The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-05-18

In discussing the business outlook The
Times has called attention tosthe fact that
in making forecasts tnere
shrns oue must be reckoning with
the export trade, wt1ca
has been Increasing during the past few
years at a rate that seems to know no
limit. In commenting on the exhibit for
April the New York Evening Post says:
Briefly, the showing is that although I'M
ports of merchandise rose last month to
the largest volume ever but once recorded
for the period, our export trade was so
enormous that the excess of exports runs
beyond any corresponding month in the
country's history. It even exceeds by a
small amount the trade Balance of April,
1893. wnen Europe's famine demand was
crowding every available ocean ship with
wheat and corn. Comparison with that in
teresting period, two years ago, will show
very stril1ingly how the composition our
export trade has changed. In 1898 the
April exports were made up of SG2, GOO
agricultural merchandise, comprising $l4,-
0G0G GEO cotton and Of $337.0n0,0Go other pro-
duets, chiefly manufactures. In 1889, Ssh
500, O00 agricultural EFFORTS, Of which cot
ton made up s24600,c0o,i are supplemented
bys $54, 400 coo non-agricultural commodities.
In other words. while cereal exports,
which were the backbone of our export
trade two years ago, have subsequently
decreased 50 per cent, cotton sent out to
other countries mas expanded in value IL
per cent, and manufactured goods no less
than 46 per cent. This extraordinary shift
ing about in the volume of our exports
the offsetting by shipment Of otaer goods
the normal contraction of our brea6stuffs
trade-is the secret of our marveliously
persistent export balance. Nothing like
this occurred after the foreign famine and
American trade revival OF 1879 and 1880.
The export trade Of that epoch reached
high level in the second year OF foreign
grain shortage. ending with June, 1881.
The volume of exports from this country
during the twelve months before that date
was never approached again in the sue
ceedins decade; in most years it was
hundred million dollars less. In the pres
ent decade the foreign crop shortage ended
with 1898 and cereal shipments since then
have decreased at the rate of forty mil
lion dollars annually Yet our total out
ward trade for the ten months ending
April 30th-already, in 1898. exceeding q
billion dollars-increased S6G, ooO00 in the
fiscal year 1922 and tF1&5000.00o more IN
1900. Despite the gold export movement,
the peculiar ature of which is well enough
understood. it is hard to imagine, in the
light of any precedent. wnat is TO be the
outcome OF this situation.
According to Acting Immigration Com
missioner McSweeney, of New York the
largest number OF immi-
D 'mll'' gram grants ever received at any
Neso' = - o"' American port in one day
arrived at the Barge Office Wednesday.
They came in six ships, and number 1852.
The names of ships and number each
brought follow:
Grosser Kurfuerst 967; Victoria, 11222;
westernland, 997; Kaiserin Maria Theresa,
416; Massilia. 1,1SO: Teutonc, 800; total,
4.;S2 There were so many immigrants at
the Barge Office that night that it was i'm
possible 10 find accommodations for tnem
on the station ship Narragansett, at Ellis
Island. and hunks had 10 be improvised for
more than SIS.
This is one Of the signs of our great
prosperity.