New-York tribune., 1901-03-09
DEVELOPMENT OF COMMERCE.
FROM WASHINGTON'S FIRST To MKIN-
LEYs SECOND INAUGURATION.

Washington. March (SpeciaD.-A picture or the
commerce or the country from Washington To
mckinley is presented in some figures Just pro-
pared by the Treasury Bureau OF Statistics which
show the imports and exports IN each inaugural
year, from 1873 1901. While II IS not assumed
mat the Inauguration OF President bears auv re-
Iauoh 10 the commerce Of the year In which II
occurs, the quadrennial events furnish convenient
mileposts by which 10 measure the deyelopuent
OF commerce since the completion Of "a more per
fect Union" Before the complete union OF the
States under the constitution the records OF i'm
ports and exports were imperfectIy kept and in
certain years were inaccessible so that the arst
accurate reports OF the imports and exDorts Of
the United States a nation are for the 49,
immediately following Washingtons inauguratio
the fiscal year 1870 In the later wears the os,,-o
are given for the fiscal in which the Presi
dent was inaugurated. while the inpossibil,,v q,
predicting with accuracy the imports ana a,,-or.
or the present fiscal year renders il necessary 70
aoopt Tor the closing date OF the able the figures
for the calendar year 1902
In addition 10 the statement Of imports and ex
ports, column is presented showing tho evcess
OF imports or exports In each OF the wears na-,od
ana study Of this column proves especialIv In
teresung as a measure Of the deyeloprnert n,
commerce and industries Before ls77 all the wears
named, with four exceptions show an excess %,
imports over exports while since that time all
The years except two show an excess ~ e,,or,,
over imports In general terms, II may he said that
peiore 1876 imports almost constantly exceeded av
pOi's' ana since 1876 exports have almost coz,
stAhtly exceeded imports. while I'm the last ,v
years the excess OF exports over imports has been
phenomenaliy large being in the calendar ,,e.r
~" the largest In American history and reacbi,r
the enormous total Of s6iS $50 800 A stiu furtbe-
evidence OF the gain which exports have made oor
imports In the last few years is found in the e.,
mat In the lN years from the organization az ,ba
government 10 the Inauguration OF President NJ
ndn,eE exports had only exceeded imports by $685.
V-o'1H while In the four years since his ip.u-
eutauoh exports have exceeded imports by s2l5o
V'o"" Ihis remarkable contrast I'm the figures NJ
me Tour years under President Mckinley as com
pared with the period Of lO7 years immediately
Tececlng Is accounted for by the fact that in tho
Ist threequarters of that period the Imports vere
lkuch greater than the exports while The excess
OF exports came only I'm the final quarter oS tbs,
n.I,s mus making the excess of the entirs
last four years 'N'SS" III ihs
The following table shou,s tba ,,,..-
49, ana excess OF imports or exports Of tba
s, s..reL S.dtts IN each inaugural year from VVasL
rI or nrst 10 Mekinley's second inaIIgurati,T
hs uies TOT the nrst date Iii,
th Tot s me year immediately SUBSEQUENT ana
otSSe oI the iast named date are those oe -
oaLendar year Immediately preceding while in mi me
other cases they for th.. fiscal Vear -. an 81
the inauguration occurred: III "HiVh