, namely, during
the year ended June 30. 1882, when il
amounted to $724, ,639, ,574 or s., ,516,9 in ex.
year just closed.
Mr.. Nimmo devotes q considerable amount
OF space to the consideration of the subject
of transportation in its relations to our foreigu
commerce. Upon this subject he says:
The growth of the foreign commerce of the
United States during the last eighteen years
has been very largely the result of the i'm
proved facilities which have been provided
for interior transportation upon the lakes
upon the Erie canal upon railroads. and upon
the Mississippi river, as well as for transport
alton upon the ocean, The time required tC
transport commodities from the markets OF
the interior to foreign ports has thus been
greatly reduced, and great reductions have
also been made in freight charges The total
value of the exports of merchandise from the
United States increased from $2S1, ,952, S9s
during the year ended June 80, 1868, to $685.
sos, ,Sl9 during the year ended June 80 1883
and the value OF the imports of merchandise
into the United States increased during the
same period from 1857 AK, ,440 to 1923, l22, ,666
Only about eighteen years ago it was re-
gardcd as problematical by the managers OF
the principal east and west trunk lines
whether grain could be prohtably hauled
from Chicago to New York by rail in compe.
ttiun with the Lake Erie canal and Hudson
river route. But during the year 1882 about
s02 per cent. of the total receipts of grain AT
Atlantic seaports of the United States wa;
by rail, and only 1913 per cent. by lake, canal
and Hudson river. Even as la as the year
1869 the rail rates from Chicago to New York
ranged from 80 to AZ cents per bushel, but
during nearly nine months of the year 1885,
the established rate was only % cents per lOC
pounds, or 10 cents per bushel, and this rate
appears to have been regarded as fairly re-
munerative. The average rate for the year
was only LAG cents per bushel.
In this connection somewhat elaborate
statement is presented in regard to the trans
portation interests OF the Pacific coast.
The total value of the imports aud export:
of merchandise into and from California, Or
egon and Washington territory during tn,
year ended June 30, 1853, amounted to 800,
$685. $40. The value of imports was SAG, $50, SIT
and the value of exports, $53,502,702.
OF the fatal value OF domestic exports
$36,904,9 ,9l4, or 20 per cent, consisted of bread
stutts and chiefly of wheat. The value Of tn,
exports of wheat and wheat flower amounted
to $50, l47, ,450.
The value of the wheat crop of California
Oregon, and Washington territory during tn,
season of 1882 amounted to $41, 100000, where
rs the value of the precious metals produced
by mining operations in the same section o
the countr amounted to only $1775000l.
For many years the question OF securing
cheaper and more speedy transportation Il
the grain markets of Europe has been one o
absorbing interest to the people OF the Pacif
coast.
Thus far, the people of California, Oregon
dependent for the Of transporting thei
grain product TO Europe upon sailing vessel
of the largest size, which pursue long voyage
in various parts of the globe as the maturing
of the crops in different countries and tn
exigencies of trade in the principal seaport
may demand. These vessels, which in th
course of the year usually circumnavigate th
globe, arrive at the ports OF California anC
Oregon, chiefly from ports in Europe, Asia
aud Australasia. The average time of thei
voyages from San Francisco to Liverpool il
about l25 days
The average cost of Transporting whea
from San Francisco TO Liverpool by sea il
from about 20 cents to 25 cents per bushel il
excess of transporting wheat from Chicago Il
Liverpool. This represents, approximately
the disadvantage at which the farmers o
California are placed in the London market
In competition with the farmers of the state
situated east of the Rocky mountains.
Notwithstanding this fact, and the fact ais
that the wages OF farm hands ON the Pacih
coast are higher than in the great grain pro
ducing states situated east OF the Rock,
mountains, the farmers of California, Oregon
and Washington territory have been enabled
through the favorable influences or thei
climate, the fertility Of their soil and the eas'
with which it is cultivated, and their owl
enterprise to increase the value OF their ex
ports Of breadstuhs from Sl7,ld2s95 durin.
the year ended June 80, 1878, to S36'9Oi,9l'