The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-12-04

! First, it exceeded that Of any preceding
year and for the first time the grand to-
tai OF imports and exports passed the two
| billion dollar mark; second the manufac-
! turers' materials formed a larger proper
! ton OF the imports than ever before;
/ third, manufactured goods formed larg-
/ er proportion OF the exports than ever
/ before; fourth exports were larger than
( ever before, and were more widely dis
| tributed than in any preceding year
The imports CT the year were ss49 ,941
/, iS4, against $697, las, 4S9 in 1899, an in
however. is chiefly in manufacturers ma
/ terials- The class articles in a crude
condition which enter into the various
processes Of domestic industry shows a
| growth CT from S222, e57, IA in 1899 to
i S3dz, 426,746 in 1900, an increase of SO, 76S,-
/ 972; and the class articles wholly or par
tally manufactured fer use as material
: IN the manufactures and mechanic arts
! shows growth from $50. S64 .1S3 in 1883 to
/ SOC, 1898 in 1860, an increase of 81, 49,,
S65. Thus more than two-thirds OF the
/ entire Increase in importations was in
manufacturers materials. Articles IN
crude condition for use in manufacturing
! formed in the year just ended 1888 per
| cent OF the total imports, against 81 81 per
cent IN 1883 and 1906 per cent in 1890. Ar
| ticies wholly or partially manufactured
/ Tor use in the mechanic arts formed I0.4I
per cent of the imports of 1900, against
$50 per cent in 1899. On the other hand,
[ the class articles manufactured ready
for consumption was but 1917 per cent of
! the total imports of 1900 against 1854 per
I cent in 1898 and 21.09 per cent in 1856
While manufacturers materials form q
constantly increasing percentage of our
! imports. finished manufactures continue
/ TO form an Increasing percentage Of our
! rapidly growing exports
! The total exports of the year we're val
ued at 81 594. 463. 0S2. of which 81 376, 7t3
! were OF domestic production. or this vast
sum. manuf lctuTes formed 81 90 per cent
/ against 28-zl per cent in 1899 23.14 per
cent in 1880 and 1857 per cent in 1890
| The total expectation of manuf3 ctHres
during the year 1900 was S433 S5I 100
against 1885,, 592. las in 1899. an increase of
I nearly 800, 000, 600, OF about Is per cent.
] Agricultural products also show a graft
! flying gain over 1893 the total for the year
I 1900 being SS35, SIS 1913 against S7S4 .7e 142
I in 1859, while every other clGss-miaing
/ forestry, fisheries, and miscellaneous
also shows an increase in 1906, as com
/ pared with the preceding year
A detailed study OF our imports and ex-
ports with reference TO the countries 4
origin or destination shows a marked de-
yelopment in cur trade with those ccun-
tries and Islands 10 which the great in
duStridi and commercial nations are ROW
turning their attention. In both imports
and exports our trade with the tropics
and the Orient shows a much greater Tsr-
cenlage OF gain than does that with the
countries OF Europe. The rapid gain IN
| imports from these territories is readily
accounted for by the increased importa-
ton Of manufacturers 2teriaIs Of the
class which cannot be produced a. home
and the increased requirements for irepi-
cal food stuhs which come with The
growth of population. OF the $500 Geo coo
worth of manufacturers materials i'm
ported in a crude condition during the
fiscal year 1900. fully two-thirds origi-
| mated in Central and South America, At
RIGA, Asia, and Oceania; and of the class
( articles of food and live animals" /
amounting TO S21S, AZ, 09S, more than two
thirds was of tropical and sub-tropIcal
production.
Our commerce with the island Terrific
ries which have been brought into closer
relationship with the United States By
! the events OF the past two years also
shows a rapid growth, despite the fact
! that in Cnba and the Philippines pToduc-
ton and consequently purchasing power
have been partially interrupted by war
conditions Imports from Cuba which IN
1897 were SIS. 40G,415, IN 1900 we're $751;
81, 704; from Porto Rico. in 1897. $2.IsI.-
| G24 and in 1900. S3,0TS Gas: from Hawaii
in 1887, SIS, 687,199, and in I9CO $40, 7V7,
9eS; and from the Philippine Islands, in
1897, 1888, 40 and in 1900, s5,971 ,2OS, /
making the total for these four island
divisions. in 1897, SIS. 65S, S7S. and in 1900
SS1 129, 1853, an Increase Of 5S.I per cent (
/ in 1900 as compared with 1897. In ex-
ports, the increase is more rapid To /
Cuba, the exports in 1897 were s. 259. 176. :
and in 1900. SIG, 5I3 400; to Porto Rico, in
1897, 81. 9SS, SIS. and in 1900. 81 GO, 44G; to
Hawaii, in 1897, si,e99,075. and in 1869, /
Si3,5G9. 14S: and 10 the Philippines IN !
1897, So .597 and in 1900, g. $40 a.. making :
the total to the four island divisions, in
1897, SIS, G33, 336, and in 1900, s47.3o ,446, +
an increase Of 214-6 per cent IN 1900 as
compared with 1897.
The commerce with Porto Rico has shown
especially rapid gains since May l, 1880,
at which date the act OF April u. 1890. ;
providing revenues and civil government
for Porto Rico went into effect IL the
first five months of the operations OF .t.e
act, extending from May l to October l.
the imports into the United States from
Porto Rico were 50. 316. 334. compared vita
81. 040 1913 in the corresponding months OF
the preceding year. and 81, 219, f2S in the
corresponding months of 1897 in which
year Porto Rico was under the Spanish
flag; while exports from the United States
TO the island in the Eve months under cen
sideration were 81, S07, 909, against 81 1873 !
SD in the corresponding months of 1899 !
ana SlbS,SUZ IN the corresponding months OF I
1897, an increase OF 265 Fer cent over 1897. !
Commerce with the Hawaiian Islands /!
showed q remarkable growth in the fiscal
year 1900, the first year following the com
pletioh Of annexation. the imports from
the Islands Increasing from ST., S3I, 4e3 II +
1899 TO $50. 707, 90S in 1906, and the exports /
TO the islands Increasing from s., 305. 40 (
in 1899 TO SO. sos. us in 1900
The fact that Porto Rico and the Ha- /
waiian Islands are now subject to the nav !
igation and customs regulations of the /
United States makes it no longer practica-
bic to require at .he custom houses the
statements by which their commerce with
the United States was formerly measured
Unless these statements can be continued
the public will be deprived of all official
information as &c the effect OF the new re-
letions upon the commerce of the United
States with those islands.
The enactment of legislation which will
require statements of the commerce be-
tween ports of the United States and all
non-contiguous territory under its juris-
diction to be fled at the custom houses II
the same form as that now required IN
foreign commerce is therefore recon-
mended- This viii not prove III any way
hardship to those engaged in that trade |
but Will, on the contrary supply informa-
ton OF great value to them and to the |