The evening times., 1899-05-16
AMERICAN WHEELS IN
UNIVERSAL DEMAND
Ridden in ALI Parts of the
Civilized World.
Sold in the Greatest Manufacturing
Countries of Europe.
ExpOrt. of BICYCLES to France Moro
Than Doubled This lenr-ln-
tcresting Statistics.

The opening OF the wheeling season gives
especial interest to some figures just pre-
pared BY the Treasury Bureau of Statis
tics. These tables. which present the sta
tistics OF bicycle exports during the past
few years. show that American wheels
are now being ridden in all parts OF the
world. a" a 1850
In the wilds of Mexico and Central
America under the blazing skies of Cuba,
Porto Rico. and other W9st Indian islands;
across the pampas OF Argentine, Brazil. and
other South American States: amid the
densely populated areas of China. British
East Indies. and Japan and in the jun
giles OF Africa. the American wheel is max
ing its way. Even in the great manufac-
turing countries of Europe, where work
shops and skilled workmen abound, mil
lions of dollars worth of American bicy-
cles are sold each year. During the fiscal
years 1895. 1897, 1898. and 1899. the expor
tations of American bicycles amount in
round numbers to s20.O00.000.
That such large numbers OF machine
requiring such high grades of workmanship
in its production should be continuously
and successfully exported in competition
with the workshops OF the most success
full manufacturing countries of the world
is a fact of which American workmen and
Americans generally may justly feel proud.
Four million dollars worth OF American bi-
cycles will. during the fiscal year about TO
end go to European countries. countries
in which the manufacturing industries an
tedate by generations those of the United
States.
To France, with all her skilled workmen
and ingenuity, expectation Of American
bicycles in the fiscal year 1899 will be more
| than double in value those of 1897, while
the fact that there has been a general
| lowering in prices indicates that in num-
| bers the increase has been very much
| greater To Germany the expectations Of
| bicycles in 1899 will be SO per cent in ex-
cess of those of 1897, though something
less than those of 1898. To other countries
! on the continent of Europe the bicycle ex-
ports of 1899 are 50 per cent in excess Of
| those of last year or the year before. To
the United Kingdom the bicycle exports of
| the year are materially less than those of
| 1895 as measured by values. though the
fall in prices probably accounts for much
| of the apparent reduction as shown by the
| figures which give values exclusively and
do not indicate the number of machines
exported.
one curious and interesting fact in re-
| gard to the exports of bicycles illustrates
the general tendency of Americas export
trade in manufactures. This Is the fact
that very large proportion of the coun-
try's exports Of manufactures go to manu-
featuring countries. TwO-thirds OF the
American bicycles go to countries which
make a speciality OF manufacturing, and
this export to manufacturing countries in
creases rather than otherwise.
1t will be remembered that predictions
were made a year or two ago that the ex-
ports of bicycles to Japan would decrease
as soon as the Japanese had obtained suf-
ficient numbers as models for their own
factories and established themselves in the
manufacture of wheels. This prediction.
however has not proven true. The ex-
ports CT bicycles to Japan which in the
fiscal year 1897 amounted to $52, 119, were
in 1898 sSS, ,905, and In the fiscal year which
ends next month will reach fully $3.50 900.
The islands which have been brought
into closer relations with America by the
events of the past year evidently appre-
ciate bicycles as among the good things OF
the United States. Cuba, witch in the
nine months OF 1897 bought but $1.469
worth, has bought in the nine months Of
the present fiscal year ssh worth OF bi-
cycles The exports of bicycles for the
full fiscal year 1898 to Cuba amount to
1924; to Porto Rico. 1850; to the Ha-
waiian Islands. $52,O72.. though to the
Philippines there seeIus to have been no
direct expectation of bicycles.
The largest single buyer OF American
bicycles in the fiscal year 1898 was the
United Kingdom. which took s1.s52, 1865,
though as already indicated the figures as
to values for the current fiscal year will
not be as large as those Of last year. Ger
many's purchases of bicycles from the
United States last year amounted to ST.
724,404. Canada came next in amount ol
purchases in this line, the total being
$611, 400, while France was next with pur-
. chases amounting to s4s2,62S; British
Australasia next, $309,906; Netherlands
$251, ,91S: Denmark. S22S,370; British Afri-
ca, $14S,503; British East indies, $s0SSS;
Japan. $Ss. .905; China, $27. .449; Dutch East
Indies, $13.36s. and Africa, $11.647. To