Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-10-08
Value Of Goods Brought into
This Country Increasing.
UNCLE SAN STILL HOLDS MARGIN
For Month of August the EXCESS Of
Exports Over Imports Aggregated
Nearly a Mllllon. and a Half Dollars
Interesting Figures.

WASHINGTON. Oct. 7.--Attention
has been attracted recently to the in
creased 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 .ta
tistics, 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 In
stance. the excess of exports over
imports aggregated in value $1,464, 404,
and the excess of exports over i'm
ports for the eight months ended Au
gust 81 was $l94,453,162
1t is important to note, In this con-
nection. that the increase In imports
into America is due. in considerable
measure. to the increased prices which
imported commodities command In
the markets of the world Just how
much OF figure the increase I'm for
eign prices cuts in the great intcrna
tional transaction, ii Is impossible now
to determine. 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 orr
gin are responsible for the large i'm
ports of the past year or two. 1t ie
evident, too. from the statistics pre-.
pared by the Government that the
narrowing of the margin between i'm.
ports is due TO decrease in the OK
ports, but rather to. an increase in
the value of the imports. On this
point. O. p. Austin, Chief of the Blu
reau of Statistics stated to The AS
ISOLATED Press:
THE exports for the eight months
ending 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 pre-
ceding August except that of 1906.
So the reduction In the excess of ex-
ports over imports Is due chiefly to
the phenomenal growth OF Imports
which are characterized TO past few
years. Tho value of imports I'm An.
gust. 1907. was over $4,000 900 In ex-
cess of August 1906 and actually dou-
bic tat OF August, 1900: while for the
eight months ending with August, the
value of te imports was $156,OOO. 900
more tan in the same months of last
year, and more tan double that of
the same months of 1885,"
How do you account for this large
increase in imports?' he was asked.
Increased demand for foreign ma
te:ial for use in manufacturing: in
creased purchases OF foreign manu-
, lectures and Injuries and in many
cases an advance In prices abroad
J which makes given amount OF for
eign merchandise cost more I'm 1907
than the same quantity cost in earlier
years. Crude material for use in man.
ulacturing shows an increase of SAP
ooU,0UO in the eight months ending
with August when compared with the
same months of last year; manufac-
lures Tor further use in manufacturing
an Increase of $33, 900 900; finished
manufactures. an increase of S41.000,-
600: and foodstuffs an increase of 80
100000. Raw cotton imports alone
show an Increase Of S11 900. 900 in the
eight months ending with August.
1907, over those Of the same months
in 1906; raw silk s11.00OO 900; India
rubber. S6,000.0O0; chemicals about
sS.0O0000; fibcrs. about $4,000, 900.
and wool. pig iron and lumber, about
Sf,00O.0O0 each. Copper Imports show
an increase OF about $f5.O00.0O oynr
last year, this rapid growth in the
imports OF copper into the greatest
copper-producing country in, tho world
being due to the superior facilities for
smelling and refining which this
country possesses. All those articles
which lhave mentioned as showing
n large increase in importation, are
for use in manufacturing. Then there
is also marked advance III the i'm,
portation of foodstuffs this year. sug-
ar showing an increase OF 81. 900. 900:
s:sfs