Arizona republican., 1899-03-17
BIG EXPORT TRADE
February Business Up to inc
 Record Breaker.
NOf Quite Equal Tn Value fO Thai of February of Lasf Year buf Beats All Other YearS-The Price Of Cotton Increased.


 ary exports are likely to prove the largest of any February in the his tory of our export trade with the single exception Of that Of 1898. The prelim- mary statement of the exports of breadstuffs, provisions, cotton and mineral oils issued by the bureau of statistics, gives the total of those ar ticles at $55, ,989, ,S94, against $49, ,S43, 806 in February, 1897, S52,114,373 in February 1896, while with the single exception of 1898, no February shows as large exports of these articles. The figures for February, 1898, are S62, ,OO9,- : 536, about six million dollars greater than those of the month just ended.
 This slight reduction in February. 1889, as compared with the correspond- ing month of 1898. does not indicate an actual reduction in exports. but mereI ly a slightly lower price for some of the leading articles exported Wheat exports, for instance, in February, 1899, are nearly 10 million bushels against seven million bushels in the
 
 value is given at $7, ,335, ,399. against $6,434, OPS in the corresponding month of last year. The exports of wheat in the eight months ending February. 1899, amount to 10S,S07, 800 bushels, against 1O1, ,425, 1862 bushels in the cor responding eight months of last year, while the value is but $S1173O49, against S93, ,9S2, ,566 in the correspond ing months of last year. The exports of corn in the eight months ending with February, 1899, amount to Ill., S11,738 bushels, against 120,557 1863 bushels in the corresponding eight months of last year, a slight reduction in quantity, though the value of the corn exports for the eight months end ing with February, 1899, is S43,516,770 against $41,O96 356 for the slightly larger quantity exported in the cor responding eight months of lS9S
 It is therefore apparent that while export prices of corn are slightly high CT than those of year ago, those of wheat are materially less, anl that it is this reduction in the export price of wheat which is making the apparent falling eff in exports. In other words. it is not a reduction in volume of ex- ports, but in the price obtained for this largest article cf our export trade.
 While the wheat producers are not as satisfactory prices for their products as they did at this time last year, the cotton growers are more fortunate. The February exports of cotton which amounted to 2S3,412, FOG pounds, were valued at S17,326, ,463, 1 while 368, ,835, ,6O0 pounds exported in February of last year were valued at but $21,761,1 ,167, the average export l price last year being below cents per pound, while this year it is considera- ply above cents. In quantity the Feb ruary exports of cotton in 1899 are larger than those of 1 February, 1897 or 1896, but | below those of Feb ruary of last year. Tn practically ali | articles aside from wheat, February exports seem likely to be more satis- factory than usual, those Of provisions | in February, 1899, being larger than in the corresponding month of 1898, 1897 | or 1896, while manufactures continue 1 the steady growth over last year and | over any preceding year.
 The reduction of prices of agricul- | tuTal products is plainly apparent in the relative proportion of the total ex- ports which they form in the seven months ending with January During 1 hat period they formed but 69.02 per cent of the total exports, while in the months of last year they were 71.88 per cent of the total ex- ports. Manufactures make a very sat showing, their per centage Of he total exports being 24.74 per cent, against 22.5 5S Der cent in the correj- oonLlng months of last year. On only wO occasions have the exports of man. fractures shown in the full fiscal year IS large per centage of the total eX- ports as in the seven months just end I'd, although the value of the expOrta- ions Of other articles has been unus- ally large. It seems probable that the of the fiscal year which ,nds June 30, 1899, will be the largest n the history of the country, the re- 7ised figures for the seven months moving a total of $749, ,549 348, against '718, ,367, ,407 in the corresponding months Of 1898, the year making the argest export record in the history of ,ur commerce.
 
 ADMIRAL KAUTZ'S INSTRUCTIONS.