Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1899-07-13
OUR TRADE WITH AUSTRALIA
The Total of Exports from the United
States Has Doubled in the
Last Five Years.

In the fiscal year 1894 the total eX-
ports of American produce and mer-
chandise to Australia were of the value
of SS,100,OO0; in 1895 they were $4,000
600; in 1896 they were S12, ZOO. 900; in
1897 they were SIT, 900, and in 1895
they were $4,000, 900, showing an in
crease of more than 100 per cent. in five
years, while the imports to the United
States from Australia were less in 1895
than in 1898, 1896 or 1897. These condi-
tons seem unusual in view of the fact
that Australia is an English colony. the
chief mercantile business of which is
done with the home country, and I'M
der trade and other conditions which
are naturally more favorable to the in
terchange of products. agricultural OF
manufactured. with England than with
the United States.
The chief item of American eXporta.
ton to Australia is petroleum, the
average expectation of which to Aus
tralia from the United States amounts
to about 100000 gallons year
though recently that sum has been ex-
ceeded. The value of exports of Amer
lean petroleum to Australia is now
opOut g--Oot,buu- ~ llCiII
of expectation, and one in which the
most marked increase is shown, is that
of railroad cars and carriages. This
item has increased from S175. 600 in 1894
to S1,275.CO0 in 1898. The trade in to-
bacco with Australia is considerable,
Notwithstanding the proximity of the
Philippine islands and Sumatra, in
which fine tobacco is produced in abup-
dance. The American trade with Aus
tralia amounts TO more than $1,00O,000
a year in cigars and to about quarter
of million dollars a year in leaf and
smoking tobacco. Sewing machines
to the value of 100000 year are eX-
ported to Australia and agricultural i'm
Elements to the amount of nearly $780,
900. This item of commerce has been
steadily increasing of recent years. The
Australian market for American ma
chinery has about tripled iii three
years. The expectations of wire have
increased since 1894 from 1,975,000
pounds to 100000, and it may interest
some of the critics of American COM
merce in other countries to know that
the trade with Australia in canned pro-
visions, other than dairy products,
amounted to S65, 900 in 1892, and fell to
$4,000 in 1895, and was only $4,000 in
1896 and does not seem likely to re-
cover much of the loss in the future.
In five years American trade with
Australia in leather goods has quao-
rupled. In marble and stone it has
tripled; in musical instruments it has
increased so per cent; in tinware it has
doubled: in clocks and watches it has
more than doubled: in fishery products
it has increased IS per cent, the chic
item of which is American canned saln-
on. Quite a considerable item OF
American trade with Australia is IL
lamps and chandeliers, and since the
large development OF the American
lumber industries upon the Pacific
coast there has been a very large in
crease in the expectations from Pa
cific ports TO Australia of American
planks and timber.
The development of American trade
in the Pacific and in Oceanica through
the acquisition of colonial possession
cannot fail. it is believed, to add to the
volume of American business with Aus
Italia, already increasing. The chief
item of importation is now wool; 9TH
er imports from Australia into the
United States are gold lin some years.,
hides, chemicals, tin and coal, but there
is practically no business done by Aus
tralia in manufactured articles with the
United States, though Australia is on
the highway of American commerce
from and to the Pacific ocean ports
n. Y. Sun.