The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-08-09
IMPORT AND EXPORT TRADE
FIGURES SENT OUT BY ADMIN
ISTRATION OFFICIALS.
Comparisons In Shipping at the Var
ious Leading Ports In This Coun-
try-Pacifc Cities Were Ahead.

Washington, D. c., Aug. 6.-Repre-
sentatives of the great ports of the
United States will be interested in some
figures which the bureau OF statistics
of the treasury department has just
compiled, regarding the import and eX-
port trade of the various parts of the
country and comparing the years bust
ness with that of preceding years. The
rivalry between the coast cities for the
honor and profit of handling a salts
factory proportion of the foreign COM
merce has been unusually sharp in the
past yea or two. The rapid growth of
the carrying trade along the chain of
great lakes and thence by ans 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 Mississippi valley
and the gulf ports, together with i'm
proved 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 commerce with
Asia and Oceanica has materially and
advantageously affected the business
pa ~ In l. N6SAAAS NOo9N 1AA(G0
facts, together with the claims that
certain ports enjoy special advantages
in railway rates and terminal facilities
have made the interest in the compar-
ative business of the various ports I'M
usually great.
a comparison of the figures covering
the exports and imports of the variods
ports during the fiscal year with those
of preceding years presents some in
teresting and suggestive facts bearing
on this subject. They show that the
Atlantic ports considered as an entire
group retained, when compared with
the preceding year, their normal pro-
portion of the exports of the year but
lost slightly in imports, the total in
crease in expectation in these ports be-
ing 17.61 per cent, while the total in
crease in expectation from the entire
country was 17.3 per cent. The total
importations of the Atlantic ports,
however, fell PA per cent, while the
total importations into the country de-
creased but 1873 per cent. The gulf
ports did not, as a whole, maintain the
rate of increase which the country at
large made in exports, their percentage
of gain being but Sc per cent, an av-
erage of 17.3 per cent for the total:
while their loss in imports was still
greater, being 1913 per cent, against
an average of 1873 per cent for the en-
tire country. The Pacific ports made
the most satisfactory record of any
group, their gain in exports being 25.7
FER cent. while they ectually gained
in imports 1873 per cent, while the total
imports for the country were being de-
creased 1873 per cent The northern
border ports made the largest percent
age of gain in expectations, their total
for the yea being 27.S per cent greater
than hat of the preceding year, while
in imDortatiOns they lost 21.1 per cent.
Taking up the ports individually, |
however. and considering their percent
age Of the total nero during a
longer term of years, the contrasts and
comparisons increase in interest. Be
ginning with the port of New York, 1t
is foundt that she handled only ass per
cent of the foreign commerce of the
country, against 52.5 per cent in 1880,
52.2 per cent in 1893, 51.4 per cent in
1896 and IS per cent in 1897. The loss
is altogether in expectations, having
been in 1893 but 36.1 per cent of the
total expectations of the country,
against 37.2 per cent in 1897, 40.1 per
in 1896 and Alb per cent in 1894,
while her importations in 1888 were 65.3
per cent of the total imports of the
country, against 64.1 per cent in 1896
and 63.4 per cent in 1894.
Boston did not make a satisfactory
record either in her imports or exports
the year just ended. Her i'm
pcrtationS were only S.3 per cent OF
the total imports of the country,
against lis per cent in 1891, 10.1 per
cent in 1896, 81 per cent in 1895, 81 per
cent in 1888 and ga per cent in 1891. Her
expectations were in 1898 only 9.5 per
cent of the total. against 1913 per cent
in 1896, 10.5 per cent in 1885 and 1905
per cent in 1898. Taking the total i'm
ports and exports of the country, Bos-
had, in 1898, but 81 per cent of the
total, against 10.5 per cent in 1896 and
1897, SO per cent in 1855 and SO per
in 1893.
Philadelphia's percentage of the to-
tai foreign of the year was
altogether satisfactory when COM
pared with that of preceding years.
Her imDortatio1s were 81 per cent of
he total imports into the country,
in 1897 they were 6.2 per cent, in
1895 &c per cent, in 1894 50 per cent
in 1888 7.6 per cent. Her. eXpOrta-
ions were As per cent, against "A per
cent in 1897, 4.4 per cent in 1896, 4.3 per
cent in 1895, SIS per cent in 1893 and So
per cent in 1892, her percentage of the
-otal imports and exports being in 1898
III per cent, in 1897 So per cent, in 1896
5.02 per cent, in 1895 ga per cent, in
1894 sos per cent, in 1893 GA per cent
IN 1892 6.3S per cent.
Baltimore HdOe IHdlGIldl gains III HeF
though in imports there was
L slight loss in her percentage of the
importations into the country.
percentage of the total exports of
country was in 1898 SO per cent; in
S97, 81 per cent; in 1896, rs per cent;
1895, rs per cent; in 1894, 81 per
,ent, and in 1890, 81 per cent; Her
m~portations in 1898 were IL per cent
If the total imports int the country;
1897, Ia per cent; in 1896, IL per
cent; in 1895, 1.6 per cent; in 1893 and
1894, Is per cent, and in 1891, "a per
Her share of the total foreign
commerce of the country was in 1898,
per cent; in 1897. 5.3 per cent; in
S95 and 1886, As per cent; in 1894, So
cent, and in 1890, SO per cent.
Newport News shows a rapid gain
n her exports, which in 1898 were "a
Der cent of the total of the country,
81 per cent in 1897, 1.6 per cent
n 1894, 1895 and 1896, and a little less
han 1 per cent in 1898. Her imports
also increased materially, being
n 1898 more than three times those of
1874, the total, however, forming less
han 1 per cent Of the total imports
nto the country, while her share of
he total imports and exports of the
was, in 1898, II per cent; in
S97, IL per cent, while prior to that
lime they formed less than 1 per cent
# the total.
The gulf ports increased heir expor-
atoms materially eSDeci91IV in wheat