The age-herald., 1898-11-09
MUCH ELOQUENCE
 IN FIGURES

Washington. November 8.-The tide of in- ternational commerce turned in favor of the United States in the centennial year 1876. Prior to that date the balance of trade against us had been (beginning with 17ss) s22s6, 4O5,610 Since that date the balance of trade in our favor has been S, ,O91 44O,s52. In the eighty-seven years operation of the government prior to that date 1t witnessed but sixteen occasions in which the annual balance of trace was in it's favor; in the twenty=three years since that time 1t has witnessed but three occasions in which the annual balance of trade has been against it. In the eighty-seven years prior to 1876 the exports amounted to s12. .3O9 65S, ,3S4, an aver age of $141, ,OO0,O00 per annum while the im- ports amounted to $14 ,994 an average of $l61O0OO 900 per annum. In the twenty three years since 1876 the exports amounted to $1S,662, 445, an average of $S11, 100000 per annunis~and the imports amounted to s15,- 570,9O3, ,493, an average of s677, GOO per an- mum. It will thus be seen that in the twen- ty-three years since 1876 our exports have actually been more than 50 per cent in ex- cess of those of the entire eighty-seven years prior to 1876, and that the average annual exportat.on since 1876 has been nearly six times as much as the average annual exportation prior to that time.
 recent publication by the treasury bu- reau of statistics, entitled Imports and Exports of the United States, and Receipts and Expenditures of the United States government presents the figures of our imports and exports running back to 1885, and the receipts and expenditures running back to 1856; and by supplementing these with earlier official data, the full record of the 110 years of our commerce may thus be had. Prior to 1885 there were but three occasions in which the annual exports reached s1OO 900 900, and but nine occasions in which the imports reached that sum, so that the years covered by the publication in question comprise the most important period of our commercial history, present. ing, as it does, the figures by years from 1885 down to and including 1898, and by months from January, 1884, to August, 1898.
 A detailed study of these figures presents some extremely interesting facts regarding our commerce with other parts of world Prior to 1884 the exports never reached $100, 100000 annually, save in the exceptional years of 1906 and 1907, while after the year 1884 they never fell below the 100,000,00O line, save in the exceptional year 1S42. By 1853 they reached the S2O0, ,OO0, 900 line; by 1860, the $500 100000 line; by 1870, the $4OO,- 900 line; in 1873, they passed the $5oO,- O0000O line; in 1878. they exceeded $500, ,0O0,- GOO; in 1879, they were more than $70O0O0 ,OOO; in 1880, more than $500 900 GOO; in 1881, for the first time the $9OO,0o0,OO0 figure was reached; in 1892, the billion-dolar line was for the first time crossed, and in 1898, the figures were $1, ,231 ,330. Thus the exports of 1898 are practically double those of 1878, four times those of 1868, and almost ten times much as those of 1S4S, in which year they were $13S, ,19O,515
 The growth of imports, while necessarily great by reason of increased population, has not kept pace with that of exports, es- pecially in the last quarter of century. The $100,000 900 line in the import trade was passed early as 1901, and again in 1905, 1906 and 1907, and at intervals until 1S44, when the total of $1O2, GOA, ,6O6 was followed by rapid growth, the $200 900, 900 line be- ing passed in 1851, the $500 ,000 line in 1856, the $100 900 line in 1866, the $500 OO0,- 900 line in 1871, while 1872 exceeded $500, ,0OO,- 900, 1882 exceeded s7O0 00O 900, and 1891 pass ed the $500 900 900 line, the high-water mark of imports being reached in 1S93 when the figures were $S66 400 ,s22, while the year just ended, 1898, makes a lower record of im- ports than any year with sing,e exception since 1879.
 The figures covering the receipts and ex- penditures are equally interesting. Prior to 1900 the total net ordinary receipts of the government never reached as much as $10,- 100000, practically the entire sum then be. ing collected from customs. They ranged steadily upward from that time until by 1926 they had passed the $25, 900 line, by 1851 the $50 900 900 line, by 1857 the $5,0000 00d line, and in 1863 for the first time passed the $100, 900 900 mark, increasing rapidly by reason of the necessary collection of war revenue, until in 1866 they were $519,94 564, dropping again below the $300, 100000 line af- ter the war, but ranging from s300,000 900 upward since 1Ss0 the average receipts (aside from war revenue) at present being $365 900, 900 per annum, or $1,000,000 a day, while the average expenditures (omitting war items) are about the same.