The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-01-05
Exports Of Merchandise in 1898 Show
a Falling Oh.
GOLD SHIPMENTS WERE LARGE.
Labor Dis urbances Transferred to Finan-
ciaI Matters Statistics That Are Very
Intere ting in Relation 10 1rade and
Commerce.
commerce.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 0.-A voluminous
report on the foreign commerce of the
United States for the fiscal year ended
June 30. 1898, has been made to Secretary
Carlisle by Worthington G.. Ford, chief of
the bureau of statistics
The report shows that the total imports
of merchandise during the year were val
ued at $3.50, 400, ,922, of which s42l, $50, al
was dutiable and S444, ,54i2ll free. The
imports of merchandise i'm the fiscal year
1892 were valued at ss27, ,420, ,426, of which
$629, 402, ,S04 was dutiable and S452, ,999, ,65S
free.
The imports of gold during 1923 were
valued at S2l .47i 1891 against $40 500, ,45i in
1892. and of silver S23, 1913, ,252 in 1898 against
$40, 955, ,0S6 in 1892
The exports of merchandise in 1893 were
valued at ss47, ,665, 1914, and in 1899 at
81 ,030, ,21s, las. The exports of gold in 1893
were s10s, $50, ,s44, and of silver $40, 737, ,3l0,
as compared with exports of $50, l95, ,327
gold and So, $40 $50 silver in 1892.
The tonnage during the year was 49,
5S1, ,sl6 tons, and the number of immi-
grants arrived was 5o2,oi,, falling off
of 10000, compared with 1892.
Mr. Ford notes that the values of the
imports Of merchandise attained the
highest mark in the commercial history
Of the country.
Movement of Gold and silver.
The exports of gold reached a higher
figure than ever before attained in sin
gle year since the foundation OF the gov
ernment. In 1893, however, the net ex-
ports of gold were less than the net ex-
ports in 1864. The imports as well as the
exports of silver coin and bullion reached
an amount greater than is recorded in
any other year in the history OF the coun-
try.
In 1878, which will be remembe bered as
the year of panic and important monetary
legislation, the exports of silver reached
$50, 75l $50, a point that had never been at
tanned in previous years, and has never
been touched or exceeded in subsequent
years until 1898, when the exports were
90, 1877 ,3l9.
The year 1898, the report says, also
marked one step down in the relative inn
portance of the American merchant ma
rine in the foreign carrying trade of the
country. There was an actual decrease
from 1892 in the percentage of imports
and exports carried in American vessels
1872 per cent, being tie lowest point this
feature of our commercial history has
touched.
Labor Disturbances.
The report states that the opening OF
1898 was marked by number of serious
and extensive labor difficulties, affecting
production and transportation and ac-
companied by acts OF violence and destruc-
tion of property. Fortunately these
strikes and consequent disturbance were
localized, and proved so be of temporary
nature.
The center of disturbance was soon
transferred to financial rather than in
dustrial matters; but the effects were long
felt in many of the leading lines of pro-
duction and transportation, inducing an
element Of uncertainty, always injurious
to undertakings involving large capital.
The one dark feature of the iron situa-
tion was the shrinkage of prices due to
On excessive production, and the same
general drift of affairs has continued into
1893.
The report mentions number of cir
cumstances that combined to make the
trade of 1898 an interesting study in the
general laws governing international COM
mercc, which include the enormous grain
crops of this country in 1891 and partial
failure of similar European crops.