Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-09-16
Twenty Five Million Dollars
Worth Annually Imported
Into United States
FARMERS GREAT OPPORTUNITY
They Could, BY Following This In
dustry. Put a Large Share of This
Sum into Their Own Pockets, As
Manufacturers Are Now Obliged to
Send Long Distances for the Skins.
,necial 10 Times Republican,


Washington, Sept ia new indus
try is Offering itself to the farmers ana
manufacturers OF the United States.
rhe fact that $25,000,000 worth of goat
skins are now annually imported into
the United States. and that her enter
prising manufacturers are now Obliged
to send halfway around the world for
large share of them. suggests that the
farmers of the country have u great
opportunity to put a large share OF tins
sum into their own pockets, and that
the entire sum may be divided between
our producers and manufacturers.
A statement just presented by the
department of commerce and labor.
thru It's bureau OF statistics, shows tha.
importations of goatslins into the Uni-
ted States are now running at the
rate OF $25,000,000 per annum. and that
a large share of these are brought from
India, China, Arabia. and southeastern
Russia. The increasing popularity o.
certain classes of kid leather for foot
wear. as we'll as gloves. has increased
very greatly the demand for goat
skins in the United States within recent
years. In 1885 the value OF goatskins
imported was about S4,000,000; by 1890
it had grown 10 $9.o00,00o, by 1898 it
was S15, 900. In 1900 it was $22.0Oo.-
0o0, and in 1903, $25,000,000 in round
numbers.
OF this large sum of money sent out
of the country to purchase goatskins,
So 100000 went to India, nearly $1,000
600 to China, S2.500,000 to France, ST.
500, AGO to Russia, S1,500,o00 to Brazil.
81 100000 to Argentina, and another
million to Arabia From India, which
took less than 100000 worth OF mer-
chandise OF all kinds from the United
States last year. and has increased
her purchases from us less than 81,
100000 in a decade, we have increased
our importations OF goatskins alone
from 100000 in 1892 to sI.o0o,o0o in.
1902. From Brazil, which has reduced
her imports from the United States
from S15,000,000 in 1895 to S10.000,00o
in 1908, our purchases of goatskins last
year were $1,500.000. France, Russia.
the United Kingdom, Turkey in Europe
and Turkey in Asia. Arabia, China,
southern Africa, Argentina, and Mex
leo also contribute literally to the sup
ply of goatskins to make up the s25.
100000 worth Of this product brought
into the United States annually.
The farmers OF the United States are
making no effort to reap
any part of this golden harvest for
Ihems elves. The census of 1900 showed
the total number of goats in the
United States to be less than two mill
Ions in number, and when 1t is under
stood that the skins of probably twen
~ million goats We're required TO make
The $25,000,000 worth imported last
year. it would be seen that the supply
from the United States could have
formed but small share of the total
Yet the fact that a large
share Of our supply of this important
import comes from India, China,
France and Mexico suggests that there
are large areas in the United States
which might produce goats success
fully and in sufficiently large numbers
to supply the entire home demand.
The following table shows the value
Of the goatskins Imported into the
United States since 1895: