The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-11-08
BALANCE OF TRADE FIGURES
History OF Export and Import Move
ment for ITO Years

ment for ITO Years.
Washington, D. c.. Nov. THE tide of
international commerce turned in favor OF
the United States in the centennial year
1876. Prior to that date the balance Of
| trade against US had been beginning with
1881 1926, 4o5, SO. Since that date the ba!-
| ance Of trade in our favor has been sSOS1.-
| 440952. In the elghty-seven years opera
| tions of the government prior to that date
| it witnessed but sixteen occasions in which
the annual balance of trade was in its
favor; in the twenty-three years since that
time 1t has witnessed but three occasions
in which the annual balance Of trade has
been against IL. In the eighty-seven years
prior to 1895 the exports amounted to s12,-
300, 653, 1884, an average of $141. 900 900 per an
mum. while the imports amounted to S14,-
46,e94, an average OF s167. 10000 per an
mum. In the twenty-three years since 1876
the exports amounted to s1s.662. 344. AS, an
average Of SS1l,OoO.000 per annum. and the
imports amounted to SO, $40. 900, 4ss an aver
age Of s677, 600 per annum. 1t viii thus
be seen that in the twenty-three years
since 1875 our exports have actually been
more than 30 per cent in excess of those
of the entire eighty-seven years prior to
1876, and that the average annual exporta-
ton since 1876 has been nearly six times as
much as the average annual exportatou
prior to that time.
A recent publication by the treasury
bureau of statistics entitled, Imports Lnd
Exports OF the United States. and Re-
ceipts and Expenditures of the United
States Government" presents the figures
of our imports and exports running back
to 1886; and by experimenting these with
earlier official data. the full record of tie
10 years OF our commerce may thus be
had. Prior to 1885 there were but three
occasions in which the annual exO1--s
reached 800, 900 600 and but nine occasions
in which the imports reached thai sun
so that the years covered by the publica-
ton in question comprise the most impor
tant period of our commercial history. pre-
senting. as 1t does. the figures by years
from 1885 down to and including 1895. and
by months from January, 1884, to August,
1898
A detailed study OF these figures pre-
sents some extremely interesting facts re-
gardlng our commerce with other parts ~
the world. Prior to 1894 the exports never
reached S1000OO.O0O annually, save in the
exceptional years of 1906 and 1907, VIII ie
after the year 1894 they never fell be.og
the 800, 900. 900 line save in the exceptional
year 1872. BY 1853 they reached the $500
100000 line: by 1860. the $500 O00. 900 line; by
1870, the 100000 O00 lire; in 1873 they passed
the $4,000 900 Incl in 1878 they exceeded
in
500, 000 600: in 1850 more than $500 600 900: in
1881. for the first time. the s9c0.O00.0oO figure
was reached: in 1899 the bnlion-dollar line
was for the first time crossed, and in 1898
the figures were 1921. 4S2 800 Thus the
exports of 1898 are practically double those
Of 1878; four times those OF 1868 and al
most ten times as much as those OF 1sis,
in which year they were s1SS.1sO.515
The growth OF imports. while necessar-
lily great by reason OF increased population
has not kept pace with that OF exports
especially in the last puarter OF CEN
fury. The 800 10000 line in the import
trade was passed as early as 1901. AMI
again in 1905. 1906 and 1907. and at intervals
until 1874. when the total OF slo2 s04 eos was
followed by a rapid growth the 500. 81
900 line being passed in 1851, the 500. Gcl.e0
line in 1885 the 500 o00000 line in 1866 TIE
$4,000 GO line in ISL. while 1872 exceeded
SCo0. 600 600, 1882 exceeded 500 Oo90N ant 1891
passed the $sOo.c00olo lire the high water
mark OF imports being reached ii 1890.
when the figures were $3.50 40 go. while
the year just endet Gss9 makes a lower
record Of imports than any year, with a
single exception since IS7a
The figures covering the receipts and ex-
penditures are equally interesting. Prior
TO 1900 the total net ordinary receipts %
IN government never reached as much
as 10000 ooa. practically the entire sum
then being collected from customs. They
ranged steadily upw0rd from that time IN
I'll by 1876 they had passed the - 90
line. BY 1851 the S5o.ec8 90 line By Is57 THE
So ono 90 line. and in Isss for the first tire
passed the 800 co mark. increasing
rsTidly BY reason OF The NECESSARY coilec-
ton OF war revenues. until in IsdS thsy
were s51s -. -; dropping again below ne
800 9oo GO line after the var, but ranging
from r1.1o9,oso upEord since ~. he aver
age receipts (asi5e from var rsvenue) a.
present being s5s5. 10 20 Pr snnu-n, or
uilion dollars a day. while he average
expenditures 6om.i,lng var X nsl are
about me same.