New-York tribune., 1907-10-07
IMPORTS ON INCREASE.
Margin Still to Credit of Country
Austin Tells Causes.

Washington. Oct 6.-Attention has been attract
ed recently to the increased value OF the imports
into the United States from foreign countries and
TO the narrowing margin OF the value OF imports
and exports That margin, as shown by the Off
cial statistics, Is however, yet on the credit side
OF Americas ledger. and. in the opinion Of the
government experts. is likely 70 remain there For
the month OF August. for instance, the excess Of
exports over imports aggregated in value $.+O444.
and the excess Of exports OYER imports for the
eight months ended August 81 was s194.453.162
1t IS important to note. in connection with this
that the increase in imports into America Is due,
in considerable measure, to the increased prices
which imported commodities command in the mar
kets OF the world Just how much OF figure the
Increase IN foreign prices cuts in the great inter
national transactions it is impossible now to deter
mine but the figures are at hand which Indicate
that not merely the quantity OF the imports. but
the value Of them in the countries Of origin are re-
sponsible for the large imports OF the last year or
II Is evident, too. from the statistics pre-
pared by the government that the narrowing or
the margin between Imports and exports is due not
to a decrease in the exports, but rather to an in
crease In the value OF the imports. On this point
O. p. Austin, chief OF the bureau OF statistics.
says:
Tho exports for the eight months ended with
August are larger than those OF the corresponding
months IN any preceding year. and those OF Au-
gust alone are larger than in any preceding August
except that OF 1906 So the reduction in the excess
Of exports over imports is due chiefly TO the phe-
nomenal growth OF imports which has character
ized the last few years. The value OF imports in
August, 1907 was SEQ 10000 in excess OF AU-
gust, 1906, and actually double that OF August,
1900 while for the eight months ended with Au-
gust the value OF the imports A56.OOO.OO moro
than in the same months OF last year, and more
than double that Of the same months of 1885
How do you account for this large increase in
imports?' he asked
Increased demand for foreign material for use
in manufacturing, increased purchases OF roreisn
manufactures and luxuries. and in many cases an
advance In prices abroad which makes given
amount OF foreign merchandise cost more in 1907
than the same quantity cost In earlier years
Crude material for use in manufacturing shows an
increase OF so 600 in the eight months ended
August when compared with the same month OF
last year; manufactures for further use in manu-
featuring. increase of SS5 100000: finished manu-
faotures increase OF 81 100000 and foodstuffs an
, increase OF $3O000.OO0 Raw cotton imports alone
show an increase OF $11 100000 in the eight months
ended August. 1907 over those of the same month
1906: raw silk s11OOOOOOI india rubber. s6.OOOOoo
chemicals, about 100000: 1bers. about $2OOO.000
and wool, pig iron and lumber about 100000 each
Copper imports show increase of about S5.000000
last year. this rapid growth in the imports
of copper into the greatest copper producing
try in the world being due the superior facilities
for smelling and refining which this country pos
sesses. All these articles which have mentioned
as showing a large increase in Importation for
in manufacturing. Then there is also marked
sugar showing increase OF S2.OOO.OOo. coffee
S0.OO00OO. and cocoa, S5OO0.OO0 In finished
features there is also large increase in importa-
tons cotton laces, edgings. and embroideres show
ing increase of about 100000 and manufactures
OF fbers about s6OOoOOo."
Can you indicate what share OF the increase in
imports is due to advance in prices of the articles
imported2"
mot definitely at present The bureau is making
an analysis OF import and export prices In 1907.
compared with those OF earlier years. with the pur
pose of trying TO determine what share of the
cent increase in foreign commerce is due
merely TO higher prices and what share TO act
ual increase in quantity imported exported. but
at present unable definitely to answer that
question. do know. however. that in many Of the
important imports the advance In price is largely
and In many cases. chiefly responsible for the in
creased total value of the articles imported
IT do not mean" continued Mr.. Austin. ''to i'm
ply that higher prices abroad are responsible for
all. or nearly all OF the largely increased total
value OF our imports. for there have been large
increases In quantity OF many articles brought
in especially those OF class not produced IN the
United States not produced IN sufficient quanti-
ties for home use
1T must be expected that with growth OF
population and increasing sharesor population de-
voting its attention manufact&es shall have
less and less OF natural products to spare for ex-
portatinn and require more and moro Of foraign