The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-28


The details of the April expectations
just completed by the Treasury Bureau Of
Statistics that the expectation Of
manufactures during that month were by
far the greatest of any month in our his
tory and within a fraction Of $40.000.0e0.
This gives assurance that the exports Of
the fiscal year. which ends with June. will
nearly three times as much as a decade
ago. This phenomenal increase in ex-
portation Of manufactures is especially
striking when compared With the proyre-s
made by European nations, our rivals in
the attempt to supply the worlds market
with manufactured goods. Great Britain;s
exports Of manufactures show but slight
increase since 1890, and an examination
Of the export record Of the principal
European countries fails to disclose an
instance in which the increase has been as
much as 25 per cent, while that of the
United States, meanwhile. has been more
than $50 per cent.
An examination Of the details Of our
own exportation of manufactures slows
that 1t is in the productions. manufacture.
and expectation Of metals that We sem
to excel. The history of nations and peo-
pies show that great groups CT people fire.
quently excel in certain industries. and
the growth Of our expectation, as we'll as
our domestic production of manufactures,
seems to point to metals as our most sue
cessful line Of work, especially at the
present time. In 1889 manufactures OF
metals formed less than 20 per cent Of or
total expectation Of manufactures and In
1900 Will be about As per cent OF our ex-
ports Of manufactures.
The increase in expectation Of metals
and manufactures thereof in the decade
1SS9-1S9S was 339 per cent, while the in.
crease in the expectation Of all manufac-
lures in that time was but no per cent,
and the increase in manufactures other
than those OF metal during that time was
but So per cent. In this statement of the
expectation Of manufactures Of metals.
only those articles composed exclusively
of metals are included; those made up
In part Of metals, such as railway cars
agricultural machinery, etc., being in
cluded in the other manufactures. The
rapid increase In the expectation Of manu-
features Of metals is shown by the fact
that the exports Of brass and manufactures
thereof in 1889 were but s321,137, and in
1900 will reach s1.7Oo,000; instruments for
scientific purposes increased from sl.033,-
33S to s2.77O, 1903. and in the year about to
end will reach nearly 100000: copper
and its manufactures. which amounted in
1889 to S2,34S.9 54, win be more than
$50 100000 in 1900: iron and steel increased
from s21 .156.077 in 1889 to s70.406.SS5 in
1898, while in the fiscal year 1900 1t will
exceed s100. 100000
Another interesting fact developed by
the examination Of the figures is that the
European countries, in which manufac-
lures have been long established. furnish
as satisfactory a market for our manu-
featured goods as do the countries where
manufacturing has not yet been largely
developed. In reapers and mowers, clocks
and watches, sewing machines, bicycles,
and the various manufactures Of iron and
steel, and many other articles OF the higher
grades of manufacture. the European coun-
tries in which manufacturing plants and
machinery and skilled workmen abound.
furnish a market for large share Of our
exports, thus failing to justify the ex-
pressed fear that development OF manu- |
features In countries where we are row |
seeking foOthoid for our commerce would |
destroy their value as permanent market |
In this attempt to show the growth OF |
the expectation OF each article in every |
direction. it has only been practicable to |.
measure the growth by values. as the
varying value Of the units Of quantity de-
signated by common name would prove
confusing and misleading. A statement
Of the number OF watches. clocks. sewing
typewrfters. electrical fnstru-
nents. mowers and reapers carriages,
articles Of glass and china ware. builders
hardware, and miscellaneous articles of
,ottcn and wooden goods. for instance in
which the value of units ranges from a few
COLLARS to hundreds In single class. would
.onvey no information Tor comparative
purposes. 1t does not supply any facility
or measuring the real growth of the in
lustry or the commerce in 1t. as does the
simple statement Of total values by
,laSses.
On the other hand the well-known fact
hat prices OF nearly all classes OF manu-
actured goods have greatly decreased by
eason of cheapened and improved methods
II production, renders mere statement
II values somewhat misleading In an at
empt to determine the actual increase in
he expectation of numbers or quantity
II nearly all articles.
As already indicated. the largest growth
n our export of manufactures is in those
Il metals The largest class OF manufac-
ures of metals exported is that Of iron
md steel. In 1850 the export of manu-
actures of iron and steel was s14.716,524.
md in 1900 will exceed s100. 6000 900. or
more than seven times that of 1880.
In no feature of our export trade has
here been more remarkable growth
Turing the decade than in rails for rail-
ways, especially those of steel. The to-
al expectation of iron rails in 1889 was
,ut seven tons. and in 1898 2.769 tons. the
,alue rising from $40 in 1889 to S37. $50
n 1898. In steel rails. however. the
growth was even more remarkable. the
number of tons exported in 1889 being
1898. and in 1898. 2297S3. while the value
increased from $235,3S in 1889 to s4.613,376
n 1898. and in the fiscal year 1900 seems
likely to reach ss,000.000
This increase has been especially mark
ID during the past three years. the ex
,orts of steel rails in the fiscal year 1896
,eing $40. 797. those OF 1897 81. 49,. 20S. and
hose of 1895 s4613.376. Those Of 1899
we're $5,29s. 125. while the first ten months
II the present fiscal year show gain of
bout $2.O00000 over the corresponding
months of last year. While this rapid in
rease is due to generally increased de-
nand, the countries showing the most
marked growth In their purchases of steel
ails from the United States are Russia,
Ianada, and Japan a.