The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-31
Germany Ranks Second. While the
United Kingdom, Statistics show,
Is Losing Ground.
RUSSIAN EXPORTS INCREASE
GOVERNMENT GIVES AID BY MEANS
OF SUBSIDIES AND THE LIKE.
American shoe Manufacturers WIFI
Lose Trade in Central America In
less They Change Methods.

states now leads the world IN the iron IN
dustry. This is shown in report made
to his government by Sir a. Z. Bateman,
president of the statistical department of
the Board of Trade of the British Empire.
This report has been received by the De-
partment of Commerce in Washington and
is most complete in its figures and COM
parsons. Necessarily, the elaborate char
acter of the report has made it impossible
to include the figures for 1902. The period
covered by the report is the twelve years
from 1890 to 1901 inclusive.
The total output of iron ore in the world
in 1901 was between So million and 80 mill
lion tons, the principal producers being the
United States. Germany, the United King
dom and Spain, in the order given. These
countries account for about three-fourths
of the total output of the world. Russia,
France, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Swe-
den Belgium are the other iron and steel
producing countries. While yielding the
greatest amount of iron ore gross, the
United States is by no means the largest
producer per capita. The per capita produc-
ton of Sweden is "a of ton of iron ore.
The per capita production of Spain is .43.
The United States comes next with 81. The
next in order the United Kingdom, with
80 of ton per capita and Germany with
%. The per capita production of the other
countries on the list is comparatively small.
There has been a notable increase of iron
ore production in the past three years in
the United States and Sweden All of the
other countries show a shortage, the most
marked decrease being in the United King
dom and Germany. The figures of consump-
ton for each of these countries show that
the United States, the United Kingdom and
Belgium are the countries of large produc-
ton where the consumption exceeds the
native product. Relative to its population,
the weight of iron ore consumed in the
United Kingdom is greater than in any
other country, the United States taking sec
ond and Germany the third place In this
respect
The United States is sixth on the list in
the production of pig iron per capita,
cupying the same place in the table does
Russia. In 1891 the production of pig iron
was not so great in Germany or in the
United Kingdom as in the previous year.
Hitherto the German production has in
| creased year by year, especially during the
last few years, and is now necessarily as
great that of the United Kingdom The
United States has made important adj
vance in production until the last five years.
In that period the progress has been even
more remarkable than that of Germany.
In the manufacture of steel the United
States leads the world. the production per
capita being IL tons. The United Kingdom
comes next with II tons. The figures for
1902, as compiled by the Bureau of Statis-
tics of Washington. show an enormous in
crease in this country in the production of
pig iron and TIE manufacture of steel. In
of the worlds iron and steel, and the United
States, Great Britain and Germany pro-
duced rs per cent. of the worlds total prod
uct.
The general effect of the Bateman report
| is to show that the United Kingdom is los
| ing ground in this line of industry and that
| the United States, Germany and Sweden,
notably the first named, are making re-
markable progress.
Consul General Hanauer, of Frankfort
| reports tremendous effort on the part of
| the Russians to increase their export trade,
notably in the line of cotton and iron man.
| ufactures. Agricultural implements are also
| being pushed in every direction and the
| Russian government takes an immense in
! terest i'm the promotion of Russian indus
| tries sustaining them by liberal monetary
grants. transportation facilities and in vari-
Gus other ways.
Notwithstanding a recent boycott declared
by the shoemakers of Bogota against goods
| of American manufacture, Consul General
Snyder, of that place, reports American
trade to be making decided gains. Consul
| Snyder, however, warns the American ex-
porters that they are now in danger of los
ing this valuable market through careless
ness on their part. He says: IF our mer-
| chants and manufacturers would confine
themselves to shipping a good. medium
| quality of shoe, thereby cutivating the
market and giving some thought to their
| customers-in other words, finding out the
| desires and wants of the people, and not
| trusting to statements of merchants here
| their standing in the market would become
so firm that there would be no chance of
! their losing 1t, for there can be no doubt Of
| the growing popularity of American shoes
| ION the other hand instead of improving
! their favorable hold on the market by
| merchants here have imported very recently
a class OF rubbish cheap stuff, the manu-
| facturers CONCENTRATING themselves, likely.
at having got rid of the goods and the
| merchants here at having made their prof.
it's. neither giving thought to the injury
| that will result in the future therefrom
| in this profitable market Unfavorable
| comment has already arisen and one result
| has been the boycott mentioned
| Consul Danziger writes from Madrid to
| the effect that while the American trade
| is making good progress in Spain, the
| European manufacturers sell their goods
| below American prices and extend longer
credits. Complaint is also made that the
| American manufacturer treats the Spanish
| dealer with evident lack of faith and re-
| spect The consul says, II cannot empha-
| size too strongly the fact that Spanish mer-
| chants are, as "A rule, honest and take
| pride in the perpetuity of their houses.
| They are, therefore afraid of the shadow
| of a dishonest act and If they pay slowly
| they pay none the less surely. L would there
rrDsr
into this market boldly and generously"
The figures compiled by the Bureau of
| Statistics show that the United States ex-
| port trade to Spain is slowly but appre-
| ciably gaining ground and that in 1902 there
| was an increase in imports into Spain
| amounting to nearly twenty-five per cent
| over the year before.
Consul kehl, of Stettin, Germany. thinks
| that the market for American brooms
shoes. cloth, furniture, bench tools and
| agricultural implements could be widely ex-
| tended in his neighborhood.
Writing from Munich, Germany, Consul
| General Woman says that the exports of
| bicycles from Germany shows remark
able increase during the past year. the
total foreign trade of Germany i'm this line