New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-06-02
MANUFACTURED EXPORTS.

The constant rejoicing in some quarters over
the large increase in manufactured exports can
he anprOvcd and shared only with some re-
serve Ii is indeed gratifying to find increas-
ING foreign markets for those products OF when
this country constantly produces a surplus, not
required for domestic use even in times OF pros
perity But il Is somewhat the reverse OF salts
factory 10 find works driven to sell part OF their
product in distant foreign markets at an actual
loss or AZ figures which give 10 profit because
The pycsen, condition of business in this country
Is still so far depressed that the demand does
not equal the output.
The term manufactured exports, as used by
the Bureau of Statistics. refers to classlhca-
ton which has always been somewhat deceptive.
and is calculated 10 misead most minds The
term suggests products completed and in form
for their final use. and not articles which are
simply the materials for future processes OF
manufacture Nevertheless. the classification
in use includes many products of considerable
importance which are only the results of the
first Stage of manufacture. and are in fact moth
ING but materials for further processes. Leather
is one OF these: il is fairly included with manu-
factured products under the existing classified
ton. because there is no such division of OK
teYals for manufacture as there is of imports;
but leather alone constitutes more Than nine
tcnths of the leather and manufactures off,
which item covers nearly tenth Of the total
manufactured exports SO ingot copper consti-
tutes nearly the whole of the copper and man
ufacturc Il" which covers almost another tenth
of the aggregate
Nearly a quarter of the so-called manufactured
ox,orte consists Of nil which is moi
In the common understanding of the term
manufactured product although it has tech
nicaly no other place in present classification.
The comparison often made of current with
distant years. purporlng to show the increased
percentage OF MANUFACTURED exports. always in
cludcs the enormously Increased production ana
exports Of this ar.id". which alone counts in
many comparisons for substantially the entire
increase shown. In comparison With years be-
fore illumination. oil was known, this item was
especially misleading. There are other prod
ucts now largely exported which are Indeed
manufactures but were not known at all be-
cause not yet invented few years ago. The
exports of bicycles and parts thereof appear for
the first time this year in official figures. and
amount to nearly 81 100000 in the single month
of March, and over 81 165 600 in the nine months
ending with March; but it is evident that dis
addition the fruit of American inventive genius,
gives no fair indication OF the progress of the
older manufactures in finding foreign markets.
Yet it is most gratifying ard beneficial 10 the
country. like the Increase in exports of refined
OIL
One other element 10 BIZ taken into account is
not gratifying. The country has been exporting
within the last three years largely increased
quantities Of some products only because the
home market was greatly curtaed by the in
adequate employment or wages OF The people.
so that works were forced to cut down wages
and sell abroad 1T no profit. or even at n loss.
IN spite Of the reduction Of wages or else TO stop
operations and wages entirely. II Is moi a sign
II health that exports OF this nature have in
creased since 1892 The exports of iron and its
products. which are about 40 per cent larger
than In 1892 are to a considerable extent of