Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1907-08-16
AMERICAN EXPORTS
GROWING RAPIDLY,
During Last Decade They Have Increased
Nearly Three Hundred Per
Cent

WASHINGTON, ID. G.. Aug. 10
Especial. The figures just compiled by
the several departments Of the govern
mcnt showing the exports for last year,
indicate that the United States is rapidly
assuming IN important place in che
commerce Of the world. These figures
are Il genuine revelation, showing, as
tLcv 10. that the export trade Of AmerI-
ca Has increased nearly 300 per cent. in
the last decade and by leaps and bounds
is mounting higher and higher every
year.
American Methods Win.
In talks had with government experts
and ~tatisticiaHS the CONSENSUS is that
this Increase is due, first, TO the SUI
pcrinrity Of American made goods, and,
secondly, 70 the improved method Of
American business men in dealing with
customers in foreign countries. OF
courcc, in some countries the manner of
the American bag man." the commercial
traveller, as we know him, is rather
startling to foreigners. They don't like
his abruptness, and they don't like the
terms upon which sales are made, but
generally the trend is toward the direct
methods Of the American as against the
easy going methods Of representatives Of
foreign houses. In some cases we are
losing business because we do not con
form in the way Of Grating and boxing
goods to meet the time hOnOred methods
of foreign countries. Generally, however,
the methods Of the American and the
quality Of his goods appeal to the for
eigner, and. all thing being equal, we
are slowly but surely winning our way
into the markets of the world.
Cultivating Foreign Trade
Prior to tile Spanish-American war,
manufacturers in this country, while
interested in foreign trade, did not cater
particularly to it. They had so much
business at home that they did not have
to devote their attention to outside coun-
tries in order to obtain Il market for their
products. While the home market has
not decreased in value-in fact, it has
increased and is increasing ali the time,
but the facilities for manufacturing also
have increased, and with labor-saying
inventions and 4 reduction III administra
ton cXpenses-the facilities for manu-
featuring have largely increased, and
the American manufacturers therefore
are now finding it to their advantage to
cultivate the foreign trade.
The pay for articles that are most ac
cesSible for foreign trade is good and
prompt-and i'll the great proportion Of
dts instances, the profits are ample.
American exporters found it somewhat
expensive in the beginning to introduce
goods from the United States into for
eign countries, but now that the Ameri-
can drummer is abroad in the world
with his persistency and with the quail
ity Of his goods we'll appreciated, the
foreign business is increasing phenome-
nally, due largely to the aggreSsiveness
and the sagacity Of the American COM
mercial traveller.
An Enormous Increase
During the year ended June 30. last.
more than 100000 of American
products were exported; while during the
fiscal year of lS9T-ten years agO-tha
exports aggregated only S261, 600, 900.
Most of the exports last year were sent
to foreign countries in finished form.
ready for consumption. About pne-third
of the total amount exported was sent in
unfinished form for further use in manu-
featuring III other countries. Practically
all of the exports to the nOn-cOntiguous
territory of the United States-amount-
ing to about 100000 in finished
form
The statistics compiled by the govern
ment show that manufactures of iron
and steel form the largest single item of
export, the total value of these exports
being S1S1 100000 last year. as com
pared with S1G1,0OO,0OO the year before.
The next largest item was copper the
exports Of which aggregated about SS9.-
100000, most of which left this country
in partially manufactured form. Other
large items i'll the exports were: Manu-
features of wood, $50, 100000; mineral
oil, $4,000, 600; leather, 45.00O.0 600; cot
ton, $32.00O,000; agricultural implements,
So 100000: naval stores. So. 900 600:
cars and carriages. 81 900, 900: chem
icals. drugs and medicines. $4,000 600:
scientific instruments, S15.000,000 and
paper, $4,000. 900.
The distribution of the exports among
the various countries has not as yet been
definitely ascertained. 1t is estimated.
however that S350,000,0O0 went to Eu-
rope; $2O0,000,000 TO North America:
S10000O,000 TO Asia and Oceanica: S75.-
0000O to South America: $4,000, 900
10 Africa and 100000 900 TO the non
contiguous territories of the United
States