Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-02-01
CENTURY OF GROWTH
Marvellous Development of Our
Foreign Commerce.
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS EXPORTED
Less Cotton Brings a Higher Price
Abroad.
YEAR OF PROSPERITY

The annual review of the trade of the
United States in agricultural products by
Mr.. Frank II. Hitchcock, chief of the Sec
ton Of foreign markets OF the Agricultural
Department. shows a high degree of pros
Rerty for this country.
The fiscal year 1900, says Mr.. Hitchcock.
brought to a close a century of marvellous
development in the history of United States
commerce. In 1900, a century ago. the total
value Of the merchandise imported and
ported In our trade with foreign countries
was considerably less than a quarter of a
billion dollars. The value of the goods eX-
changed during the past fiscal year reached
nearly two and a quarter billions, far OK
ceedRg all previous records. Since the
opening Of the century our commerce with
the rest of the world has increased more
than twelvefold.
1t was chiefly in the export trade that
the enormous growth of the century oc-
CURED. Our domestic exports during 1900,
with a recorded value of s1,S70, 1881 81, We're
over forty times as large as IN 1900. The
total imports for 1909 on the other hand,
amounting in value to 49,941 1874, were less
than ten times as large as in 1900.
Excess of Domestic Exports.
Compared with the value Of our imports
for 1900, that of our domestic exports
showed an excess of $500 $50. 3s7.
OF the merchandise imported from foreign
countries during the fiscal year 1900. about
40 per cent consisted of agricultural pro-
ducts. These products had an aggregate
value of 1920, 136, 3S1, exceeding by almost
| s65 OGO 900 the record of the year before.
Hides, silk and wool were the leading rae
| tors in the growth. although Vegetaple
fbers sugar and tobacco also showed I'M
portaut gains. The six items mentioned
contr. buted nearly s60,000,O0O to the increase
| In value.
Products of United States agriculture
marketed abroad in the fiscal year 1900 to
the value of Ss44, 616, $50, forming about 81
nar cent of the total domestic exports With
the single exception OF 1898. the past year
witnessed the largest annual export trade
In farm produce on record The value at
tanned came within SIS 900 Of the phe-
nominal figures for 1893, and surpassed
those for 1892 by more than $50,OO0,OOO.
considerable portion OF the increase over
1859 was accounted for by the higher price
of cotton. The exports of this great staple,
although smaller in quantity than during
the preceding year, exhibited an advance OF
cotton. the largest gains In value were
those afforded by the exports or meat prod
ucts and live stock. Tobacco, fruits and
nuts, vegetable oils, oil cake and oil-cake
meal dairy products and seeds also 1ur-
nished examples of increase.
A comparison of the value OF our agri-
cultural exports for 1900 with that OF our
agricultural imports shows that the FORMER
exceeded the latter by 1921, $50. 149 The ex-
port value was slightly more than double
the amount Of the import value.
Agricultural Products Imported.
Among the agricultural imports Of the
United States for the fiscal year 1900 the
leading items. named in order Of value,
were sugar, hides and skins, coffee, vege-
table fbers, wool, fruits and nuts, tobacco,
tea wines vegetable oils and cocoa. These
twelve Items comprised In value nearly 80
per cent of our entire import trade. In the
products of foreign agriculture during the
year.
In detail these principal items of our i'm
ports make the following showing, the
| figures given being for 1900 and the COM
parison of gain or loss being with the fiscal
year 1899:
Sugar 4O1s Csc, $50 pounds; gain. 1885,
| 961 pounds, and total gain in value of these
imports. s5.2s6s54. Hides and skins. a45,-
| value gain. $15,947,655. Coffee, 1877 o9l 81
| pounds; loss. As. 1875, 152 pounds; value loss,
81, e07, 527 Silk 13073.71S pounds; gain,
| 1,s2S,Ss5 pounds; value gain. $12s5o. 1a3.
Vegetable fibers, chiefly sisal grass. cotton
and manila hemp $34. 1874 $50; gain. s9,021.-
oil. Wool, 155,92S,455 pounds; gain 1882
gain, s11 1888 o39 Fruits and nuts. $40 2ss.-
5S2; gain. $949. 1856. Tobacco. 19,619,o27
| pounds; gain, $685. 9S pounds; value gain,
$3396970. Tea s.. s45. 107 pounds: gain 10.-
1885, gain, $S31,2s9. Veget able oils, $6s2O,-
| I'll; gain. S1,O20.O47. Cocoa, az, 759, 2iO
| pounds; gain, 632O657 pounds; value gain,
| $61O, 12S. The value changes were in part
| caused by an average rise in value during
| the year Of one-tenth of a cent a pound in
! sugar, cent a pound in hides and skins,
] one-tenth of cent a pound in coffee So
| cents pound In silk, S25.05 ton in sisal
| grass. Is cents pound In cotton, $51 so a
ton in manila hemp, 20 cents pound in
wool. and loss of 81 cents a pound in to-
| bacco, seven-tenths Of a cent q pound in
tea and seyen-tenths Of a cent pound in
cocoa.
BreadstulTs Sent Abroad.
Our principal agricultural exports in 1900,
| as in previous years. were breadstuffs, cot
ton and meat products. these. with live
animals. tobacco. oil cake and oil cake
meal. vegetable oils, fruits and nuts, dairy