Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1903-12-14


documented shipping of the United
States on June 80, 1908, exceeded
100000 gross tons. The amount of
tonnage registered for foreign trade
for several years has been almost IN
changed. BY the substitution OF
steamers for sail vessels the percent
age of our exports and imports carried
by American vessels increased last
fiscal year to 81 per cent. Tonnage
tax collections amounted to SSS5,S41.
compared with $S6S,7S3 for the pre-
vious year. Last fiscal year 1877
seamen were shipped, reshipped, and
discharged before shipping commits
sioners established at 81 principal sea-
ports, at a cost of $60.93S. The ship
ping commissioners Office at Mobile,
Ala, has been discontinued, and the
duties of that Office transferred to the
collector of customs.
Foreign Commerce.
The foreign commerce was the larg-
est in the history of the country. The
total imports were valued at $1.O25.-
719237. and the total exports at ST.
20,141, $40 This makes the grand to
tai of the years commerce $2,445,S60.-
GIG, against S1,714066,116 in 1898,
$1,547, O2O.S16 in 1888, and s1,164,616,.
1872 in 1873. Thus the increase in the
past decade has been more than that
of the two Immediately preceding dec
AIDES combined.
The imports of the year exceeded y
more than a hundred millions those OF
any preceding year, and for the first
time passed the billiOn-dollar line.
The exports were larger than in any
preceding year, with the single excep-
ton of the record year 1901, and. de-
spite the extraordinary demands of the
home market. fell but SCI, 62S.3 12 be-
low those of that year. The large i'm
ports were chiefly due to the great de-
mands of the manufacturers for ma
terial for use in their workshops. and
in part to the general prosperity which
led TO an increase in the importation
of manufactures and Injuries. The
value of the raw material imported
for manufacturing was 1875, 15O,947,
an increase of S47, 494, 500 over last
year, and the value of the partly
manufactured materials for use in
manufacturing was 11432O,720, an III
crease of $23,2O2,726 over last year,
making the total of manufacturers
material imported S4S9,471 .667. an in
crease of $7O,697,276 over last year
and of $164,OO5.775 over that OF 1898.
The increase in impCrtations of raw
material occurred in practically all
classes, while that of partly manu-
featured material was chiefly in iron
and steel for use in manufacturing,
despite the fact that the home pro-
duction of iron and steel last year was
the largest in the history of the
country. The condition of general
prosperity which led to an increase
in other classes of imports is in
dictated by the fact that the importa-
ton of diamonds alone amounted to
S26, 5O7 ,7S6. against S1S,SS7, 523 in 1902.
OF the total exports, amounting 10
81 ,420,141, 679, those of domestic pro-
duction amounted TO 1892. 231, 1902.
Products of agriculture exported
amounted to 1878, 322,S22, and were
larger in value than in any preceding
year except 1901. The total value of
the manufactures exported was S407,-
526,159, an increase of $S,SS4,75S over
last year, despite the exceptional de-
mand of the home market.
The commerce with the nom
contiguous territory of the United
States showed a gratifying increase
during the year The value OF the
merchandise brought into the country
during the year from the islands
which have recently come under the
American flag was: Porto Rico, SILL
51.195 Philippines, S11,372,5S4;
Hawaii, S26,242, sea- total of $4S.-
666,64S, against S2O,252, 563 in 1897.
The shipments of merchandise to
those islands during the year were:
Philippines. s4,0SS,9O9; Hawaii, s1O,-
S4O,472; Porto Rico, S12,246, 225-a
total of s27,125,6O6, against s6,77S,560
in 1897. The value of merchandise
received from Alaska was S10.22S,O69,
and of the merchandise sent to that
territory, $9,497.721. making the total
commerce with our nOncOntinsuous
territory $95,51S,004 during the year.
If to this were added the gold ore of
domestic production received from
Alaska, $4,719.579, the total would ex-
coed $100,O00,0O0.
international Metric System.
During the year the attention OF
the department has been called TO the
growing need for international
uniformity in so fundamental a
necessity to trade as weights and
measures. The experience of 40
countries of the world has proved
beyond question that the international
r7otric system is unsurpassed for
PRACTICAL convenience.
Monetary System.
Our currency system has been SUD-
jected during the year to some severe
tests. Unprecedented prosperity en-