The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1899-04-21
PROJECTIONS GREAT RECORD.
Tremendous Strides of Trade, Commerce
and Industry Made During the
Fiscal Year 1900.

evidences at hand 1t is plain that this
! fiscal year will be one of the most inn
portant in the history of the Govern
ment, Notwithstanding the fact that a
portion of the time was covered by
conditions of war existing between our
country and Spain. 1t is a marvellous
testimonial to the powers of the Ameri-
can people in their trade and industrial
pursuits that they have been able to
carry on a war with foreign foe, pay
all the expenses incident to that war,
and not only maintain treasury over
flowing with gold, but at the same time
afford conditions in our domestic rela-
tons under which there has been a
marvellous increase at home and in for
eign trade. Evidenceis being produced
by the daily reports of the newspapers
and the commercial agencies going to
show how handsomely industrial con-
ditions are improving, wages advanc-
ing and trade and commerce among our
own people returning to the high
standard which was set under the Nc
Kinley Protective Tariff law of 1890
Unless all signs fail the trade and bust
ness results of the current year will far
surpass those of the banner year 1892,
and this result in the face of conditions
of war.
Attention was called in the last
budget of this correspondence to the
testimony furnished by foreign govern
ments and authorities of note in the
worlds trade of the tremendous strides
that have been made in the worlds
commerce during the past year Let
us now examine some testimonials by
our own authorities. 1t is only neces.
sary in this connection to quote from
the recent figures prepared by the
officials of the treasury department to
show how marked has been the growth
of our foreign trade, and also The
strikingly interesting points showing
the decline in the imports of manu-
featured commodities, compared with
the exports of like goods, as well as the
general exports of all classes of goods
during the past few months. But it is
due to the officials of the State depart
ment, who are doing some excellent
work through the medium of the con-
suls of the government in foreign lands
toward promoting American trade, to
note some things said by the State de-
partment officials in recent comments
upon the growth of our foreign trade.
Attention has been repeatedly called
to the fact, which should not be lost to
the constant attention of protectionists
the country over, that the development
of our trade in foreign countries, especi-
ally in lines of manufactures, is mainly
in those lines wherein the skill and in
telligence of American working people
in the utilization of machinery methods,
has gained and is gaining for us broader
markets in regions where, if conditions
were equal and without protective rates
of duty to build up and strengthen our
domestic industries, our high priced
labor would be unable to compete with
the lower paid labor of foreign coun-
tries. This is, after ALL the strongest
point that can be made in support of
the protection doctrine, and upon it
rests the good works that are being
done under the influence of protection,
and which tend to make that policy
stronger with the American people
every succeeding day. Upon those
lines of manufactures into which labor
largely enters directly it is impossible
for our industries to produce goods in
competition with the producers of for
eign countries
Probably no branch of industry in
this country has been more effectively
brought under the influence of ma
chinery methods than the iron and
steel industry. Years of protection
have developed in this country mighty
mills and factories for the production
of iron and steel goods. The result is
that these producing plants are now
able to undersell foreigners on many
lines of machinery made goods. Since
the beginning of last July there has
been an increase of more than Sl5, 0OO,-
600 worth in our exports of iron and
steel compared with the corresponding
months of the previous year.
The case of manufacturers of cotton
affords another striking illustration
Probably no branch of American in
dustry has had greater number of
years of solid and adequate protection
than the cotton manufacturing lines.
The result is that during the period
since last July there. has been an in
crease of more than "a, 900, 900 worth in
our exports of cotton manufactures. 1t
will be remembered that the Dingley
Tariff, without increasing the average
dutiable rates of the cotton schedule
greatly above those of the Wilson Cor.
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