Arizona daily citizen. (Tucson, Ariz. Territory [i.e. Ariz.]) 1884-1901, 1901-03-16
OUR
EXPORT TRADE.

EAPOkl lkAOE.
The North American Review for
March prints very interesting article
under the title Business Situation in
the United States" in which a review
of our export tradein particular lis made.
The article was written by MIR. Charles
r. Flint treasurer of the United States
Rubber company, a gentleman has stud
led the situation from the standpoint OF
a manufacturer, and the conclusions he |
reaches are those of man who has |
made his investigations inteIligently and |
with all the facts before him.
1t may not be without interest to |
quote briefly from the statistics clted by
Mr.. Flint IN his articles, to illustrate the
growth OF our export trade rs compared
with that OF the United Kingdom, until
recently the leading commercial nation
of the world. We exported, In round
numbers, in the year 1875, 1913, 442,7ll,
while the exports of the United King
dom amounted to 81 ,029, 1897 $40. From
that year the figures ran up and down
the scale, some years increasing because
of large crop and, at other times,
when crops were poor, dwlndling enornl-
ously. This was because we were not
sending abroad great amount OF manu-
factured goods. 1t was at this time also
that certain class of political philoso-
piers were telling US, year after year,
that the United States were peculiarly
adapted to develop in an agricultural
way and that the tariff levied for the
encouragement of manufacturers was a
robber tariff.
The return to protective tarn policy
in 1896, after season OF depression ac-
companying the experiment with Mr..
Cleveland and his economic ideas, sti-
mulated trade, and we jumped at one
bound from $SS2, 100000 in that year,
to 81, 050, 000, 600, in 1897. The follow
ing year we passed, for the first time,
the United Kingdom, and took our
place as the leading commercial nation,
and in the year 1900 we were again in
advance, leading Great Britain by ten
millions.
An important feature in this later de,
velopment is the fact that We are not
now exporting breadstufs exclusively,
but owe the enormous growth of our
foreign trade almost solely to the manu-
facturers, and the time has come when
English and German economists ann
newspapers are ggafely discussing the
new situationy not at all satisfactory to
them.
liz ssdmming up, Mr.. Flint attempts to
explain some of the causes that have
operated to bring about the result noted,
and he succeeds admirably. He does
not give all the credit for the change to
the protective tariff policy of the reput-
lican party, but points out that one OF
the most potent factors in the new de-
velopments has been the organization OF
the industries of the country on new
lines. Here is his conclusion in his own
words:
''The system of centralized manufac-
ture, that has found so firm place with
us,permits for numerous reasons the high
est perfection of special machinery and
processes. The factory running on full
time, on large volume, reduces the per
centage of working charges. Direct
sales on large scale minimizet he cost
of handling. There is an improved sys-
tenn Of distribution which reduces ae-
gregate stocks, and thereby saves shop
wear, storage, insurance and interest.
Consolidated management results in
fixing the standards Of quality, the best
standards being adopted; in avoiding
waste and financial embarrassment
through over production in minimizing
loss by bad debts through comparisons
of credit, and in securing the advantages
of comparative accounting and compa-
rative administration. The Europe n
wage-earner, instead OF welcoming la
bor-saving machinery, as our workmen
have done, has persistently tried to re-
tard its general use; and the result
has been that wages are lower in
Europe. The American workman has
received more because he has produced
more, and this is the great reason why,
notwithstanding our high wages, We are
60 rapidly extending our trade with
foreign markets.
In view of the facts presented it viii
be well for students of the industrial
situation, particularly those reformert
who are prone to advocate the regula
ton Of everything and everybody by
law, to take up this branch of the sub
iect and give it thorough investigation
BY registering merely formal disaE
prevail Of the Cuban and Philippine poll
cies of the government, the democrats
have made themselves equally respon
sible for the result of those policies
Asa matter Of fact, two-thirds of then
really do approve these, but did no
quite dare to vote for them.
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