Omaha daily bee., 1898-08-24
EXPANDING AMERICAN TRADE.
Industrial and Commercial Progress
of the Country.
st. Louis Globe Democrat.


A striking view OF the growth Of this
country in industrial and commercial af-
fairs is that prepared from statistics gath
cred in Sweden as analyzed by the British
consul at Stockholm. The tables are care
fully made up and the comment upon them,
as might be supposed, is entirely impartial
Periods Of five years each are used in making
the comparisons. In average annual pig
iron production the United States increased
from 2,2s4 900 tone in the 1915 period to
S,26S,O00 tons In the 1915 period. Since
1871 the British share in supplying the
world with iron has shrunk from 463 per
cent to 37.5, while that Of the United States
has increased from 16.1 per cent to 800.
In the output Of Iron ore the British annual
figure had declined in 1895 to 12,249, 900
tons and that of the United States ad-
vanced to 14,2SS,000 tons In the twenty
five years covered by the tables ending in
1895 the United States has increased its
total in the worlds yield OF coal from IT
to nearly 30 per cent, while the British
output fell off from Al to "a per cent. Great
Britan's consumption Of cotton in the same
time has increased by a fourth and that of
the United States has doubled.
The United States produces q fifth OF the
worlds wheat supply. England and all its
colonies one-eighth and Germany one
twentieth. This country mines % per cent
OF the gold Of the world and 35 per cent
of the silver In the twenty-five years the
new railway construction in the United
States was twenty three times as great as
that Of Great Britain and Ireland and nearly
eight times as great as Germany's. While
the total foreign trade OF Great Britain,
exports and imports, increased 21a per cent,
hot Of ha nj Ctota ipc
the growth of population this country leads
all others, with an advance Of "a per cent
in ten years. The British colonies and de-
Tendencies increased ~ per cent Germany
the same, Russia IL per cent, Great Britain
and Ireland SIT per cent and France less
than per cent 1t is Of moment to remem-
ber that these figures are collected in Swe-
den and that the comparison Is made by a
British official. The figures end with 1895.
To bring them down to date would add to
their significance as proof of our unequaled
national growth.
Last years figures alone show total OF
exports never reached before and not alone
in agricultural products. The total exports
of manufactured articles in the last fiscal
year amounted to nearly 5000, 900 ,000 double
the aggregate of ten years ago, four times
as much as in 1870 and seven times as
much as in 1860. Our agricultural and
electrical machinery is in demand through
out the world. The same is true of our
railway and street cars, bicycles, manu-
factures of iron, steel and copper and many
other articles. With a fresh growth of
territory and firmer hold upon the oceans
the future exports Of the United States are
likely to outrun all estimates. 1t is es-
pecially desirable that our manufactured
articles should be kept at the highest level
OF workmanship. Our manufactures are
called for because the quality
is sound, the styles attractive and the
prices favorable. Nothing could destroy
this promising trade more quickly than
sham OF any nature in materials or their
The standard in this re-
spect must be most carefully maintained.
It is evident that an era of great prosper
lty is within the grasp OF the business men
Df the United States. /