New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-09-04
THE TRUTH ABOUT IMPORTS
AN ANALYSIS OF OFFICIAL RErr,.v.


AN ANALYSIS OF OFFICIAL RErr-pv.
1t Is the custom Of free traders vb.r 49,,
dence Is mentioned Of the injury dono -
mcstic industries by excessive imnor,o,,s~
and foreign competition. to evade the iss,. 49,
saying that imports are not as largo 90 -.
were In 1892 or 1893, under the McKin,sv ,..',,
and. therefore. home manufactures ar. "
fact exposed to greater competition n, -,
face Of things this is a deceptive answar i.
cause every one knows that the consumn,,o .
the people has been materially reduced ,hrou-.
depression Of industries and decrease NJ 49,
so that they cannot consume as much ne 49,
OF foreign and domestic products together IT..
actual decrease in the volume Of ALL hu.,r...
passing through clearing houses during Aug,.,
for example, was us per cent comparino nil,
the same month in 1892. and unless comne,n.
foreign goods decrease in like PROPORTION I, o.,
lows that larger share Of the Quantities oon
sumed come from abroad Thus the naomi.
actually consumed in 1892 about 3S5 millions :.
value Of woollen goods OF which only o,.
eleventh was foreign or 81 millions. while 2,n
millions were OF domestic production Ru I.
the total consumption in this branch had faIIe,
off no more than the volume Of business NJ al
kinds. as it really has, the decrease would h.
6Sia millions, leaving only 1864 millions to h.
supplied Of which the foreign imports in IN.
fiscal year were 53La millions, or more than
sixth. so that the proportion supplied by for.
eign mills rose from Q to l. per cent or nearly
doubled.
But, in fact, the proportion has increased still
more because the decrease in consumption OF
wooens has been greater. for obvious reasons
than the decrease in the consumption Of bread
and meats and other necessares A man can
wear old clothes, but cannot eat old dinners
And second the value Of foreign wool.ens i'm.
ported as officially given. by no means nd-
Gates the actual value, because vast increase
in undervaluations has been permitted by the ad
valorem duties OF the new tariff. IL Is certainly
within the mark to say that not more than eight.
tartbs NJ the actual value in competing dutiable
goods is officially reported so that the oo's mill
ions officially reported must have represented as
much as 81 millions in actual value OF goods
sold here And if. as is Indicated ny statistcs'
the actual consumption OF wooHens OF all KINGS
has decreased a. least quarter or "" Hisiohs
the actual value of foreign goods being d MILL
ions the proportion of foreign goods consumed
has risen from 9 per cent 10 - per csh'' IN
the branches in which foreign goods compete
of Ill the proportion is even greater
These considerations are stated at the outset
because they apply in greater or less degree 10
everv comparison Of imports where consideraoe
increase is noticed. For it is important 10 oo-
serve moreover. that the material increase mas
heen in comparatively few classes OF goods' III
norts Of nearly all classes have deciihen' as
might have been expected in view OF the de'
creased consuming power of the people But
in those branches in which the most destructive
changes we're made IN duties by the "iison'
German tariff there has been either great
,hsoIute increase or relative Increase con-
sidering the diminished aggregate consumpuon
Of the people
The official returns Of imports for the nscai
wear ending June 80 have now been published.
and the following analysis places in the ilrst class
those important articles OF which imports nave
absoIutelv increased a sixth or more; IN the
second class those in which there has been less
increase or an actual decrease, and yet IN nearV
all a relative increase in view of reduced con-
sumption: in the third class materials OF manu-
facture indicating how far decrease In domesuc
manufacture has been caused by diminished con-
suming power; and in the fourth class those
articles which are commonly relied upon BY
students as tests If the consuming power OF Inc
people All other imports are stated In the aggre'
gate as a fifth class. "Other fresh fish excludes
salmon. "Other soap excludes CASTLE and fancy,
and silk made up into articles Of clothing 10
stated separately from other manufactures OF
silk The figures are for the fiscal year JUST
closed and for the fiscal year lS9l-92, the iast
wear of undisturbed prosperity under the o'd
tariff. and for articles Of the first class the per-
centages Of increase are added:
80, ,os r-rrrc,,c ar. CHANGES IN DUTIES.