Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-04-17
Tri-Weekly Courier.
FOREIGN TRADE IN 1905.

FOREIGN TRADE IN 1905.
Reports that are now nearly com
nlete show that the foreign trade of
tfl United States in 1905 was enor-
nous All previous records were far
ecllpsed, according to the reports of
the commercial agencies and the fol-
lowing interesting figures are given
by R. G. Dun & Co.:
Exports rose to $1,626,962,343
compared with S1,451, 31S,740 in 1904.
2 Z imports also established q new
h1gh-water mark at $1.179,358, S46,
against $1.035. 909, 100 in the preceding
year, which in turn surpassed all ear
| lier records. Total foreign trade at
tanned the unprecedented sum of 3d.
SO6,321, 1S9. This is about double the
commerce of years prior to 1890. In
all recent ears there has been a lib
eral balance in favor of this country,
exports exceeding imports in 1905 by
$447,603, 497, which is less than the
balance in 1900 by almost one-third,
but ample for all settlement of other
accounts such as freight. insurance,
interest and tourists disbursements .
Moreover, there is to be added on
specie account the difference between
net exports of silver amounting to
| $21 ,620.906 and net imports of $3,452,-
OCT gold. which makes the total of
$465. 772, 3O6.
disc account was not much larger was
of course due to the proportionately
greater increase in imports than in
| ~, ,r&e, ,s11, ~ ali Il
as a wholesome development, since it
is necessary to buy freely in order to
sell on liberal scale. In some recent
years it has seemed as though our
balances were getting too heavy for
the best interests of all concerned.
particularly as the expanding wealth
of the United States has made 1t pos
sible to purchase many American Sc
curities from foreign holders, thereby
reducing the interest and dividends
due abroad each year, while our in
vestments in the bonds Of other ma
tons nave turned tide Of payments
| in this direction to certain extent
that cannot be measured with exact
ness. That the volume of imports of
| luxuries and materials of manufacture
has expanded SO pnenomenally is also
tribute to the consuming powers Of
| this nation, and endorses the many
other evidences Of prosperity that ap-
peared in domestic reports of bank ex-
changes, railway earnings, prices of
securities and commodities, ETC., for
1905.
| Exports were especially heavy to.
ward the cad Of ne year, which more
than neutralized lie effect Of the light
outgo in the opening months. Deem
Der provided the most startling month
| ly total value of merchandise exports
ever recorded at $199, 709,06S. This
| is not only $29,000,000 in excess Of the
previous month, but $25,000.000 great
ier than the preceding high-water
mark established in December, 1903.
Last months total was about $54,500,-
| 00U greate- than the corresponding
month Of 1904. To some extent this
was due to special Influences, but .ev-
cry department showed good gain
over the exports Of the previous year.
In farm staples the .~ain was about
y4o ,000,000 leaving 100000 for
| the increase in manufactured pro-
ducts One special factor that con-
tributed toward the unparalleled out
go of staple articles was the announce
ment that Germany would soon place
high tariff ON .-.ain. This helped
to cause a monthly record movement
OF breadstuffs that has not been ap-
preached in recent years, the increase
over the same month in 1904 being al
most $17000,000 in this one division.
1T was gener. lily known that the
! United States was sending large guam
| titles of domestic staples abroad, but
no one expected the phenomenal re.
cord announced by the bureau Of sta.
tistics. These figures are the more
astounding because the foreign ex-
change market failed to show even
normal offerings of commercial bills,
but that was probably due to the fact
| that demand for remittance absorbed
| all grain and cotton bills so promptly
| that the market failed to exhibit any
| unusual symptoms. The value of
farm staples exported in December far
eclipsed all previous monthly records
at $124,537,928. In the corresponding
month of 1904 the total was S81 ,901,-
504, and the largest previous total for
any month was s114,s67,442 in Deem
Der, 1903. This remarkable result
was accomplished by the heaviest
SuipuSuC vi CdlIlS anu uOS6 SVCls re-
corded, while the outgo of provisions
also established a new high-water
mark, and Lit is necessary to go back
| to December, 1898, to find larger
monthly exports Of breadstuffs. Cot
ton shipments were not phenomenal
as to quantity, but the value was only
surpassed Yin November and Deem
! Der. 1902"