The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1907-02-22
QUEER THINGS
ABOUT IMPORTS AND EXPORTS
or UNITED sTATEs-ANoM-
ALLIES ARE SHOWN.
Cotton From Abroad Despite Big Sup
ply Raised-copper Also
Brought In

Il WASHINGTON, Feb. 1I.-Apparent
ly champagne drinking in the United
States Is on the wane. Both the
quantity and value of that beverage
imported into this country last year
were less than in the preceding one
and no greater than a dozen years
ago.
This is only one of several surpris-
ing features of. statement issued to-
day by the Bureau of Statistics on the
"ebb and flow of the commerce of the
United States in 1906" The figures
show that 394,727 dozen quarts Of
champagne and other sparkling wines
were imported in 1906, valued at So
S55, 425. while in the immediate pre-
ceding year the number of dozen
quarts was 401 .514, valued at $685.
651, Another surprising fact is that
while the United States is one of the
greatest coffee consuming countries in
the world, yet it is actually exporting
that product. The exports of domes-
tic products are valued at $3.50, 592.
This is explained by the fact that the
Porto Rico and the Hawaiian islands
are customs districts of the United
States and that their exports to for
eign countries are not included with
the figures of exports from the various
customs districts of this country In |
addition 10, 500, 900 pounds of coffee of
foreign production brought into this
country was re-exported.
Some Cotton imported.
Still another curious feature of
American commerce is that while this
country produces three-fourths of the
worlds cotton, $11,000,00O worth of
hat product was imported last year,
o say nothing of $1,0O0,O00 worth of
waste cotton. This product, however,
S of different quality from that pro-
Iuced in the United States, being of s
he long and silky fibre, coming prin- {
ipally from Egypt.
While this country is the largest .
of cotton goods, the i'm
ortation of manufactures of this prod
ct aggregate in round figures $780,
100000 in value, which was more than
per cent. in excess of the value of I
lese goods exported y
The imports of autos amounted to 2
early $5000,000 In value, but this fig
re was practically Offset by the ex
orts of automobiles, amounting in
llue to $4,4O91S6. OF the exports of
ese machines, s1,OOO,OOO worth went
the United Kingdom, and nearly an
her 100000 worth to other Euro
IAN countries. Tropical countries
so were large purchasers of this a.
ass of vehicle. q
st
Much Copper From Abroad. !,
In the copper industry, although this :,
untry produces one-half of the q
JIlu COppbT duu 10 UuG VI IuG IhI-
st exporters of that product, it also .,
one of the largest importers of that : !,
The value of copper i'm !.
rts In 1906 was over $4,000, 900, /.
Tile the exports of copper amounted =,
over $90,000,000. This anomaly ap-
rently grows out of the fact that the -
ited States has superior smelling :.
4 refining facilities and that the ~
)per from Its immediate neighbors -,
the north and south-Canada and ~.
xico-flows to it's smeltering estab- !,
lments and refineries. The United j
ties, which has steadily reduced its .
,ortations of tin plate from more ~,
n one billion pounds in the fiscal q.
r 1891 to 127 million in the calen- 81,
year 1906, has become an exporter -.
hat article and the expectations of IN,
plate of domestic manufacture :,
e in 1906. $1001 ,6Ss in value. ex-
i've of the foreign tin re-exported