New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-05-03
CREDITABLE RETURNS FOR MARCH.

CREDITABLE RETURNS FOR MARCH
One branch Of the public service may claim
credit for an achievement last month which Is
really remarkable On April 90 complete print
ed returns Of foreign trade in March and in
nine months ending with March, with all the
details as to quantities and values of each
item, and countries from which imported or to
which exported were forwarded from Wash
ington. These are returns which cannot be
telegraphed but must be transmitted by mail
| from several hundred offices. from far-off Ia
coma. close to the British Pacific possessions,
and San Diego and Los Angeles, in Southern
California; from the ports on the Mexican bor-
der and Gulf; from the Atlantic ports all the
way from the point Of Florida to the extreme
northern border of Maine. and from many ports
of the Canada border. lakes and st. Lawrence
all the way across the continent. The trans
mission Of so mhny returns from points so
far distant, not always provided with direct
mail routes, requires a full week. even If no
returns are found defective so that correc-
tons have TO he obtained from distant points
Then there is the labor at Washington Of ex-
aiming and tabulating these returns, which
cover over seventy Atlantic ports nearly sixty
on the Northern border, twenty-five on the Gulf
and Mexican border and ten on the Pacific
Coast. so that every item from each port how
ever small II may be. shall be found in It's
place in the record of $40 imported articles
enumerated. and about 221 articles exported,
with both quantities and values for most items,
and for many the different countries whence
they come and whittier they go. When that
labor has been performed by Bureau which
the Government has not supported with such
force and resources as the constant demands
upon 1t require, there comes the further delay
Of setting type and reading proof for many
broad pages Of tabular matter.
Those who know best what time such
compilation requires will be surprised that it
has been accomplished so that the printed
sheets could be sent off within twenty-six days
after the record was closed at hundreds Of
ports. 1t is a result highly credtable TO the
Chief of the Bureau, Mr.. o. p. Austin, and TO
his associates and subordinates But it is not
merely a sentimental interest or the satlsfac-
| ton OF idle curiosity which Is served by thus
| surprising all previous work in the publica-
| tion Of official returns. No one can estimate
the number Of keen business men In this coun-
| try who are watching for such records every
month in order TO know how far their own
| business has to meet competition, to what ex-
tent the demand Of home or foreign markets
have been met, and what changes have oc-
CURED in foreign prices of goods imported or
| in domestic prices OF goods exported by their
! competitors. Each concern knows what it has
been doing, and perhaps something of the work
OF few rivals, but only the record Of the en-.
tire business can show what changes have oc
Cured which require prompt modification OF
plans. 1t is therefore Of the highest Importance
to business interests throughout the country
that the reports should be prepared for publca-
tion If possible before an entire month has
| elapsed.
The returns for March are fully as crafty
ing in character as they are in unprecedented
promptness. Extended kilograms from Wash
| ington have given many Of the striking items
of increase In manufactured exports, and yet
there are few who will realize that a gain OF
| 100000 has been made in only nine items
within year, at such rates as these Cotton
manufactures and fertilizers 20 per cent; cop
per and manufactures, 40 per cent; vegetable
oils. 3S per cent; leather and manufactures, 80
per cent; iron and all its products. 20 per cent;
oilcake 90 per cent; chemicals, II per cent. and
wood and manufactures thereof, IL per cent
| AS the iron products form by far the largest
item SO. OIL $50 for the single month OF March,
| HRdlUSl Sf,o'osli' ioI copper us HliUu-
features and S2,509,392 for cotton manufact-
ures. the gain In that Item counts for more
| than any other, and is the more gratifying be-
cause II shows that the great advance in prices
had not until the end Of March arrested the
| outward movement. There are fourteen items
| in which exports have never been so large In
| any whole year as in the nine months ending
with March. and nine OF these are products Of
| iron and steel.
Others are zinc ore. acids. roasted coffee malt
| liquors and milk. But there is far greater
list Of which exports in any full year prior to
| 1898 were never so large as in nine months end
ing with March, and this includes agricultural
implements. eggs, glue, steel rails locomotives.
boilers, malt. nickel. olcake. vegetable oils,
paints paper aud paraiine. When II Is con-
| sdered that this means an increase OF third
or more over all years except the last, and that
q change so great rarely comes In any period
Of five years. the progress OF the country I'm
finding larger markets for Its PRODUCTS may be
better appreciated. The classes which have
| effected such gain that exports in nine months
! exceed the exports Of any entire year prior 10
| 1897 or 1893 also include some OF importance:
copper and its manufactures cotton manufact-
ures. fruits. carwheels builders hardware.
| marble and manufactures, starch, vegetables
| and manufactures OF zinc II Is not In all
kinds OF business at once or equally that