The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-08-09
THE SOUTH COMES
TO THE FRONT.
Rapid Gain in Exports at Newport
News and Other Points.
HEAVY DROP IN NORTHERN CITIES
The Loss of New York. Boston and
Philadelphia Becomes the Gain OF
Newport News. New Orleans
and Galveston.

| 8 ItttlNtt or the BIttI pvi - VI t-'~
United states will be interested in some
figures which the Bureau Of Statistics OF
tho Treasury Department has just com
| piled regarding tho import and export
! trade OF the various ports OF the country
and comparing the years business with
that OF the preceding years. The RI
| yalry between the coast cities FOR the
honor and profit Of handling a satisfac-
| tory proportion Of the foreign commerce
| has been unusually sharp in the past
year or two. The rapid growth Of the
carrying trade along the chain Of great
lakes and thence by canal or rail TO the
! coast. the sharp competition and re-
duced rates by rail from the great grain
fields of me West 70 the South Atlantic
| ports and the Increased rail and water "a
| cilites u transportation between the up
per Mississippi valley and the Gulf ports
| together with improved harbOr facilities
AZ various points. have produced mate
rial changes In the drift of the great
| bulk OF the grain and provision product
OF the country which goes 10 Europe
while our increased commerce with Asia
| and Oceanics has materially and ad-
vantsgeously affected the business OF
the ports on the Pacific coast. These
| facts together with the claims that GER
tain ports enjoy special advantages in
| railway rates and terminal facilities have
made the interest ia the comparative bu-
siness OF the various ports unusually
! great
ATLANTIC AND GULF PORTS.
4 comparison OF the figures covering
| the exports and imports of the various
! ports during the fiscal year with those OF
preceding years. presents some interest
Ing snd suggestive facts bearing on this
subject Thoy show that the Atlantic
! poets considered as an entire group re-
tanned, when compared with tho preced-
| ing year. their normal proportion OF the
exports OF tbs year. but lost slightly IN
! imports. the total increase IN eXporta-
| ton IA these ports being l76l per cent,
while the total increase In expectation
from the entire country was l7.8 per cent;
! The total iTnportattons OF the Atlantic
ports however. fell PA per cent, while
| the total importations into the country
decreased bN 1913 per cent. The Cuff
| ports did not as a whole maintain the
| rate of increase which the country az
large made in exports. their percentage
| OF grain being but SO per cent, against
| an average or ll.S per cent. for the total;
while their loss in imports was stiN
| greater being @9 per cent. against an
average OF 1913 per cent. for the entire
| country. The Pacific ports made the most
satisfactory record Of any group, their
gain i'm exports being 25.7 per cent. while
| they actually gained IN imports 1913 per
! cent, while the total imports for the
country were being decreased 1913 per
cent. The Northern border ports made
! the largest percentage of gain in expOrta-
! tons. their total for tho year being 21.3
| per cent. greater than that Of the pre-
per cent. greater than that OF the pre-
ceding year. while I'm importations they
lost a.1 per cent.
LOSS AT NORTH.
Taking up the ports Individually how
ever. and considering their percentage OF
the total commerce during q longer term
| of years the contrasts and comparisons
| increase In interest.
| Beginning with the port OF New York 1t
| IS found that she handled only fj.9 per
! cent. OF the foreign commerce OF the
| country, against 52j per cent. IN 1880. 52.2
| per cent. I'm 1898. 5l4 per cent I'm 1896, ana
| IS per cent. I'm 1897. The loss IS altogether
! in expectations. having been i'm 1898. but
] 3j1 per cent. of the total expectations OF
tho country. against 37.2 per cent In 1897.
! 4O1 per cent. IN 1896 and Alb per cent.
| I'm 1894: while her importati0ns I'm 1898
were G5.8 per cent. OF the total imports
! OF the country. against GIL per cent In
| 1896. and 634 per cent. IN 1894
BOSTON did not make a satisfactory re-
| cord either IN her imports or exports dur
| ing the year Just ended. Her importa-
| tions were only So per cent. OF the total
imports OF the country. against lls per
cent. I'm 1897 101 per cent IN 1886, 81 per
cent IN 1895 81 per cent In ls95. and 50
ner cent I'm 1891 Her expectations were
IN lses only s5 per cent. OF the total.
aeafnst l0s per cent. IN 1896. 1915 per cent
IN 1905 and 1905 IN 1893. Taking the total
imports and exports OF the country Bos-
ton had IN 1898 but 81 per cent. OF the
total. against 1915 per cent In 1896 ana ls9l,
o q per cent. I'm 1873. and 90 per cent. IN
| 1929.
Philadelphia's percentage Of the total
foreign commerce OF the year was not al
together satisfactory when compared Win
that Of preceding years. Her importa-
tions were 81 per cent. Of the total I'M
uorts into the country. while In 1887 they
were so per cent. I'm 1895 Sc per cent, IN
1874 % per cent. and I'm 1898 &c per cent
Her exportations were 45 per cent
ag,inst as per cent in 1897. - per cent
in 1906. 48 per cent. I'm 1885, 5s per cent
in 1893 and Sc per cent IN 1872 her per
centage OF the total imports and exports
beine I'm 1898 ~ per cent. in 1897 % per
cent. I'm 1896 502. IN 1898 81 per oent.' IN
1891 600 per cent. in 1898 ga per cont
and I'm 1892 6.3S per cent
Raltimore made material gains In her
exports. though IN imports mere was
slight loss IN her percentage OF tho total
lamentations into the country Her per
ceutaee OF the total exports or the coun-
try was I'm 1895 9 6 per cent. In 1877 81 per
cent. I'm 1896 o per cent, In 1879 ~ per
cent. I'm 1894 81 per cent, and IN 1890 81
per cent Her imDortations In hsS were
ii per cent. OF the total imports into
tbs country. in 1897 "A per cent, IN 1886
~ per cent. IN 1895 16 per cent. IN 1893
and I'm 1894 IS per cent. and In 1881 "a
Nor cent Her share Of the total foreign
commarce OF the country was in ISIS 90
par cent. I'm 1897 53 per cent. in 1880 and
Is- IS per cent. IN 1894 5S per cent? ana
I'm 1880 81 per cent.
GAIN AT NEWPORT NEWS.
Newport News show a rapid gain IN
ber exnorts which IN 1s9S were % per
cent of the total OF the country, against
~ per cent. IN 1897. is per cent. In 1894
1895 and 1895. and a little less than per
cent. i'm 1893 Her imports have also IN
creased materially. being In lSS more
than three times those OF 1894 the total
however forming less than per cent
OF the total imports into the country
while her share OF the total imports and
exnorts Of the country was In 1898 IL per
cent. i'm 1897 IL per cent. while prior 70
that time they formed less than l per
cent. OF the total
The guif ports increased their eXporta-
tions materially. especially I'm wheat. and
wheat -four. though in corn there was
heavy decrease. Galveston increased her
.