New-York tribune., 1900-03-23

tinc and electrical instruments, cars, carriages
and cycles, the Increase was over $916OOc OF
50 per cent. Including these, the iron exports
were SS05172 90 in seven months. a gain Oh
nearly 80 per cent. and s127SI 26S in January.
a gain Of AZ per cert.
1t will astonish many to observe that gains
are generally greater in January. when prices
are at the top than in the longer period. win
prices much of the time considerably lower
The same feature appears in many otner
branches however OF manufactured products
copper ranks next exports of that class having
been $50 Oi4236 in seven months. a gain oil 30
per cent. and 81 S6965 in January, n gain OF
81 per cent. Wood manufactures showed gam
of 25 per cent in seven months and 80 per cent
in January. Exports of leather and its manu-
factures gained 80 per cent in seven mohths
but only II per cent in January. Cotton manu-
features showed some gain, though, owing TO
high prices here, hut little and oilcake increased
22 per cent in the seven months, but scarcely
any in January. Gains Of about 20 per cent
appear in vegetable oils and chemicals, over 4o
per cent in paraffine. slight gain in fertilizers
but nearly 100 per cent in tobacco manufact-
ures and over 20 per cent in paper, with small
gains in fibre manufactures and little decrease
in turpentine Glucose gained over 90 per cent
in January though starch declined; books and
rubber manufactures over % per cent, musical
Instruments little clocks 80 per cent, glass
ware 81 per cent stone manufactures lo
per cent paints II. soap nearly 80 ana sugar
a little with slight losses in malt liquors
and explosives. OF the classes here men
toned the exports in January were Sf6 i9f,ofo'
against SOS 1S1 DOL last year. gain of 800 per
cent When it is remembered that the advance
of prices here has been expected to Kill foreign
trade in American products, such gains in the
month of January alone may we'll be regarded
with satisfaction well as surprise.
1t has been the height of folly these results
prove to claim that protective duties cripple
home industry and make it incapable of com
petng in foreign markets. But perhaps 1t Is
quite as foolish to claim, many do that such
duties should now be abolished because the in
dustries have found out how to flourish without
Them For the same works which are manu-
featuring some products which they can sell
abroad in competition with anybody have also
mart OF their force and machinery devoted TO
other products which could not yet be made
here with success but for defensive duties
further fact of the greatest Importance Is (nat
the industries of this country are sheltered, and
need TO be, from the effects or prostratloD
abroad. Now business everywhere is heavy ana
prices are high. and foreign works can thrive.
But when widespread disaster abroad throws
MANY concerns into bankruptcy. so that stocks
are sacrificed for what they will bring, while
other concerns struggle to escape the same fate
by similar sales at loss, American works
would have to share the disaster and the losses
If there were not defensive duties. Fortified
behind this system of National defence. home
industries grow with security and with the
highest encouragement TO progress because,
whatever misfortunes may occur abroad. they
have the largest market in the world upon
which to rely.