The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-17
HIGHER PRICES
 ADD ID IMPORTS Quantity Does Not Quite Keep
 Up With Price DOUBLES IN EIGHT YEARS Importation of Goods From Foreign Countries Shows Large Increase,
 But Not So Much as the
 Advance In Prices.
DOUBLES IN EIGHT YEARS

Washington, August 16.-(Special.)- J. The apparent increased of more than 100 per cent in imports into the United States since 1899 seems to be largely due to an advance in prices abroad of the articles imported While there has been more or less actual increase in the quantity imported of more of the prin- cipal articles forming the import trade, an analysis just being made by the bureau of statistics of that trade in 1907 compared with that of 1899 indicates that the increase in the total value of imports is largely due to advance in prices of the principal articels form ing the bulk of importations into the United States.
 This analysis, which is being made both of imports and exports, includes every article imported or exported in which the quantity as wei als the value is stated in the monthly returns made to the bureau of statistics, and of which tho average valuation per unit of quan- ttty can thus be determined by divid- ing stated quantity into stated value. A comparison of the import and ex- port prices per unit of quantity in 1907 with those of the earlier years thus gives an opportunity to determine to what extent the increate in total value of imports or exports Is due to in creased quantities. on the one hand or to advance in prices, on the other.
 While the nunaber of aeticles form ing the 14Oo million dollars worth of merchandise imported in the fiscal year l- of each could not be made within req sonable limit of space, 1t is practicable to compare prices for few of the most important of the articles imported. This comparison of the figures for 1907 is made with those for 1890. that year be- ing selected, first, because imports have almost exactly doubled in value since that time, and, second. because the fiscal year 1899 was sufficiently distant from the enactment of the tariff law of 1897 to be considered as fairly nor nal in It's import trade and not af- fected as were the imports of im- mediately preceding years, by changes, actual or prospective. in rates of duty.
 Enormous Increase.
 While the total value of merchandise imported In 1907 was $1, ,434, ,421 ,425 against $697, ,14S 489 in 1899, 1t is practicable to find
 
 practically one-half of this enormous sum. In the great group foodstuffs, four ar ticles-sugar, coffee, tea and cacao-ag- gregate practically 200 million dollars in value in the imports of 1907, and in the two groups raw materials for use in manufacturing and manufactures for further use in manufacturing, a dozen great articles aggregate nearly 800 million dollars in value, this dozen articles being hides and skins, silks, rubber, wool f1bers, copper, tin, tobacco, cotton, lumber, pig iron, and nitrate of soda
 With all of these sixteen great articles aggregating In value nearly one-half of the total imports, it is practicable to com pare quantities, values, and prices of goods imported in 1907 with those of 1899 the year in which import values were slightly less than one-half of those of 1907.
 Taking the four principal articles form ing the great group foodstuffs, the bureau of statistics finds comparatively small increases either in quantity or In value of imports (save In the single article cacao) whle in the dozen great articles for use in manufacturing 1t finds In nearly every case marked advances in quantities and still greater advances in values.
 Value Of Foodstuffs.
 The total value of foodstuffs imported in
 
 principal articles forming the group are sugar, coffee, tea, and cacao, aggregating about 200 million dollars in value. Of gar, the quantity imported in 1907 was A. 391. 100000 pounds and in 1899, 3,9S0,000,000 pounds. while the value in 117 was $92, S06, GOO and in 1898 s94,, ,964, 900, the actual price per pound in 1907 being 21 cents against 2.4 cents In 1899, a reduction of about 12 per cent in price. Of coffee, the imports in 1907 were 985 million pounds, against S32 millions in 1S99 and the value In 1907 was $7s.0t0 GOO, against $55, coo in 1899, an average of 6.6 cents per pound in 1907 and 7.9 cents in 1899, or an advance of about 20 per cent in the price per pound. Of tea, the imports In 1907 amounted to IA million dollars in value and showed an in- crease of about 23 per cent in price per pound over that of 1899, while in cacao the imports of 1907 were 13 million dollars in value and showed an advance of a llt- tie more than per cent in price per pound over 1899 Thus of these four great arti- cles-sugar, coffee. tea, cacao-aggregat- ing about 200 million dollars in value and forming about two-thirds of the value of foodstuffs imported, sugar shows a de- cline of 12 per cent, cacao an advance of little over 1 per cent, coffee an advance of about 20 per cent, and tea of about 23 per cent In price per pound.
 Articles of Manufacture.
 Turning to the great group of articles for use in manufacturing, much greater advance in price per unit of quantity is shown, and fin many cases also great advance in actual quantity imported Hides and skins a whole form the largest single item in value of the ar ticles imported for manufacturjng, az gTegating sS0,000 GOO in value in 1907 against S52, ,V00, GOO in 1899. Of this total, the group hides of cattle" shows an increase of but 100000 pounds in quantity, but of $7.000,000 in value the average price per pound being 55 per cent greater In 1907 than In 1899. while all other hides (except cattle hides and goatskins), show an ad- vance of 64 per cent In value per pound, goatskins showing an increase of only about IS per cent in price per pound. Raw silk increased in quantity from e5o0,- coo to 16,500,o00 pounds, and in value from $32, GOO 000 to s70, GOO the advance in price per pound being about 23 per cent. India rubber increased from 51.000O to IT, GOO GOO and in value from 32, GOO 0D0 to S59,- 0o0, 900, the increase in price per pound being 23 per cent. Wool increased from IT, ,O0OO00 pounds to 204, ,000,0 900 and from ss ,000, ,00o in value to 100000, the advance in price per pound being about S9 per cent Copper in pigs and bars increased from 4Q million pounds to 198 millions and the value from "A million dollars to 39 millions the advance in price per unit of quantity being 65 per cent. Tin in pigs, bars, etc. increased from 67 million hounds to 96 millions and the value from a little less than 12 million dollars to over Ys million dollars, the advance in price per pound being 126 per cent. Raw