The times., 1898-08-15
OUR TRADE WITH CALCUT IA
Exports From The United States
Have Fallen Off.
THE INCREASING OF IMPORTS
The Volume of Commerce Between
This Coulptry and the.Indian Me-
tropolis Tor the Last fiscal Year
Amounted to over Eighteen Mill
ion Dollars.

oldle- III cIt Oi ItS
consular publications, offers some inter-
esting facts concerning Americas trade
relations with Calcutta, compiled from
data furnished by the collector of customs
at that port.
Calcutta's imports from the United
States for the fiscal year of 1898
amounted to s2,16S149, as against 1885,
$50 for the same period four years ago.
The Decrease fix Offset !.
This decrease is more than Offset by the
increase in exports to the United States,
which amounted to sl6,55l.0 03i for the fis-
cal year of 1898. as against So 065, 740 for
the same period four years ago. The to-
try for the year just ended amounted to
SlS,l19,lSS, which is an increase of nearly
$5,0o00o0 over the year 1S93-94.
While the imports were less this year
than last by over per cent, the expan-
sion in exports was 35 per cent. The fall
ing off in imports was due to special
causes. In the preceding year, the neces-
sites of India, from drought and famine,
induced large imports of grain from the
United States; the quantity received in
1S97-9S being much less, has resulted in
the decline of imports recorded above.
Had it not been for this, imports as well
as exports would have shown favorable
result for the chief imports from the
United States-kerosene and lubricating
oils-were on larger scale. The trade
for the past five years in these oils has
amounted to $94, 100, ,497
The Oil Trade.
The total exports of oil from the United
States last year were large exceeding
100000 coo gallons, of which 81 200, 900 gal
Ions came TO British India.
American drills imported were valued at
over one lakh tss2 Oo0), and many other
items exhibited an increased value; but
this is largely due to the fact that dur
ing the latter part of the year direct com
munication was established by the Buck
nall line of steamships.
One of the chief features of the years
trade has been the importation of Ameri-
can steel rails, valued at two lakhs (S64,-
00O for one of the leading railways OF
India. Great stress has been laid, in the
past year. on the growing competition of
the United States in supplying its manu-
factures to the world generally, and It
| is said to have been demonstrated that
the highly paid labor of our country
under intelligent and progressive man
agement combined with improved ma
chinery and assisted by the low average
rates of railway transport, IS gradually
| enabling the United States 10 surpass the
! results of European low wages, frugal
living, and a daily labor of twelve hours
| in the competitive struggle 1at is nc
| becoming more and more severe Tna
| Importation of steel rails noted may be
| considered a fact In favor of this view
The large trade of Calcutta with the
| United States embraces the following
| principal exports: Jute manufactures
/ hides and skins. jute, raw; indigo, lac,
saltpeter, tea, caoutchouc, seeds.
| Jute i'm the Lead
OF these jute manufactures hold the
| lead, having more than doubled during the
past two years. The value of these jute
exports for the year just closed was
| $6. .990,603, which are the highest figures
| on record. The enormous exports of
wheat from the United States during 1897
would alone have caused a considerable
demand for gunny bags and cloth, but the
| raw cotton exports were also greater
! than in 1896.
There was a considerable expansion in
| hides and skins, though the total value is
not greatly increased over that of 1856
| Exports of hides may have been infIu-
enced by the smaller quantity obtainabIe
in the United States, recent statistics
showing that the stock of live cattle there
| Is decreasing.
Though the quantity of indigo shipped
to the United States was slightly less than
| last year, it was greater than that to anv
| other counry.
After advancing steadily for three
years, the trade in satpeter has declined
considerably; the exports, however, ap-
pear to ffuctuate greatly
Trade in Tea.
| The trade in tea has developed. and
direct shipments to the United States
| have considerably increased.
There was quite a reduction in the
| trade with the United Kingdom during
| the year, the decline in value being
| equivalent TO per cent, and the total
| trade recorded the smallest since the
year 1928, the loss being apparent in
|
| with Germany continues to expand. the
| increase recorded being over per cent.
| There has also been steady increase
| in the trade with Austria-Hungary
| Italy and Belgium, but falling off in
| the trade with France and Russia, the
| imports from the latter country declining
| considerably, owing to smaller receipts
| of kerosene oil.
The value of the imports of cotton goods
4 nl,o aln lQ.On mn
which the United Kingdom furnished
about 81 per cent, but about 81, ,0OO, 900 less
than the previous year. OF this vast
| trade the United States got only the
small sum of $4,000
| General Merchandise.
There were also. during the year,
| large trade in metals, railway supplies.
machinery, and millWork, hardware and
| cutlery, liquors, woolen goods, apparel,
| provisions drugs etc.; chemicals, paints
and colors, carriages, bicycles, glass and
| glassware, stationery, umbrellas, and pa
| per and pasteboard ;the imports in these
| lines amounting to over $685. 900 coo. While
| these were the principal imports, there
| was a large trade in many other classes
/ of merchandise
This immense trade is gradually siip-
ping away from the Unite1 King ION,
| which has practically controlled Ii for
| the past hundred years, as shown by
the loss of about per cent last year,
| and is going to other countries
| With the present direct cJmm unication
with India, saving time and expense cf
transshipment our enterprising manu-