The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-04
RECORD-BREAKING YEAR
MOST REMARKABLE ELEVEN
MONTHS IN AMERICAN COMMERCE..
OF $563,77O,O32 Worth of Articles Inn
ported Into United States, 47.44 Per
Cent. Was Free of Duty.
special to the indianapolis journal.

special to the indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, July 3.-The detailed
story of the most remarkable eleven months
in the history of American commerce IS told
in the monthly summary of finance and
commerce of the United States just issued
by the Bureau of Statistics. which makes
its appearance this month earlier than at
any date in the past four years. The record
Of eleven months of commerce in which the
exports are more than double the imports,
In which more manufactures are exported
than imported and in which more gold is
brought into the United States in payment
for our surplus than in any preceding year
In our history is worthy of some detailed
examination. OF the $685. 770.0S2 worth OF
articles imported into the United States in
the eleven months ending June 80 $267, 44S, 1856
came in free of duty. Thus 47.44 per cent.
of the total imports was free of duty, while
last year 1894 per cent. was free of duty,
in 1895 1892 per cent. in 1892 55.S7 per cent,
in 1891 43.S5 per cent, in 1889 S4.42 per cent,
in 1886 1873 per cent, in 1854 Sl4S per cent.
and in 1882 1906 per cent.
The total imports for the eleven months
fell more than $1OO,0O0O00 below those of the
corresponding months of the preceding
year, the total for the eleven months OF
1897 being $679547.S91. The greatest reduce
ton in the imports, considered by classes,
was in manufactured articles ready for con-
sumption, which fell from SLIT 1852, 1872 in the
eleven months of 1897 to $75930,142 in the
eleven months of 1895, while of articles inn
ported for use in manufacturing the falling
off was very slight, the total for the eleven
months of 1897 being $270. 643. 124 and that for
the eleven months of 1898 $251, 042, 95S.
Taking up the important articles Inn
ported the examination of quantities and
prices shows a marked reduction in the
values of many articles. OF coffee, for in
stance, the importations in the eleven
months OF 1898 were 500, 152 pounds,
against 672, 6S4 S62 pounds in the correspond
ing months OF the preceding year, large
increase in the number of pounds; yet the
value for the eleven months Of 1898 is set
down at only 500, 64l ,0l6 against $15,50S $50
In The corresponding months Of the proceed
ing year. This remarkable increase in the
IHportatlon OF conee is accompanied Dy
corresponding decrease in the importationS
of tea, which fell from 80 203, 1854 pounds in
the eleven months OF 1897 to ct, 283, $50 pounds
in the eleven months of 1898. Foreign cot
ton continues to come in increased Quanti
ties, though at reduced prices, the in1porta-
ton of cotton for the eleven months of the
=. Ss year peins 45,4So, ga pounds, againse
46,2AS $50 pounds in the corresponding
months of last year. while the value for tits
year is set down at $4,709,36S, against So. $751;
elO in the corresponding months of the pre-
ceding year.
1t is in manufactures that the falling of
In lmportations is most apparent The inn
portatiCns of manufactures OF cotton in the
eleven months amount to $25.6lS.S62. against
$50, in the corresponding months OF
last year.. Earthenware and chinaware
lures of fibers. such as bagging, .burlaps,
cables, binding twine, etc., fell from
$27,7S2,S O3 to S9547,954, while the unmanu-
featured hberS for use of manufacturers
increased from 1874 029 tons to 229, 1903 tons.
The increased activity of the manufacture
ers of the country is further shown by the
fact that there is large increase in inn
portations of raw hides. but no increase in
importations of leather or manufactures of
leather. The importations of hides during
amounted to 221.514,51 pounds. against
173, 1856, l20 pounds in the corresponding
manufactures Of leather there was in each
case a reduction In the importations during
the same period. Another evidence of the
ent year is found in the fact that importa-
tons of raw silk are nearly double those
of the. corresponding months OF last year,
year 1898 being $780, 12l 1862, against $17, $685. 48
in the eleven months of last year, while the
imports of manufactures of silk are this
year lightly less than those of last year.
OF sugar the importations are very much
less than in the corresponding months OF
last year, owing doubtless to the large an
ticipatory importatons just prior to the
enactment of the present tariff law. The
total importations of sugar in the eleven
MONTHS Oh the present year dIHOuut "
1859 es3,532 pounds against 4,210, 1853 2S7
pounds in the corresponding months of last
year, the importations in the month of May
alone being less than one-half those of May
of last year There has been a great de-
crease in the importations of sugar from
Germany, Austria-Hungary. Belgium and
the Netherlands. Germany's imports fell
from 1897, 1881 ,539 pounds in the eleven
months of last year to 37.6S6.766 pounds in
the eleven months of 1898; Austria ungaA
from 81, 121, 191 pounds to 1880 pounds. and
the Netherlands from g. .164 pounds to
2,30S 0S3 pounds. The total importations Of
manufactures Of iron and steel fell from.
$14, 7O5,0 97 in the eleven months of last year,
to $11 1875, AIS this year, while during the same|
months our expectations of iron and steel
increased from $751; IT'S to $63, 235, 029 Thus
our expectations of manufactures Of iron
and steel in the present year are more than
five times as much as our imports of iron
and steel. OF tin plate the imports for the
eleven months of the present year are only
1863 408. 3S1 pounds, against 215, 233, 427 pounds
in the corresponding months of last year.
thus making it apparent that the total i'm
portations of tin plate for the. full fiscal
year will be less than one-half that of 1896.
less than one-third that of 1893 and less
than one-fifth that of 1891.