The independent., 1905-07-27

be more than $15,000,O0O in excess of
the figures of 1904. Articles of food
and animals" have increased by over
fOrty-fve millions, and manufactured
articles ready for consumption" have
fallen of about $4,0OO,0O0
The principal articles which showed
decreased importations during the
eleven months ending with May, 1905,
as compared with the corresponding
period of the preceding year were
manufactured articles, including chem
icals, cotton goods, feathers, fiber
manufactures, glass and glassware,
iron and steel manufactures. metal
manufactures, and wool manufactures.
Tea, cocoa, and vegetables were the
only important food products to show
Ia decrease, while the importations of
breadstufes, coffe, fish, fruits and nuts,
provisions Gncluding meat and dairy
|products,) spices, and sugar were ma
erially larger than those of the pre-
ceding year. Raw and partially manu-
factured articles imported for use as
manufacturers materials show in
creased importations, especially cop
per, cotton, undressed furs, India rub
ber, lead paper stock, raw silk, tin,
unmanufactured tobacco, unmanufac-
tured wood, and manufactured WOOL
Coal importations are about $1,500,000
below the figures of last year.
Volume of Exports
On the export side there is a de-
crease of over $53,000,000 in agricul-
tural products. The less important
classes, products of the forests and
the fisheries, show a slight net de-
crease as compared with 1904.
The articles showing the largest in
creases in expectations during the
eleven months of 1905 for which de-
tails are available are: Corn, an in
crease of $16,00O,OO0, as compared
with the corresponding period of 1904;
copper manufactures, an increase of
$25,000,000, about one-third being in
exports to China, where large amounts
of copper are in demand for coinage
purposes; cotton manufacturers, an
increase of twenty-five millions, prin-
cipally in exports of cotton cloths to
China; raw cotton, an Increase of nine
millions During the twelve months;)
iron and steel manufactures, an in
crease of twenty-three millions; hops,
two and one-third millions leather
and manufactures thereof, three mil
lions oil cake and meal, four millions;
oils, mineral and vegetable, five mil
lions rice, two millions; spirits,
wines, and malt liquors, an increase
of half million dollars; and wood
manufactures, an increase of less than
a half million dollars.
Much Less Wheat
The principal articles showing de-
creased exports are wheat, reduc-
tion of $32,000,0O0 twelve months
figures,) wheat flour, $2S,0OO,00O
twelve months figures;) fruits and
nuts, five millions; provisions, five
millions twelve months figures;)
and unmanufactured wood, decrease
of six and one-half millions The re-
duction in exports of wheat and
wheat flour was due part to the in
adequacy of the domestic crop to
furnish any considerable surplus over
the home requirements and in part
to unusually large crops in foreign
wheat-producing countries. Exports
from the United States of wheat, dur
ing the fiscal year just ended, have
been even lower thand uring the year
before. In the two foremost European
grain markets, the British and the
German, the leading position has been
taken by wheat of Russian and Ar
gentine origin, wheat imports from
the United States showing unusually
low figures for the period under con-
sideratiOn.