The herald., 1898-08-09
THE WEALTH OF TRADE
MORE DETAILS OF THE IMPORTS
AND EXPORTS REPORT
Great Showing Made by the Coast
Cities-The Great Lake Ports
Enjoy a Boom in Trade

NEW YORK, Aug. "a special 10 the
Times from Washington says:
Representatives Of the great ports OF the
United States will be interested in some Of
the figures which the Bureau of Statistics
Of the Treasury Department has just COM
piled regarding the import and export trace
Of the various ports Of the country and
comparing the years business with that
of preceding years.
The rivalry among the coast cities for
the honor and profit Of handling salts
factory proportion Of the foreign COM
merce has been unusually sharp In the past
year or two. The rapid growth Of the car
rying trade along the chain Of the Great
Lakes and thence by canal or rail to the
coast, the sharp competition and reduced
rates by rail from the great grain fields Of
the west to the South Atlantic ports and
the increased rail and water facilities OF
transportation between the Upper Missis-
sippi Valley and the Gulf ports, together
with improved harbor facilities at various
points, have produced material changes In
the drift of the great bulk Of the grain and
provision product of the country which
goes to Europe, while our increased COM
merce with Asia and Oceanica has mater
tally and advantageousy affected the busi-
ness of the ports on the Pacific Coast.
These facts, together with the claims that
certain ports enjoy special advantages In
railway rates and terminal facilities, have
made the interest in the comparative busi-
ness of the various ports unusually great.
A comparison Of the figures covering the
exports and imports Of the various ports
during the fiscal year with those OF pre-
ced1ng years presents some interesting and
suggestiv. facts bearing on this subject.
They show that the Atlantic exports. con-
sidered as an entire group. retained, wnen
compared with the preceding year, their
normal proportion of the exports Of the
year, but lost In imports, the total increase
in expectation from these ports being 1871
per cent, while the total increase in expo--
tation from the entire country was 173 per
cent; the total importations OF the ATTAIN
tic ports fell off 21.4 per cent, while
the total imports into the country decreased
but 1873 per cent. The Gulf ports did not.
as a whole, maintain the rate of increase
which the country at large made in ex-
ports, their percentage of gain being but
s.6 per cent, while their loss In imports was
still greater, being 29.9 per cent.
The Pacific ports made the most satisfac-
tory record of any group, their gain In ex-
ports being 25.7 per cent, while they actu-
ally gained in imports 1914 per cent.
The Northern border ports made the larg-
est percentage Of gain in expectations, their
total for the year being 27.3 pei cent great
err than that of the preceding year, while
In importatiops they lost oil
The Gulf ports increased their exporta-
tons materially, especially wheat and
wheat -four, though In corn there was a
heavy decrease. Galveston increased her
exports over those Of last year 17.e per cent,
while those Of New Orleans increased II per
cent. In imports Galveston made a mark
cd increase, those OF 1898 being 49.7 per cent
greater than those of 1897, while New Or
leans lost materially In her imports, which
In 1893 were 419 per cent less than in 1897.
The imports at New Orleans in 1896
amounted to 1.57 per cent. of the total i'm
ports into the country against PIT per cent
in 1897, 2.7S per cent in 1894, and 2.41 per
cent. In 1891, while the exports were 9.45 per
cent. Of the total of the country In 1898
against 9G6 per cent. in 1897, 9.18 per cent in
1885, 1874 per cent IN 1892 and 1853 per
cent in 1890.
Pacific Coast ports, as already indicated.
show a gain both In imports and exports.
San Francisco exported in 1898 3.34 per cent.
of the total exports of the country, against
3.0S per cent. In 1895. 2.79 per cent. in 1894.
S.9 per cent. In 1892 and 424 per cent, in
1890. Her percentage of the imports was In
1893 6.9S per cent, in 1897 as per cent. 1895
4.95 per cent, and in 1890 8.18 per cent. The
Puget Sound Customs District gained ma
terially In her share of the commerce of
the country, her exports In 1898 being As
per cent. of the total against 1.13 per cent.
in 1897 .7S in 1895, IS per cent in 1893 and 80
per cent. in 1890, while the imports of the
year, although slightly less than those
of 1897, were greater than those of any
previous year.
Taking up the leading articles of our ex-
ports, such as wheat, corn, flour, etc, it Is
found that the North Atlantic ports have
lost materially In their proportion of the
expor. trade while their loss becomes
the gain Of ports further south.
New York, which in 1897 handled 1871 per
cent. of wheat exported handled but 249
per cent. of the wheat exported in 1898:
her percentage Of the corn exports of 1896
was 26.7 per cent, and in 1898 bur 20.3 per
cent. her percentage of the flour export.
which in 1893 was 36.2 per cent, fell to 80. 5