New-York tribune., 1900-11-26
FIGURES OF PROSPERITY.
THE GROWTH OF THE COMMERCE OF
THE UNITED STATES IN 1900 COM
PARED WITH FORMER YEARS.


washington, Nov Is (speciaD.-There is ample
food for Thanksgiving reflections in some figures
which the Treasury Bureau OF Statistics has just
presented regarding the commerce and affairs Of
the United States in the closing months of the
year 1900 as compared with conditions the cor
responding date in preceding years. and comparing
prosperity in the United States with that in other
countries. While the whole world is prosperous,
the United States TO be especially SO. Our
exports show increase OF s166 33 17S In the ten
months ending with October 1900. compared
with the corresponding months OF 1899.
the total for the ten months is practically double
what # was in the corresponding months Of 1894
This OF itself shows q remarkable activity in all
lines of production, while the import well the
export figures indicate that the activity in
featuring lines. and consequently the increased
earnings Of the millions engaged in these indus
tr1es, must be very great. A considerable share of
fhe materials required for in manufacturing
comes from abroad SUCH for instance, india
rubber. tin for n manufacturing tinpate.
hemp jute. sisai. silk. cabinet and dyewoods
chemicals. hides and skins and certain grades OF
wool and cotton; and by measuring the growth in
the importation OF these articles idea OF the
growth IN manufacturing may be obtained
The total Importation OF materials Of this class
used n manufacturing during the months end
tng with October. 1900. s23S257.sls compared
with S243Ss757 IN the corresponding months of 1899
and S127 945 IN the months of 1884 Turning
again 10 the export side. it is found that the
portation OF manufactures alone amounted in the
nine months ending with September. 1900 TO $685.
s7s24s. against s277502.e4s in the corresponding
months of Sl45 793 ,S34 IN the months
Of 1885,. Thus the expectation Of manufactures has
Increased nearly 2 Per cent year and
than doubled II the four years from 1896 TO 1900,
while the importation Of manufacturers materials
has also increased at rapid rate. Exports OF
manufactures OF iron and steel alone amounted TO
tlI00o0000 In round numbers IN the ten months end
ing with October. 1e00. against sSS,oooo0 In the
corresponding months OF 1929 and s5l 0o 900 in the
corresponding months Of 1897. having more than
doubled n the three years from 1897 10 1900.
Not only have the manufacturer and the millions
dependent upon his industry shared IN the pros
per1ty Of the year. but those engaged in agT1-
culture and mining seem TO have been equally
prosperous. judging from the record shown by the
figures Of export commerce. The expectation
OF agricultural products IN the ten months ending
with October 1900. In round terms 10000 0o
against S625 100000 in the months OF 1899
The products OF the mine. the forest and the sh
cries also show al increase IN 1900 compared !
with the figures OF 1899.
This increase in the products Of industry IS es |
peciRlly interesting, in many cases It shows |
higher reward for a given quantity OF labor or.
Il other words higher prices received for the
ticIe itself well increase il the quantity
produced and sold In cotton. for instance. the
average export price pound IN the months Of
September and October. the beginning of the
cotton year. has been SO cents, against 81 cents
n the same months of the preceding year; while
n other agricultural productions and in various
lines Of manufactures. especially those Of iron and
stee-. and IN the products Of the mine. there
Increased prices per unit of quantity, and thus
better earnings for those who produce them.
comparison Of conditions IN the United States !
with those In other countries, as measured by the
foreign commerce indicates degree Of prosperity
which compares favorabIy with any country Of the
world Our exports for the ten months ending
with October show increase. has already
been noted. Of S.65 10000 In the exports of the
United Kingdom he Increase in ten months is
S.25y1,00J0, while the figures for Belgium France |
Spain and ltaly show Increase in expectations
Curing that par o. the year 1900 available In
The case Of Belgium. France Spain. Italy. Ger
many and the United Kingdom the imports |
greater than the exports. In the
exports vastly exceed the imports, the excess of
* '9FLS oFeI iinI1orts IN tne ten months ending
fan IN the correeponding period Of gnv pre eSfeSS
ytar. and greater excess than that Of any other
Il is not improper in this review the commerce
years 20 review briefly the decade and century Of
Wtllch II forms the closing year. While it is not
export figures for the calendar year 1900 the Bu-
fiscal year 1900 ending with June 60 and thus made
! iTactlcabIe 70 co1Ipare the commerce Of the |
eminent. This table. which shows the imports and |
exports and excess Of imports over exports in |
each year from 1870 TO 1900, is TOO long to repro
~ the Bureau into table showing the imports |
80 GO W = "a zen !ar f I+Iioos ron 11S0 10 1Sp
oeeen-iaI period. This table interesting not !
fecord but especially its showing relative 10 the
excess % imports exports during the 1l0 wears
under CONSIDERATION Il viii be by exam |
nation uf the unal column Of the table which
presen,e1 below. that imports exceeded exports al
most continuously prior TO the decade Is7I-'s0 and
that since that time exports have almost oontnu-
oGs-y exceeded imports. bat that the of
ports over imports in the decade just ending. 1891
lee. IS extremely large. compared with any pre-
ceding decade. As already shown. the excess Of |
exports imports IN the single year 1900 will |
he greater than in any preceding year in his |
The table showing the commerce of the United |
States tF cecennia! periods is follows: i