The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1904-02-11
EXPORT VALUES
ARE ENORMOUS
GRATIFYING FIGURES COMPIL-
ED BY GOVERNMENT.
A BILLION AND A HALF
including Insular Possessions of this
Country. What the Researches of
the Department of Labor and Com
merce Show Wonderful Increases.

merce SHOW Wonderful Increases
Washington The value Of the mer-
chandise passing out Of the ports of
continental United States in 1903 was
more than billion and half of dol
lars. While the figures issued by the
Department of Commerce and Labor
through its Bureau of Statistics show
total exports Of 81, 4S4, 6S1 1896, they
do not include the shipments from the
United States to Hawaii or Porto
Rico, and if these were added they
would bring the grand total to over
a billion and half dollars.
While the omission Of the ship
ments to Porto Rico and Hawaii from
the grand total Of exports is fully JUS
titled by the fact that those islands
are now customs districts of the Unit
ed States, it is proper to include those
shipments with the total of exports
in considering the growth Of the ex-
port trade during recent years, since
prior to 1900 the imports from and
exports to the Hawaiian islands were
included in the statement Of foreign
commerce Of the United States, and
that this was also true with reference
to the imports from and exports to
Porto Rico down to July l, 1901.
Since those dates, however, the COM
merce with those islands has not been
included in the statements Of foreign
commerce, but stated separately by
the Bureau of Statistics in a group Of
tables showing the commerce between
the United States and its non-con-
tiguous territory. Commerce with
the Philippine Islands, Guam, Tutuila,
etc., which have not yet been made
custom districts Of the United States,
is still retained by the Bureau Of Sta
tistics in its totals of foreign COM
merce, though the details are sepa-
rately stated in the group Of non con-
tiguous territories above referred to-,
as are also the detailed figures Of
trade with Alaska.
Any attempt to compare the export
figures of 1903 with those of years
prior to the year 1900 for the purpose
of determining the growth or percent
age Of growth would for the reasons
above named, require the inclusion of
the figures of the shipments to Porto
Rico and Hawaii in 1908. They are,
respectively, to Porto Rico, $11, S19,-
S95, and to Hawaii $11, S12,142, or a
total Of So, 632,037. Adding this to
the total of exports to foreign coun-
tries IN that year, given by the Bureau
Of. Statistics as $1,4S4,6S1, 995, would
bring the grand total to 1,50S. 314,-
O32, the sum necessary to be used for
comparative purposes In stating the
growth Of our export trade as COM
pared with the years prior to 1900.
Turning to the import figures and
adopting the same plan Of including
the merchandise received from Hawaii
and Porto Rico, the figures for 1903
exceed one billion dollars for the first
time in any calendar year. From
Porto Rico the value Of merchandise
received into the United States in
1908 was $10,152,923, and from Ha-
wall $29,519,731, and those, added to
the imports from foreign countries in
that year, bring the total merchandise
received into the ports Of the United
States in 1908 up to $1,O35, 1883.
The necessity Of including the fig
ures of merchandise received from
Hawaii and Porto Rico in attempting
to compare the growth of importation
is Identical with that above outlined
with reference to exports, all import
figures prior to 1900 having included
the merchandise received from Ha-
waii and Porto Rico.
A study Of the above shows that
imports i'll 1908 (including for the
sake of comparison, merchandise from
Hawaii and Porto Rico) show an in
crease of over 120 per cent. compared
with those Of 1870, and that exporta
show an increase of over 270 per cent
compared with those Of 1870. Tho
total increase in imports from 1870
to 1903 (still including for the sake
Of comparison, the figures Of Hawaii
and Porto Rico in 1909 was 1914,
100000, and, the increase in exports
during the same time was 81, los, 000,,
600.
Drown in Gutter.
Now Arloorr Tarv Cn,do~n 49,