Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-07-04
GREATEST TRADE YEAR
Vast Increase In Both American
Exports and Imports.
PREVIOUS RECORDS SURPASSED.
Exports VIII Be Nearly $500, OOO,-
900 Imports, Which Also Have
Been Heavy, Were Largely COM
posed of Raw Materials For Manu-
facturinH.


Been Heavy, Were Largely Conn
posed of Raw Materials For Manu-
featuring.
The commerce of the United States
in the fiscal year which ends with this
month will by far exceed that of any
preceding year, its exports will surpasS
those of any earlier year by more than
$50, 100000. and its exports of manu-
features will exceed those of any pre-
ceding year by more than $4,000, 900.
Its imports. owing to the demands of
the manufacturers of the country for
foreign raw material for use in their
industries will also be large. Raw
silk. manufactured fihers, crude rub
Der, hides and skins, pig tin for use i'll
tn plate establishments, cabinet woods
and the finer grades of cotton and the
coarser grades OF wood all show
large increase as compared with pre-
ceding years. The value of unmanu-
featured silk imported will be nearly
% per cent i'll excess of that of the
preceding year and more than double
that of the fiscal year 1897. Raw cot
ton shows an increase i'll quantity of
30 per cent over 1899. manufactured
flbers an increase of % per cent over
1899 and 100 per cent over 1898, and
hides and skins show an increase of %
per cent over 1899 and 60 per cent over
1895
1t is on the export side. however, that
the year makes it's greatest record.
The total exports for the IL months of
the year amount TO Sl,2S6,214,,t}4, and
should the June figures prove us large
as those of May. which are just re-
ceived, it would bring the total up TO
81, 400. OOO.OOU or S1I3.0OO.000 greater
than the banner year 1899.
AS to the details of this wonderful
year every class of articles shows an
increase. ManufactureS. as already in
Dictated. will show an increase of more
than STJ.O00.O00, products of agricul-
ture will show an increase of nearly
SO 0O0, COO, products of the mine an in
crease Of nearly S10,00G,O0O, those of
the forest about al equal sum, fisheries
are $2000,0OO larger than last year,
and the miscellaneous class shows u
marked increase. Probably the largest
increase is in manufactures of iron and
steel. though cotton will show Il con-
siderable increase owing to the mark
ed advance in price. Nearly all grades
of manufactures of iron and steel show
an advance. Steel rails in the ten
months ending with April 1900, in
creased from S4,000.O00 to $1,000. 600,
structural iron and sSeel from $3.50,
600 in the ten months ending April,
1899, to S2.0I6.000, wire from 10000
600 pounds to 19S,000.0 900 pounds. the
increase in value being from S3,OOO,OOC
to S4,9J1, 900, the advance in price be-
ing much greater than that in quaint
ty. and this is true in nearly all grades
of iron and steel exports.
Builders hardware increased from
st, 332 900 to $7.SSS.O0 and railway en-
gines from $3,79SO 900 to $4,S05, 900.
Wire nails. despite the large increase
in price. more than doubled in quaint
~ of their export. the total number OF
pounds i'll the ten months ending with
April. 1900, being 1882, 900 against
81 $50 600 year earlier. The total eX-
ports of manufactures of iron and steel
will be about $4,000, 900. or more
than 20 per cent in excess of last year,
despite the frequently expressed fear
that the advance in prices would cause
reduction i'll exports.
Other lines of manufacture show 4
large advance. Leather and its manu-
features show an increase from $40,
OOO,0 to nearly SO, 100000 during the
period under consideration. and miner
al oils an increase from $40,O00,00O to
S56,OO0.0o0. though this increase is
chiefly due to the advance in price, the
quantity exported in the ten months
ending with April, 1900, being 65o,Oo0
geo gallons and that for the ten months
ending with April, 1900. 6S4,0O000O
gallons.