Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-04-28
THE TRADE WITH PANAMA,

the TRADE WITH PANAMA.
The trade of the United States with
Panama is showing a very rapid
growth, and will amount to approx
mately $12,000,000 in the fiscal year
which ends with June, 1906. The to-
tai trade in the fiscal year 1905 was
less than $6,000,000. 1t seems proba-
BILE, therefore, that the trade Of the
United States with Panama will show
an increase Of practically 100 per cent
in the fiscal year 1906 as compared
with that Of 1905. While $12,000,000
forms a small percentage of the total
commerce of the United States, the
details Of this trade with the youngest
and smallest of the American repub-
lies are interesting at this time, when
discussions Of the trade Of the United
States with the various American
countries, one by one, are being pre-
sented by the department of commerce
and labor through its bureau of sta
tistics. The figures Of our trade with
each Of the countries OF North Ameri-
ca have been presented except Pana-
ma, which seems proper for discussion
in passing to the consideration of our
trade with the countries of South
America.
Exports form, naturally, the larger
proportion Of our trade with Panama,
which now amounts to over $1,000,000
per month, and seems likely to aggre-
gate about s12,0O0,0O0 for the present
fiscal year. In the eight months end
ing with February, the latest figures
which have reached the bureau of
statistics, the total exports amount to
$6,843,028, against $2,57S,1S5 in the
corresponding months Of 1905. The
exports to the area now known as Pan
anna were included in the statement Of
exports to Colombia prior to January
| l, 1904, SO that it is only practicable
to compare the eight months ending
! with February, 1906, with the eight
months ending with February, 1905.
The imports from Panama are much
smaller than the exports to that coun-
(, try since its producing area is small,
/ while It's consuming power is proper
tionately large by reason of the pres
ence of large numbers Of people en-
gagged upon the canal and in prepare
lions for that work. The area of Pan
ANA is $1,000 square miles, or about
equal to that Of South Carolina, and
the population numbers probably a
/, half million, including the recent addi.
lions, the estimated population when
Panama established itself as a repub
pic having been about 100000. With
this small area and the attention OF
its comparatively small population
!, turned almost exclusively to the great
public work under construction, the
quantity Of material produced for ex.
portation is naturally SMALL AS a re.
suit a very large proportion of the
trade between the United States and
Panama consists of movements of mer.
chandise to that country, while the
movements Of merchandise from Pan.
anna to the United States are small.
For eight months ending with Febru-
airy, 1906, the exports to Panama were
$6,843,02S, and the imports from Pana,
ma 1921, 900, or less than one-tenth as
much as the exports. The details OF
imports from Panama for the eight
months covered by the latest statisti
cal statements are not yet available so
far as relates to the articles forming
the total, but figures for the last fiscal
year show that bananas, formed about
one-half and india rubber about one
| NTH OF the value o. merchandise i'm.
ported. Imports from Panama consist
briefly of bananas, india rubber, cot
fee and other articles of tropical pro
| duction
The export figures are naturally the
chief feature of interest, since the ex
ports form more than nine-tenths OF
the total trade and are growing much
more rapidly than the imports. In the
eight months ending with February
1906, the total exports to Panama were
nearly three times as much as in the
corresponding months OF 1905. While
1T is not practicable to state the de
tails down to February, 1906, the per
iod in which the most rapid growth
has occurred, 1t is practicable to pre-
sent an analysis Of the exports for the
fiscal year 1905. The analysis shows
that the exports are widely distributed
among the articles of general mer
chandise, and that articles especially
required for use in the work upon the
canal did not, up to June 80, 1905
form large percentage of the total.
4 -
. AN UNIVERSE PLAN.
According to report the Federation
4 of Labor is seriously considering the