New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-03
OUR FOREI GN COMMERCE..
MR.. FORD FINDS REASON FOR A HOPE
Full OUTLOOK.
TIE CHIEF OF TIE BUREAU or STATISTICS COM
PARES 1894 WITH PREVIOUS YEARS
EXPORT AND IMPORT TRADE

:.
foreign commerce of the United States Worthing-
ton c. Ford Chief Of the Bureau of Statistics.
said to a representative OF the United Press to-
day
only relatively has the last twelve months proved
fulness II must be borne In mind that the United
States the last to feel the depression IN trace
Throughout Europe the reduction in the yolrme In
trade mas continued through three or more year,
while the United States touched the highest eH-
lsss and in 1894 in the face Of most discouragns
conditions. very large surplus yaGe e, 9t eHp0s
foreig, buyers Of our produce ana ~ hy yng
Tecst market in me word' f;2aye me Low as
the general range Of prices IN July ~ S, "a
further fan Of about pcr cent has occurred since
Ia in RE face of general fall hroughoHt the ne
"n on,,ry and the United states have suffered
with the rest. Nearly 100000 gallons iI nor
vet he value of the larger export %as almos.
less than that Of the smaller o SSttPt s' he
quantity required make this increase was more more
than i7OcoOOo0 pounds BrHadstuhs han res.e and
the Same may be said Of provisions; As com, ON,
pensaton. more copper glucose $50, sSie han in any
other one Year in tho history OF the country Inc me
sg5fs GI Ss Ihey 10 the dominating position
~ american copper in tn worlds markets ~, re ~,
hgheGs f b m nny exportcd in 1892 The
in 1894 ls 5000 pounds si FH o ISL fhis is
believe. the only product Of American I'M mines aor, o.
such commercial Importance as 70 leaa 'ne re-
m As Vel It 70 be esgSec5tea hey
would reach the banner l p9nt ,S OF obSgt so ocoS
more than the average for the years lSs' 10 1000
GENERAL COURSE OF IMPORTS
Tho general course Of imports has been an IN
crease In articles Of food, dr" largely 10 s"s"r,
and decrease In raw materials Tor iha"ulaO'
and IN manufactured articles. caused by '"e pr
yall,ng industrial depression and the uncertainties
I.ia no
rlcs show an Increase over the Imports s I Indies
previous Of the Dutch East Indies the imports
make record and are higher , ,h@n between the
i,nl,.d states and the great geograpmusanr stivo
visions summarized IN the ioi'oN'"s
figures Nah
Imports EgroPe 81, Ss?5s5 s s' 'S A%srca de-
s (, oo 7os Asia decrease. S2iiy o2 Oceahe1
assrc': :o1 ~ ocr AT:'s sS srSa
IE1rS9s $3.50 sST soah HmSIca increase
e.. Az, Increase si6oa ~; Ocean'ca' lhnt.n
e., 20 erica decrease t275cl5; al other countries
-,o rnost notable feature In the imports - sugar
There has been not tie cxaggeration N .n,s
matter A. Necessary e aF'e Until the iu effects
~ XIV epr"ssion are f~l, rhe trying years after
the cr,' % q sn s1 from So pounds 3iS pounds
deer@nce OF about ~ per cent Taxing ,ne 'y tbe
sv"rsge consumption a. pounds psr son On july
Treasury scuary estimates 'ss a Tits would
OF me p cIs or air 2q 500 pounds. supPosng the
rate OF con Is'i aps Unusually 3'
rounis or sufficient TO meet Iua yeH 81 sng,r az a
a,r ,s Sex Allowing ror 20 per cent REDUCTION
in the consumption oi sugar w. ~ ,bs showing the
rtil n"rns Spye a stock sufficient 20 meet
81. rno.,h. demand without further importation
WHY THE WOOL MARKET COLLAfShp
Another article tina, attracts attention is wool
,,,, ,or a contrary reason. a. the imports have
.fa INN
Increased al a rapid rate by about A''v" poun'S
ye,r T, tho imports since 1886 be averaged the
annual quantity Is l,9s76ooo. The imports for ls'l
we're about the average l9s0}6S pounds those tS 9T
1872 SOe2 pounds ana u io not IN excess
OF the actual needs or me inarh. ',n.h,,b - on
ynri -" rarsuneJ in the home market, had IN the
same years increased at the rate Oh aVou. ,a =.
Tor the sudden coapse OF the wool market when de-
preston touched H. Th sS't n OF nosfion Of WOOL
in future larr. are REJECTED 10 ene m't azure
1884 only SS P0HSsi' rr S T pound imported in
1894 was Imported .or consumption. as the quanu..
Ties in warehouses in June 1893 ana 1874 ha'e "o'
lite attention. ms been attracted by the heavy
purchases OF wool by foreign manufacturers: me ne
low prices ooer special inducemeni 70 STOCK UP ,
ami think tha; some cr'il, should ne gV,m 20 ~
W WcoI In the United kingdom Imports Of raw
woods In the first six months OF ~ n1Vs Se md IA
an Increase applying principally 70 Ausrahan woE.s'
por'ations than IN previous years "a 40 "a, Ut, IN
rian Germany has not yet Responder 20 WIS - ti'
creased demand: but the heavy dealings IN ointtr
countries poin, 20 decided Improvement III tue
general condition OF the Industry
WHAT TARIFF AGITATION COSTS.
II is difficult 70 determine even approximately
what each tariff law or measure costs TO enact or
set aside The effect on imports. direct influence
can be roughly gagged In the imports OF 1884 sugar
is tho lending Item II the value OF imports OF sugar
be reduced 70 n normal average based upon the I'M
ports for "A series Of years. more than s2OW"VO
must be taken Oft This would make the value OF
imports free Of duty sj9i9 900. against s5sooOo
I'm lNo-a reduction OF PA per cent. The value OF
imports subject 10 duty was s2i5 00Wo IN 1894 and
Sl,l I'm decrease OF Z55 pes cent Inc
inportation OF commodities paying no duty Is not
generally affected by tariff agitation and nave al
lowed for the only leading article 10 be taxed-sugar
The reduction Of n per cent may De taken as tne
result OF contracted and depressed commerce. ana a
measure OF decreased consumption due TO nara
times. Applying the same measure 10 dutiaoe I'M
porte (Which would feel equally, II not to greater
degree commercial depression), we have only
per cent directly Attributable 10 tarlH agitation.
nlarmlsts as the year 1873 gave so large Imports.
and almost ertrcly in the lines or dutaDle Articles
IL IL too often overlooked that any tarin uncer-
tainty is observation-disclosures: and this uncertainty SUI
Is M issue \ proposed higher range Of duties UNI
naturally stimulates those Imports on which the
duties are I've raised. and measure for reducing
duties dlscouragcs imports In either case the con-
dItions of the markets dlsarranGed, and trans
actions I'm such articles become more or less mat
ter OF speculation through the risk Of mlstaklng the
ultimate issue OF legislation. This Is proved by our
past experience. In 1872 1883 and 1880 the Imports