Omaha daily bee., 1907-10-07
BIG INCREASE IN IMPORTS
Americans Buying More Abroad This
Year Than Last.
GREATER INCREASE IN VALUES
just what Proportion of the Total
Excess IL Due to Enhance Prices
Has Not Yet Been Fig
ured Out.

Has Not Yet Been FlR-
ured out.
| WASHINGTON, oct. 6.-Attention has
been attracted recently to the Increased
1 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
official statistics, is. however, yet on the
credit side of Americas ledger and, in the
opinion of the government experts, is likely
there to remain.
| For the month of August. for instance,
; the excess Of exports over imports aggre-
gated in value si.464.4O4i and the excess OF
( exports over importsAfor the eight months
ended August 81 was sl94,4SS,l62.
! II is important to note in this connec-
/ tion, that the increase in Imports into
America is due. in considerable measure,
to the increased prices which imported
commodities command in the makets CT the
world. Just how much of figure the in
crease in foreign prices cuts in the great
! International transaction 1t is Impossible
now to determine. but the figures are at
]
quantity OF the imports. but the value of
/ them in the countries of origin are re-
sponslble for the large imports OF the past
| year or two 1t is evident. too, from the
| statistics prepared by the government that
the narrowing of the margin between i'm
ports and exports is due not TO decrease
| in the exports, but rather to an increase
in the value OF the Imports Or this point.
Z faf nf ha M ia
| tistics, stated:
Exports on Increase.
"The exports for the eight months end
ing with August are larger than those
of the corresponding months in any pre-
ceding year. and those of August 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 phenomenal growth
OF imports which has characterized the
last few years The value of ir'ports
in August 1907, was over $2O,0O0.OOO in
excess fAugust. 1906. and actually
double that of August, 1900, while for the
eight months ending with August the
values of the imports was $156, 1000 900
more than in the same months of last
year and more than double that OF the
Sc me months of 1906"
How do you account for this large in
! crease in imports?" he was asked.
Increased demand for foreign material
| for use in manufacturing, increased pur-
chases of foreign manufactures and lux
uries. and in many cases an advance IN
prices abroad. which makes siyen
| amount of foreign merchandise cost tnoi {
/ in 1907 than the same quantity cost in
earlier years. Crude material for use in
manufacturing shows an increase of $42.-
900, 900 in the eight months ending with
August when compared with the same
months of last year. manufactures for
further use in manufacturing an increase
of $4,000, 900; finished manufactures, All
increase of s41. 100000, and foodstuffs an
increase of 100000 Raw cotton i'm
ports alone show an increase of $1,000
600 in the eight months ending with
August, 1907. over those of the same
months In 1906 raw silk. s1i,000OO0i
india rubber, s6,000,00 chemicals, about
IS, 900 900; hbers, about $4,000, 600. AMI
wool, pig iron and lumber. about $4,000
600 each. Copper imports show an in
crease of about Sl5,OoOO0O over last
year. this rapid growth in the imports
Of copper into the greatest copper-pro-
ducing country In the world being due
to the superior facilities for smelling and
refining which this country possesses All
these articles which have mentioned. as
showing a large increase In importa.i .ior
are for use in manufacturing Then there
is also a marked advance In the importa-
ton of foodstuffs this year. sugar show
ing an increase OF Sl2.0OO,00O; conee
$4,000, 900, and cocoa; $5,Oo0.o00. In I'm
ished manufactures there Is also large
increase in importations. cotton laces
edEings and embroideries showing an in
crease of about sS.0oO.0OO and manufac-
tured nbers about $6.ooo.ooo."
Figures Not Yet Digested.
'Can you Indicate what share of the in
crease in imports is due TO advance II
prices of the articles importedY"
Not definitely, at present. The bureat
is hmaking an analysis OF import and ex
port prices In 1907 compared with those Of
earlier years. with the purpose Of trying t.
determine what share of tho recent In
crease in our foreign commerce Is due
Imerely to higher Lrices, and what share
to an actual increase in quantity imported
or exported. but al present am unable
definitely to answer that question. dC
know. however, that In many OF the i'm
portant imports the advance In price IL
sible for the increased total value OF thu
articles imported"
II do not mean" continued Mr.. Austin
ITO imply that higher prices abroad arr
responsible for all, or nearly all of thu
largely increased total value of our i'm
ports; for there have been large increases
in the quantity OF many articles brough
in, especially those of a class not produceC
In the United States or not produced II
sufficient quantities for home use
'It must be expected that with ou
growth OF population and increasing shar,
OF population devoting Its attention t
manufactures we shall have less and les
OF natural products TO spare for exporta
tion and require more and more Of toreigi
products both for use In manufacturing
and in supplying that class of food re
Quirements not produced in the United
States. and that in PEI iods OF prosperit!
like the present the importation OF article
OF luxury and high gIadc manufacture