The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-12-07
1892 was 772, ,436 gross tons, aa against 502.-
080 gross tons during the last six months OF
the year of 1891,

1892 was 772, 436 gross tons, aa against 502,-
O80 grosg tons during the last six months OF
the year Of 1891.
The total value of our foreign trade fex-
ports and mannfactnres) during the last
hacai year was 81, ,Sb7, $50. .6l0, an increase of
Sl2G. 263,G04 over the previous fiscal year.
The average annual value OF our imports
and exports OF merchandise for the ten
fiscal years prior TO 1891 was 81, 457, ,322,019.
IL will be observed that our foreign trade
for 1892 exceeded this annual average value
by $40O $685. ,33l, an increase OF 27.47 per
cent.
The significance and value of this in
crease are shown by the fact that the
excess in tho trade of 1892 over 1891 was
wholly in the value OF exports, for there
was u decrease in the value of imports Of
$H513. .254. The value of our exports during
the fiscal year 1892 reached the highest fig
ure in the history OF the government,
amounting to 81, ,030. 27S, 148. exceeding by
$14, 797. 33S the exports of 1891, and exceed
ing the value of the imports by $202. .S75.G .GSG.
A comnarison of the value of our exporta
for 1892, with the annual average for the
ten years prior to 1891 shows an excess of
$265. .142, ,671, or of 3.35 per cent. The valre
OF our imports of merchandise for 1882
which was 1896. .402. .462. also exceeded the
annual average valse of the ten years prior
to 1891 by $l35. 215,940.
During the fiscal year 1892 the value Of
imports free OF duty amounted to S457, 399. :
G5S, the largest aggregate in the history of
commerce. The value Of imports OF mer-
chandise entered free OF duty in 1892 was
55.35 per cent of the total value of imports,
ns compared with 1876 per cent in 1891. and
33. 66 per cent in 1880.
In our coastwise trade a most encourag-
ing development is in progress. there hav-
ing been in the last four years an increase
of 16 per cent in internal commerce. The
statistics show that no such period of pros
perity has ever before existed. The freight
carried in the ooastwiss trade of the great
lakes in 1890 aggregated 20. .295.950 tons. On
the Mississippi. Missouri and Ohio rivers
and tributaries in the same year the traffic
aggregated 20, 404. .406 tons, and the total
vessel tonnage passing through the Detroit
river during that year was 21,684. 600 tons.
The vessel tonnage entered and
cleared in the foreign trade of
London during 1890 amounted to
1890, 7G7 tons and of Liverpool to 10941,-
800 tons, total for these two great snip
in excess of the vessel tonnage. passing
through the Detroit river. and it should be
said that the season for the Detroit river
was but 228 days, while of course in London
and Liverpool the season was for the en-
tire year. The vessel tonnage passing
through the st. Marie canal for tho fiscal
year 1892 amounted to 9,S28,S74 tons and
the freight tonnage of the Detroit river ia
estimated for that year at 2500O.0O0 tons,
against 23, 209, ,619 tons in 1891
The aggregate traffic on our railroads for
the year 1891 amounted to 04,39S, 600 tons
of freight, compared with 69l GA, 437 tons
in 1890. an increase of 13 054, 172 tons.
Another indication of the general pros
perity of the country is found in the fact
that the number of depositors in savings
bapks increased from G93. $40 in 1860 10
4, ,32S. 1893 in 1890. and the amount of depos
it's from $194,277.375 in 1860 TO
81. .524 S44. SOB in 1890. In 1891 the
was $1,623 O79, 749. 1t ia estimated
that 80 per cent of these deposits represent
the savings of wage earners. The bank
cleatan has for the nine months ending
Sept. 30. 1861, amounted to SAL 049, $3.50, ,S0S.
For the same months in 1892 they amounted
10 $45, 1S9. 601. 947, an excess for the nine
months of $4.140,2l1. 139. asuse
There never has been time in our his
tory when work was SO abundant or when
wages weie so high, whether measured by
the currency in which they are paid or by
their power to supply the necessaries and
comforts of life. 1t is true that the mar
ket prices of cotton and wheat have been
low. 1t is one OF the unfayotable incidents
of agriculture that the farmer cannot pro-
duce upon orders He must SOW and rear
in igno ance of the aggregate production
of the year, and is peculiarly subject to the
depressions which follow over-production.
But while the fact l have stated 10 true as
to the crops have mentioned, tho general
average of prices has been suoh as to give
to agriculture fair participation in gen.
oral prosperity. The value of our total
farm products has increased from $780,
GAS. s66 in 1860 to $4 500, COO, 900 in 1891. at
estimated by statistioians an inc. ease OF
23O per cent. The number of hogs January
l. 1891. was 50,525, 106. md their value
$210, 193,925. On January l, 1892 the mum
Der was So S98. .0l9 and their value $241,-
931. .415. On January !, 1891, the number OF
cattle was 36.S75,64S, and the value $544,
| 127908. On January /, 1892. the number
| was 81, G51, 239 and their value $50, 749, 155