The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-02-06
BILLION AND A half
Value of Exports Increased
Greatly.
NEW RECORD FOR 1903
Increased Price of Grain and
Cotton Count for Part

Washington, Feb. 5.-The value of the
merchandise passing out of the ports of
continental United States in 1903 was more
than billion and half of dollars. While
commerce and labor through its bureau
of statistics show total exports" of
81, 4S46 S1 1886, they do not include the ship
ments 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 shipments to
Porto Rico and Hawaii from the grand
total of exports is fully justified by the
fact that those islands are now customs
districts of the United States. it is proper
to include those shipments with the total
of exports in considering the growth of
the export trade during recent years,
since prior to 1900 the imports from and
exports to the Hawaiian islands were in
Guided in the statement of foreign COM
merce of the United States, and that this
was also true with reference to the i'm
ports from and exports to Porto Rico
down to July l, 1901. Since those dates,
however, the commerce with those islands
has not been included in the statements
of foreign commerce, but stated separ-
ately by the bureau of statistics in a
group of tables showing the commerce
between the United States and its nom
contiguous territory. Commerce with the
Philippine Islands, Guam. Tutuila, etc,
which have not yet been made customs
districts of the United States. is still re-
tanned by the bureau of statistics in its
totals of foreign commerce. though the
details are separately stated in the group
of non-contiguous territories above re-
ferred to, as also the detailed figures of
trade with Alaska.
Any attempt to compare the expore fig
ures of 1903 with those of years prior to
the year 1900 for the purpose of determin-
ing the growth or percentage of growth
would, for the reasons above named, re-
quire the inclusion Of the figures of the
shipments to Porto Rico and Hawaii in
1903. They are, respectively, to Porto Rico,
81, 49, 95, and to Hawaii, s11s12,1 42. or
total of S23 632, 037. Adding this to the
total of exports to foreign countries in
that year, given by the bureau of statis-
tics as 81, 4s4, 6S1, 1886, would bring the grand
total to 81 sos, 314, 032, the sum necessary
to be used for comparative purposes in
stating the growth of our export trade
as compared with the years prior to 1900.
Turning to the important figures and
adopting the same plan of including the
merchandise received from Hawaii and
Porto Rico the figures for 1908 exceed
a. ir,a INV
calendar year. From Porto Rico the value
of merchandise received into the United
States in 1903 was slO152.923, and from
Hawaii $29, 519 73l. and those, added to the
imports from foreign countries in that
year, bring the total merchandise re-
ceived into the ports of the United States
in 1903 up to s1.0S5. 1889.
The necessity of including the figures
of merchandise received from Hawaii and
Porto Rico in attempting to compare the
growth of importations is identical with
that above outlined with reference TO
exports, all import figures prior to 1900
having included the merchandise received
from Hawaii and Porto Rico.
Imports in 1903 Qncluding. for the sake
of comparison, merchandise from Hawaii
and Porto Rico) show an increase of over
100 per cent compared with those OF 1870.
and that exports show an increase of
over go per cent compared with those of
1870 The total increase in imports from
1870 TO 1903 (stiu including, for the sake
of comparison, the figures of Hawaii and
Porto Rico in 1888 was ga million dollars,
and the increase in exports during the
same time was 1,100 millions.