Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-07-07
INCREASES
THE CONSUMING POWER OF THE
UNITED STATES is INcREAS.
ING FAST.
Though Expectation of Manufactures
Increases Only 100000 This Year
the Consumption Has Grown Won
derfully-The Figures.


growth in the consuming pow
er of the United States in this per-
iod of business activity is illustrated
by the figures of the treasury bureau
of statistics showing the importations
and expectations by great groups dur
ing the eleven months ending with
May, 1908. These figures show that
while the expectation of manufactures
has increased only two million dollars
as compared with the corresponding
months of last year, the importation of
manufacturers materials has increased
$66,000,000 as compared with the same
months of 1902, and $131.0O0,OO0 as
compared with the corresponding
months of 1901. AS it can scarcely be
presumed that the manufacturers of
the country are importing in excess of
their present or immediate productive
requirements, it would seem that the
increase in manufactures which this
growing Importation of materials indi-
Gates is being consumed at home,
since expectations OF manufactures for
the year show no material increase.
A Big Increase.
A rapid increase in the Importation
of manufacturers materials has been
the striking characteristic of the fiscal
year about to end. For the eleven
months the total value Of the manufac-
turers' materials imported amounted to
S451 ,0S1, 1853, against $2S4,775,764 for
the same months of last year, 1915, 524,-
957 for the corresponding, months of
1901, and $3.50, 455, 072 for the same
months of 1900. Prior to 1900 the i'm
ports of manufacturers materials had
never touched the 800 million dollar
line, except in 1893 when they were:
$30O,467,795. Comparing 1903 with
1890, the manufacturers materials i'm
ported, have nearly doubled in value,
those of the eleven months Of 1890 be-
ing $242, 437 1891. Comparing conditions
in 1903 with 1900, the year Of the larg-
est expectation of manufactures, it may
be said that the importation of manu-
facturers' materials has increased s
millions of dollars and expectation of
manufactures has decreased 10 millions
dollars during the eleven months peri
ords under consideration.
Home Production.
Not only has the Importation of
manufacturers materials increased,
but the home production of the great
articles used in manufacturing has
also increased. The production of pig
iron in the United States in 1902
amounted to 1881, 800 long tons,
against 13,769,242 tons in 1900, an in
crease Of over four million tons, or
nearly 80 per cent; while cotton pro-
duction shows an increase OF over a
million bales and wool gain of 80
million pounds, comparing 1902 figures
with those of 1900.
The principle articles in which the
increase in importation Of manufac-
turers' materials occurs are raw silk,
which shows an increase Of million
and a half pounds, or Is per cent, in,
the ten months for which - . = :. /,
statements are at hand; India rub
Der, which shows an increase in guam
THY of three and a half million pounds
in the ten months over the same pc
Rod OF the preceding year; and Ma
Mia hemp, which shows an increase of
four million dollars, comparing the ten
months of this year with those of 1902.
Iron in partially manufactured state
for use in manufacturing also shows
a large increase.
The following table shows the value
Of manufacturers materials imported
in the II months ending with May,
from 1890 to 1903:
.