The evening times., 1900-04-09
AMERICAN GOODS ABROAD.
A State Department Review of the
Worlds Commerce.


Worlds Commerce.
The State Department has just given out
summary of Review OF the Worlds
Commerce." a publication to be issued
within a short time. The statement says
that the foreign trade of the United States
during the past year has increased to
greater extent than the most sanguine
prophet had hoped for. The gain has been
steady and substantial. American mer-
chants and manufacturers, the summary
points out. have owed a large degree Oh
their success to the superiority OF Ameri-
can made goods. 1t calls attention to the
excellent work being performed by the
consular agents abroad in securing valua-
BILE information fer American manufactur-
ers and merchants, and in introducing
American made goods into foreign coun-
tries. The summary In part follows:
"Since the date of the last annual review
of reports from consular and diplomatic
oificefs upon the industries and commerce
OF foreign countries, the commercial ex-
pansion of the United States. which was
then february, 1899) described as having
passed the boundaries of speculation and
experiment has proceeded at pace WHICH
has exceeded the expectations of even those
who were most confident Of a great deYei-
opment of our export trade.
THE broad lesson TO be drawn from the
reports OF the consular officers and the data
obtained from other sources as summarized
in the following review would seem TO be
this: That neither the products OF our
agriculture our forests, and our mines nor
those Of our workshops and factories, have
anything TO fear so long as they preserve
their distir guished merits, and that the
only danger they have to face is falling
off in the standard either through care
lessness or the mistaken desire to obtain
larger profits by lowering the quality. The
reason American cottous have obtained and
held conceded superiority In the markets
OF China and East Africa is because they
have been found by the natives to be more
durable than competing cloths, and the
same reputation maintained in other lines
of goods would seem to be the best guar
anty for the permanent and heaIthiul
growth Of our foreign trade
During the calendar year 1899. accord
ing to the figures of the Treasury De-
partment. the domestic exports OF the
United States amounted to 81, ,252 903. .9SI.
against 81, 233. .55s 140 in 1898. The per-
centage of manufactured products was
80 SO in 1899 24.96 in 1898: of agricultural
products. 62.42 in 1899. 69.06 in 1898: OF
mineral products. 2.66 in 1899. 209 in 1888:
Of forest products. 3S in 1899. 3.16 in 1888;
of fishery products. 045 in 1899. 0.i1 in
1898 1t will be seen that the gain was
most marked in manufactured goods. and
the increase is the more significant from
the fact that it synchroniZes with a gen
eral revival of Industrial activity in Eu-
rope showing that We were able to hold
our own in an intensified competition in
the worlds markets and with a greatly
increased consumption at home Of iron and
steel. which were being exported in in
creasing quantities during the period Of
our commercial depression. Our total i'm
ports during the calendar year 1899 were
valued at $79S, ,S45,5Il. against 1854 964, ,44S
in 1925 an increase Of nearly Si64 000, 900.
Analyzing the Treasury figures. we find
thai the percentage of imports free of duty
was i3.S1 in 1893. 1926 in 1888; of articles
lin a crude condition which enter into the
various processes of domestic industry.
So &, in 1899. 81 s. in 1898; OF articles Who'll
fy or partially manufactured for use as
materials in the manufacturers and me-
Chanic arts 9i5 in 1929. S.31 in 1898.
There was drop in the percentage Of ar
ticles manufactured ready for eonsump-
tiOn' from 16j in 1898 TO l4.9 in 1899. al
though there vas an increase from 1916 TO
1915 in articles OF voluntary use. luXu-
ries etc. In other words. it would ap
| pear that we are importing more foreign
materials for use ia our industries and
| less OF finished manufacturers with a slight
| gain in our consumption of foreign 'luxu
ries'-a condition of things attesting
steadily widening Industrial activity with
substantial results in a general increase
OF oI;r national prosperity and purchasing
power.
An examination of The Treasury figures
of exports and imports by articles for the
calendar years OF 1898 and 1899 which pre-
cede the summary of consular reports by
| countries in this review, will show
large increases in the export of most of
| the important articles of manufacture,
such as agricultural implements cotton
| goods electrical supplies ard apparatus
| for scientific purposes; manufacturers or
| iron and steel. including hardware. ma
! chineTy Of various kinds, cash registers,
Woodworking machines. printing presses.
! pumps and pumping machinery. sewing
machines. locomotive and other steam en-
giGes, typewTiting machines, nails and
! spikes. pipes and fittings, stoves. etc:
! leather and leather goods of all kinds.
vegetable oils. lumber. furniture. house
| Gnishings OF wood, etc. The total exports
| of railway cars and other vehicles fell off
/ from s1G.959.7l2 in 1888 to s9.S56,453 in
| 1899 bat this is explained by the heavy
decline in cycles (included under this head
! ing) from s. .Og2 197 in 1925 to 81. 4.s20.2Si in
| 1899. The sales abroad of railway cars and
| other vehicles. except cycles rose from
s.. S67 .515 in 1898 to 81, 036 169 vehicles. ex-
! cept cycles. rose from 50, ,S6I,515 in 1898 to
Il A.