The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-08-15
Crude Products Now
Nearly One-Half of
Total.
ACTIVITY IN MANUFACTURING
Statistics Showing Important Effect on
Character Of Purchases From Abroad.
Over S4oo,ooo,ooo Bought Now, Com
pared With S2oo,ooo,ooo in 1881

The growth in the importation Of man
ufacturers' materials. and the Increasing
share which such materials form IN the
total imports, is the most remarkable
feature of the foreign commerce Of the
United States in the fiscal year lust
ended Manufacturers materials form, in
1902. nearly one-haIf Of the total impor-
tations, and show a remarkable increase
over. preceding years, while other class
es Of imports show but very slight in
crease.
\ table showing the imnszJations by
great classes in each year rom 1880 10
1902. IS printed in the annua! report Of
the chief of the Treasury Bureau OF Sta
tistics and affords an opportunity to
study the growth in imports of manu-
fscturers materials. and the growing
share which they form in the total i'm
ports
The Bureau Of Statistics distributes
the imports into FIVE great groups.
namely: IL Articles of food and ami
mails. IL Articles In a crude condi-
ton. which enter into the various pro-
cesses OF domestic industry. 80 Arti-
cles wholly OF partially manufactured
for use as materials in the manufae-
lures and mechanic arts. "a Articles
manufactured ready for consumption
(5.)Articles OF voluntary use, luxuries,
etc.
Imports of Raw Materials Doubled
Combining the two classes Of articles
for use in manufacturing. those in a
crude condition, and those wholly or
partially manufactured for use as ma
teriaIs in the manufactures and me-
chanic arts" it is found that the tctai
value Of importations for use in Alanu-
featuring. which amounted in 1881 20
$217. 81, 551. were, in 1902, $41s. .76. 6S1.
OF practically double those Of 1851 They
formed, in 1881. 1914 per cent OF TIE
total imports, and, in 1902, 1915 per cent
of the total imports.
This phenomenal growth becomes even
more striking when it is compared with
the growth in importation Of all other
articles than those for use in manufac
turing The table in the report OF the
Chief of the Bureau OF Statistics which
sets forth the imports. by years. Of the
great groups above referred to. shows
that the total value of Imports other
than manufacturers materials" amount
ed, in 1881 to S433, OF AS and in 1902
TO S4s4. 550. 800 and formed, in 1881
66-56 per cent of the total imports and
IN 1902 but 1854 per cent of the total
imports. Thus. while importations Of
manufacturers materials have PTac-
s-nTf " don II
tations OF articles other than manufac-
tuceTs' materials have increased but
about Z per cent
Comparing conditions in 1902 with
those Of 1892 there is an increase Of
about 80 per cent in manufacturers ma
teriaIs and an actual decrease OF about
10 per cent in other imports. In 1852
the impoFtati0ns OF manufacturers ma
terials were $27S.3 ,966 against Sis
re. 6SI in 1902 and the imports of ar
ticles other than manufacturers ma
terials were. in 1892 1855, 2s1 ,379 and in
1902, S494, 550, 800 These figures seem es-
pecially interesting in view Of the fact
that the total imports of 1862 we're
larger than in any year in the history
OF our foreign commerce
The Fail in Prices.
Even these figures, however. do not
indicate. in all cases at least. the actual
growth IN manufacturers materials be-
cause Of the fact that they are figures
of values only and, in many cases.
prices have so much fallen that the
value figures Of 1902. when compared
with those Of earlier periods, do not
fully indicate the growth in quantity
imported
Ths reDo-+ efyse II, conjunction 7-i+H
the table above referred 10, another
showing the quantity Of principal ar
1icies imported II shows. for ex-
ample. that while the value of raw silk
imported in 1902 is only three and one
half times as much as in 1880 the guam
tity is more than FIVE times IS much.
The total importatons Of unmanufac-
? tured silk il 1886 amounted 70 2 562, 246
pounds valued at $12.0z4. 69s. while that
OF 1852 was Il 23z s25 pounds valued at
$40, 6s5. 351
II India rubber, the quantity import
&c has increased from less than i .000
OG0 pounds in 1880 TO over so 900 eco
IN 1902 ibers from 118.024 tons in 1885,
to 305, T2T tons ia 1862; tin, from %. 600,
coo pounds 10 g, 600, geo pounds: cotton
tincluding waste) from $500. 0G0 pounds
10 113, 00o, 600 pounds.
The table which follows shows the i'm
poTtations Of manufacturers materials
and Of all other articles at ouiuqUennia
periods from 1881 to date and the per
centage which those TWO groups formed
OF the total imports, viz
Total manufacturers materials i'm
ported-1SS1. S217, 81 sol, 33.44 per cent
1886, 1929, $50. 495, $3.50; 1891. $305, I80. 056
1912; 1885, 1921. 300, 205, 81. 03; 1901, 1915
SIS. 952. 1881; 1902. S416. ri. 6SI. 1915.
Imports other than manufacturers ma
terials-1SS1. S433, 047. AS. 66.56 per cent
1856. 1902 .712 ,319. $40. 1881. S549. 339. 521
Gs.28; 1895, S47S, 39I SIS 62.97; 1901. S46i,
s44,3s9, 5719: 1902, S4S4 $50 .399. 1864