Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-10-12
AMERICAS FOREIGN COMMERCE.

AxThe record of the foreign commerce
the United States during August
strongly reflects the prosperous condi-
ton OF trade and industry. Figures
Just published by the bureau of statis-
TICS OF the department of commerce
and and labor, show that exports of manu-
Wactures during the single month of
August have increased nearly 50 ,O0O,-
O00 or about twenty-five per cent as
compared with the same month of last
year and about $20,0O0,0OO as COM
pared with August, 1901 Meantime
the manufacturers have increased
their consumption of materials i'm
ported for use in the various processes
OF domestic industry, the August, 1905,
imports of crude articles for use in
manufacturing having increased near
1y $2,000,000 over the imports Of Au.
gust, 1904, while there is an increase
Of about $5O,0OO,OOO when the
eight months ending with August
of this year are compared with
the corresponding period a year ear
lier. That class of manufacturers
materials designated as wholly or
partially manufacturer also shows in
creased imports-about $1,000,000 dur.
ing August and over s13,0OO,O00 during
the eight months ending with August
The figures show also that more
manufactures are being exported from
than are being imported into the coun-
try-a condition which has been
brought about during the short period
since 1897. Imports of manufactures
Gncluding in that term for this COM
parison manufactures ready for COM
sumption, articles wholly or partially
manufactured for use as materials in
the mechanic arts, and articles of vol
/ untary use and luxuries) aggregated
! during August last s45,O0O,O0O, while
exports of manufactures during that
month showed a total of $51 900, 900
During the eight months ending with
August, 1905, imports of manufactures,
including all degrees of manufacture,
aggregated $322,O0O,O00, while exports
of manufactures amounted during the
same period to 1915, 100000 AS re-
Gently as 1897 the records of Ameri-
cas- foreign commerce showed an i'm
portation of 1888 600, goo worth of man
ufactures during the calendar year, as
against $280,000,000 worth of manufac-
lures exported. The following year
, was the first to show exports of manu-
( features in excess of imports of manu-
features and since 1898 there has been
steady increase in the outward flow
of the products of American manufac-
turing industries. During the eight
month periods of the years named ex-
ports of manufactures have increased
from s190,O00,O00 in 1897 to 1876 ,000,-
900 in 1905, while imports of manufac-
lures have only increased from $212,-
100000 in 1897 to 1892 100000 in 1905.
, When such figures as these are used
( to represent the facts regarding United
States foreign commerce it is rather
an inopportune time to set up a cry
that America is losing her foreign
markets. The home consumption Of
American made good goods is not suf-
fering because of the increased ex-
port, but is rather increasing, and the
balance of trade in favor of this coun-
try is growing bigger and bigger every
year. These are facts that should be
considered when the question of fool
Ing with the tariff is raised.