New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-04-05
NEW.roRK AND TIE EXPORT TRADE.

Figures published the other day by the De
partment Of Commerce and Labor through its
Bureau Of Statistics show an increasing dis
persion among American ports Of the export
carrying trade. Imports continue 10 be brought
In through a few fixed points Of entry, at which
the volume OF inbound commerce varies little
from decade 10 decade. But the outbound trade,
still mainly in foodstuffs and raw materials, is
being more and more generally divided among
twenty or twenty-five American ports. With
the Development Of the West and Southwest
and the completion Of various railroad systems
tributary 10 Gulf and Pacific harbOrs, ii is only
natural that grain, cotton and livestock ex-
porus should begin 10 follow new lines Of egress.
In the decade between 1898 and 1903 exports
from Gulf Pacific Coast and interior shipping
points have, in fact, been growing at a rate far
IN excess Of that maintained in the shipments
from older and less accessible Atlantic ports.
In that decade the total Of exports from al
Atlantic ports increased from SG43 100000 10
$4,000 Goa gain OF little less than 30 per
cent But for tie Gulf ports the total rose from
Sl31 900 in 1898 TO 1881 100000 in 1903-a
gain Of over 80 per cent The total for the
Pacific Coast ports increased from $50, 100000
TO S75,O00O00-a gain Of nearly 100 per cent
Tor Mexican border and interior Lake and
Northern ports the increase was from $4,000
600 IN 1893 to S161, 100000 IN 1904 gain Of
$50 per cent Atlantic ports, as a whole, had
30 per cent OF the export trade ten years ago.
Now they have only 61.0 per cent, and another
decade promises TO cut even more deeply into
the outbound commerce falling 70 their share.
The natural superiority Of Gulf ports for the
shipment Of Western agricultural staples viii
more and more assert itself, as railroad facili-
ties in the Mississippi Valley are cheapened and
multiplied.
Among the Gulf ports New-orleans and Cal
weston are pushing ahead fastest. Exports from
New-Orleans rose from SS5,0O00OO In 1888 10
sI50OO0OOO in 1903: those % Galveston from
s36.OOO,OOO to S144, 700. Mobile and Pensa-
cola also made remarkable gains increasing
their volume OF exports from $4,000 and
So $4,000 respectively 10 Sl5,14GlO00 and S15.-
SD COO on the Atlantic Coast New-York has
held through the decade her long established
supremacy as a shipping point. In 1893 the
exports from this city We're 1851 100000; In 1903
they were s5I6.OO0O00 New-York's percentage
Of the total Atlantic Coast trade ten years ago
was g5h. To-day Il is about 60 Some other
Atlantic ports are making greater relative ad-
vauces than New-YOrk, and this city's gain
from 1898 10 1903 was nearly 80 per cent.
Philadelphia made gain OF about 40 per cent
savnnnah. whose export trade increased from
seo.JO0.oOO 10 S5S,O00000. gained about 100 per
cent Portland's exports rose from Sl,f6-oOo
IN 1893 10 SI3956O00 IN 1903 Newport News
ard Wilmington y. c.. doubled their exports.
But Baltimore and Boston made only trifing
gain IN the decade. and Norfolk and Charleston
actually lost ground. Determinations in rail-
way rates have, perhaps. operated 10 divert
certain percentage Of shipments from this city.
But these determinations have not interfered