The herald., 1898-02-02

bOQy.
Some indication of the way in which the
commercial interests of the United States
are extending in foreign parts may be
gathered from certain items in the diplo-
matte and consular appropriation bill
which has just been reported to the house.
A consulate Is proposed to be established
at Dawson City on account of the large
influx of Americans, owing to the gotc dis
coveries. Because of the growing business
of the country at Vancouver, in British
Columbia, 1t is recommended that the ap-
preparation for the consulate be increased.
Provision Is also made for the establish
ment of consulate at Pretoria, in the
South Africa republic. owing to the growth
of American interests in mining and other
enterprises In the Transvaal Still another
proposed consulate is at Tamsui, on the
island of Formosa, recently transferred to
Japan. 1t appears that since the transfer
the trade of the island has shown a rapid
development and that there is every indi-
cation that it will increase still further.
The total of exports of merchandise for
ing to s1,O99, ,519. The nearest approach
to that was the total of the preceding year,
which was slightly over 81, 900, 200. Re
calling the total of 1891. 1910, SAG, and
the total of 1892, $93S. .420 $50. as the largest
excepting the two years above mentioned
shows what a phenomenal period we have
just had in the expectation of our products.
Adding the next exports of silver and sill
yer ore, which may be properly consid-
cred merchandise, to the total of what is
technically called merchandise, the ex-
ports of 1897 were $ll57, ,79O 81, against ST.
0G9 ,S93,9S2 in 1896. The favorable balance
of trade in merchandise, says the Econo-
mist, for 1897 was 1856 ,49S ,664, against 1924,
257.6s5 in 1896. Both of these totals are far
in excess of those of any previous year.
The total balance of trade for 1897, includ-
ing silver, was $3.50, ,0S3, ,974, against S35S 034 =
CSC in 1896. Carrying out the figures that
have been presented in the Economist from
month to month for about two years, we
find that for the past 81 months the eX-
cess of exports of merchandise and silver
over imports of merchandise and silver is
SS16,724 921. These totals almost stagger
anybody who has been in the habit of
studying the figures OF former years. The
totals for December are quite as remark
able. The merchandise exports for that
nbnth in our history, the nearest approx
imation being in December, 1891, $119 ,935 S96.
There are only eleven months in our his
tory when the total exceeded S100 900 900.
The large excess of exports for December
is partly due to the moderate imports,
which. though not down to the lowest in
our recent history are below the average
for the past three or four years. 1t will
be seen that the exports Of silver in 1897
were considerably less than those of 1896.
1t is well known that the reduced de-
niand for the metal in the far east is a
leading cause for tn decline in price. 1t
Is quite easy to believe that there will be
no exports of gold in the first half of 1898
on account of the immense balance of
trade in our favor that has been rolled up
In the last q months. country that
is. selling over million dollars worth of
goods to the rest of the world more than
1t is buying need not worry about the
movement Of gold, even though it is pay
ing out a good deal Of money for transpor-
tation and interest.
Boston has a bank called the Five Cents
Savings bank. This institution has been
paying its depositors per cent per annum.
On q recent Saturday night 100 people
were waited upon over the banks coun-
ters. and of these 1900 were depositors.
While the aggregate deposits were but
$4,000, the large number of depositors
would appear to show prosperity for the
working classes. The above illustration
suggests the thought to the San Francisco
Bulletin that a bank organized on the
lines Of this bank might meet the wants
of every large city. THE experiment" :"
says the Bulletin, has been tried in San
Francisco, but without success. That.
however, was years ago, when a scent
piece did not look as large as it does today.
Were the experiment to be renewed now,
1t might prove to be just what is wanted.
But the promoters must be men in whom
there is the utmost confidence"
o O o
The French Savings and Loan society
of San Francisco has reelected the old
board of directors for 1898. with E. j. LIE
Breton as president and Howard Park
secretary.
The annual meeting of the State Mutual
Building and Loan association was held
recently. The old board of directors and
officers, consisting of Dr. w. G. Cochran,
president, A. L. Pomeroy, vice president,
Frank A. Gibson, treasurer, c. j. Wade.
SECRETARY and +. w. Wood director, was
reelected. The association changes its
plan February 1st to what is known as
the Dayton plan, which is becoming very
popular in the east.