The Forrest City times., 1895-08-30
OUR FOREIGN TRADE.
R<szrzs show the Wisdom of Tariff Re
 d=~1son-

d-~ston-
 The total value of imports during the las; S~eal year was s7sl.S57.s7s. against ssS4. 9e4. .S2s she previous year. an in crease of s-fgS3 ZsS In view Of the great industrial and commercial de p-esSi07 winch prevailed last rear the vzlue 0t imports was large. il having been exceeded o1ly five times in the history of the country
 On the other hard the vzlue Of do- ne<tie exports was S7s3. 5s7. 800. against sso9- -2os. ss7 the year before. Q decrease of SIS. .sg-, ,04-- Notwithstanding the large increase ia imports and decrease in exports. the latter exceeded The for uer by s6I. .4s0.0l5 The exports of last year have been exceeded eight times n our history. and once-in 1s93-by over S242. .oo0.0o0
 In view of the fact that for ten months of the last fiscal year the irn- ports came in under the new tariff law a comparison of some of the principal items with the same for the year be- fore will be of interest
 Of art works. which were uut on the free list bT the new la-r. we imported 10 the value Of @. s43. .Bg7 last year, against sl. T24. .s9i the year before Of chemicals, drugs and dyes. the duties on which were materially reduced, we imported S45, .5s9 worth. agaiDs. s37.553. TO the year before Of cotton goods Te imported s53. Ig5, 35s, against s22. s46. .547 the year before; of earthen. stone and chinaware, $. 956. .034, against { e = 4 ,ss a against s2l. .3l4. 4s9; of leather and man. u.actnres thereof, Sl5, ,sle.0ls, against s9,4l5,145. On all these goods the duties were considerably reduced But while there was a decided in- crease in the importation of all these articles. the duties on which were moderately reduced. there was also an increase in imports of goods which were free under the old law and still remain free. Thus there was an in- crease from S90.3if, ,673 to s95. I2s, 326 in coffee. from s16.7sG. 152 to s25, I22. 954 in hides and skins others than furs, and from sl5, i62. .333 to ls,477.057 in un- manufactured rubber and gutta percha. And. again. there was a de crease in the importation of some ar ticles the duties on which were re- duced- For example, from SIS, 4,77l to ST, ,239, 995 in fruits including nuts; from 5,6O5. s55 to g.. 4ss, ,5si in lead and manufactures thereof. and from sls.- l54. .973 to sI7,sl3. s5i in wool and Inanu- factures thereof
 The imports of sugar and molasses fell from Sl2G.9l4, l04 to S7G. 492. 302 This decrease of more than $50, 900, 900 was due in part to the enormous im- portations in anticipation of the 10 per cent duty. and in part, and principal ly. to the great fall in the foreign price of raw sugars The value of wool. which was put on the free list, increased from s6, TOT. .43s to s25.556,42l, and the value of wooden goods, the duties on which were re. duced about one-half. increased from sI9, ,301, $50 to S36, ,5i2. 39l. But the in- crease in these articles, as in the case of others the duties on which were considerably reduced. was in no small measure due to restriction of inn ports in ls04 in anticipation of lower duties. On the whole the returns indicate that the reduction of the tariff has stimulated importations, but it is too 1 early yet 10 make very confident de- l ductions. Chronicle