The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1906-10-05
OUR BUSIEST YEAR.
FOREIGN TRADE FOR 1906 GREATEST
IN OUR HISTORY.
Under u Tariff Which Free Traders
Call "Prohibitive" We Have Sold tn
and Bought From the Outside More
Than $4,000, 200, 900 Worth of Goods.

Call "Prohibitive" We Have Sold tn
and Bought From the Outside More
Than $4,000 200, 900 worth of Goods.
When we include our trade with
Porto Rico and Hawaii it will be found
that our foreign trade for the fiscal
year ended June 30, 1906, has passed
the $S,O00,000000 mark by many mil
lions. To Porto Rico we exported
$19,000,000, while importing $1S,0OO,-
600; to Hawaii we exported $12000.-
600, while importing $4,000, 900; total,
S1o,OOO,O0O. Add this to the $2,970.-
100000 representing our foreign COM
merce with other countries and the
grand total of our foreign trade is
swelled TO $3,O45, 100000.
Ten years ago, after two years of
tariff revision downward with a view
to removing the shackles of protection
and expanding our trade relations with
the outside world. we imported $779,-
724,G74 and exported $3.50, 606,93S to-
tai of 81 ,G23331 ,612. The gain for ten
years, nine years being under tariff
revised upward, is $1,3IS, 766, 1888. That
Is how our foreign trade has been
'hampered" by the Dingley tariff 1t
has very nearly doubled itself since
that tariff went into effect
Some interesting details of this enor-
nous gain in world commerce are sup
piled by the bureau of statistics. We
have sold more to and bought more
from foreign countries than at any 9TH
err period of our history.
Stated in round numbers, the total
imports of the year were $1,226,000,-
200. exceeding the highest record Of
my earlier year Q900 by $109O00,OO0,
and the exports were $1,744,000,00
exceeding those of the highest record
year $500 by 500, 100000. The ex-
cess OF exports over importswas $517.-
100000, exceeding that of 1905 by
$116,000000. Comparing 1906 with the
figures of five years earlier Q90D, i'm
ports show an increase of $403, 100000
and the exports an increase of $780,
100000 Comparing the figures with
those of ten years earlier QS96), the i'm.
ports show an increase of SAT-, 900. 00o
and the exports an increase of $751;
100000
An analysis of the trade figures for
1906, with the purpose of determining
the classes of articles in which this
growth of imports and exports has oc-
Cured, cannot now be made in precise
terms since the bureau of statistics
has not yet completed the details for
the twelfth month of the fiscal year.
Taking, however, its figures of the full
imports and exports of the year and
basing an analysis thereof upon that
made for eleven months, it would ap-
pear that about $970,000,000 of the eX-
ports were agricultural products and
about $600000,000 manufactures, the
remainder being products of the mines,
fisheries, forests and miscellaneous.
These figures would indicate an in
crease of approximately $25,000,000 in
agricultural exports and an increase
Of $190,000,000 in exports of manufac-
lures since 1901 and an increase of
$4OO,OOO,O0O in agricultural products
and of $372,0OO,O0O in manufactures
since 1896.
On the import side similar analysis
shows that the total of $1,226,0 100000
worth of imports in the full year is
composed of approximately $595,O0O,-
900 worth of articles classed as manu-
facturers' materials" $205, 000 1000 worth
Of articles classed as manufactures
ready for consumption" $115,000,000
worth of merchandise classed as EAR
ticles of voluntary use, luXurles." etc,
and about $255,000,000 worth Of ''ar-
ticles of food and animals" These fig
ures would Indicate that of the increase
Of $403, 100000 in imports in the past
five years about $245000,000 occurred
in manufacturers Materials" SIS ,000,-
600 in manufactures ready for con-
SUMPTION" n little over $5O000,000 in
articles of voluntary use, luxuries,"
etc, and about S33.000,O00 in food
stuffs and animals" Comparing 1906
with 1896 the increase in all imports is
SAT, 100000. Of which about $290,000,-
600 occurred in manufacturers mate
rails" S60000,000 in manufactures
ready for consumption" SS0,000,000 in
articles of voluntary use. Injuries"
etc. and $1S000.000 in "foodstuffs and
animals
Their true significance rightly COM
pretended. these stupendous figures of
trade furnish a conclusive argument
against tariff reduction and reciproc-
ity in competitive products. Surely
country which makes this remarkable
showing can afford to stand pat for
awhile longer.