Gilpin observer., 1907-06-06
STEEL EXPORTS GROW
REACH s175,ooo,ooo THIS YEAR,
$57,ooo,ooo IN 1897.
Puts Iron Industry Far in Lead In
United States-Copper Ranks Sec
ond, Wood Third and Cotton
Manufactures Fourth.

Washington.-Iron and steel exports
from the United States in the fiscal
year which ends with next month will
aggregate approximately $175,0OO,OO
in value, against $57 10000 decade
earlier and $16,0OO,00O two decades
earlier. Figures issued by the bureau
of statistics of the department of COM
merce and labor show the value OF
iron and steel manufactures exported
in the ten months ending with April,
1907. at about $3.50, 100000, and these
figures seem to justify the estimate of
SITS, ,OOO, 900, speaking in round terms,
as the value of iron and steel exports
for the fiscal year 1907. In the fisca,
year 1897 the total value of iron and
steel manufactures exported was only
$57,000,O0O, and in 1887, decade
earlier, the total was little less than
$16,000,000.
This rapid growth has brought iron
and steel manufactures far in the lead
of any other group of manufactures in
the export trade of the United States.
During the 20-year period from the be-
ginning of 1875 to 1895 wood manu-
features exported amounted to $413,-
OOO,O 900, while iron and steel manufac-
lures amounted to but 100000, 900.
With 1895 began marked increase in
the expectation of iron and steel man
ufactures and from the beginning OF
that year to the close of the fiscal year
1906 exports thereof amounted to
81 1877 100000, while those of wood
manufactures during the same period
were valued at $536, 900 or less
than half the value of iron and steel
manufactures exported. Cotton man.
ufactures were a close second to iron
and steel during the earlier period,
but now stand fourth in the great
group of manufactures exported, iron
and steel ranking first, copper second,
wood manufactures third and cotton
manufactures fourth.
This rapid growth in the exporta-
ton of iron and steel manufactures is
especially interesting in view of the
fact that finished manufactures form
larger percentage of the grand total
in this group than is the case in many
other of the great groups of articles
classed as manufactures by the bu-
Tcdu Vi SldtlSllSo. III SOPPSi SNpOi -
tions. the group of second rank,
large proportion of the value occurs
in a class which has undergone but
slight process of manufacture-name
ly, copper in ingots, bars and plates
and this is also true of wood manufac-
lures, of which lumber, sawed timber
and shocks form a large percentage of
the total exports
The high grade manufactures OF
iron and steel exported from the
United States find wide distribution
and are accepted in every part of the
world. OF the nearly $7,000.0O0 worth
of locomotives exported during the
nine months under consideration Jap
an. Mexico, the Central American
states and Canada took each more
than 81 100000 worth, while Cuba, Ar
gentina, Brazil and Australia also pur-
chased considerable values. OF the
81 100000 worth of typewriters ex-
ported the United Kingdom was by
far the largest purchaser, taxing more
than one-fourth of the total, while Ger
many ranked second. France third
and Mexico fourth in the purchases of
this class of iron and steel manufac-
tureS