The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-04-17
Locomotives, Wire Nails, Rods. Bars,
est Increase i'm Exports.
EX-SPEAKER REEDS PLANS
RUMOR THAT THE "CZAR- WILL RE-
TIRE FROM PUBLIC LIFE.
May Make Definite Announcement Be-
fore Sailing for Europe On Wednes-
day-Nayal Promotions.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON, April 16-No other fea-
ture of the wonderful success OF American
manufacturers in foreign markets has been
quite so wonderful as that pertaining to iron
and steel. While the expectation OF manu-
factures in the fiscal year 1899 is likely TO
show an increase of more than S3oVc,V0
over that OF last year, that OF iron and steel
alone will supply more than one-half that
increase. In the eight months OF the fiscal
year for which the Treasury Bureau OF Sta
tistics figures are now available, the ex-
ports OF iron and steel are nearly $l60oo.Voo
greater than in the corresponding months
of the preceding fiscal year, and show q
gain of So per cent. over those Of last year.
and nearly 20 per cent. over those OF the
preceding year. In importations Of iron and
steel there is a reduction as compared with
last year, though not in so marked a de-
gree, the falling of in imports for the eight
months being but 10 per cent, while the
corresponding period of last year showed a
reduction OF 20 per cent. The following
figures show the imports and exports or
manufactures Of iron and steel in the
eight months ending with February in each
of the last three fiscal years:
Year. Imports. Exports.
1913 ...-................ o,5ys,Slt 4z,co1,zo1
1879 .................... i,5o4,soS 5e,5U,t%
Nearly all of the great classes OF iron and
steer manufactures show an increase over
last year. Exports OF wire nails, of which,
the expectations in eight months OF the
fiscal year 1898 were 16 as pounds. in
eight months of 1899 were p. .697, 75 pounds:
exports OF bars or rods of steel increased
from ls7eO.79S pounds to s1,7oS.442 pounds:
steel plates and sheets. from lS.52s,61S pounds
to 81, ,7S4, Cos pounds, and wire from S0.05s. 80
pounds to l26.S5s.9i9 pounds
Railway engines show an increase of near
ly 90 per cent, the value Of those ex-
ported in the eight months of this fiscal
year being s3,17S,6i2, against &,2e,550 In the
corresponding months of last year and ST.
95s,27 in the same months OF the preceding
year, and in exports of electrical and metal
working machinery an equally large in
crease is apparent.
While comparison OF the exports OF the
eight months of the present fiscal year with
corresponding months of the two earlier
years shows a marked gain and is there
fore interesting better view OF the real
progress Of the iron and steel industry il
obtained by comparison of the imports
and exports for a term OF years. An exam
ination of the figures OF the imports and
exports OF iron and steel and the manufac-
lures thereof from 1SSo TO 1885 shows that
the imports are but one-fifth what
they were in 1850, while the exports are five
times what they were I'm that year. Thus
the American manufacturers, besides occu-
pying four-ffths of the field which foreign
manufacturers were then supplying. have at
the same time increased their expectations
400 per cent. The following table shows the
imports and domestic exports OF iron and
steel and manufacturers thereof in each OF
the years from 1880 TO 1885, the year in each
case ending June 30: