The sun., 1908-06-30
CoafMEacTAE AArEn1cA ~ 1901.

wAgKfM0xoM. June so--The Bureau oS
Statistics Of tho Department OF Conannerea
and Labor 10 the source OF some OF the
most valuable publications issued BY the
Government. In Commercial America In
1907 recently issued. Colonel Austin and
his corps OF assistants have given TO the
country work Of unusual merit and Inn
.portanoe. Az compendium OF useful
information concerning the commerce Of
she Western Hemisphere we know OF moth
ing that approaches Il. Al stated on ito
title page, Il shows tho commerce. produc-
ton, transportation facilities. area and
population Of each OF the countries OF
North, South and Central America and the
West Indies
This publication reviews In more or less
detail the trade conditions In moro than
thirty different markets. The total cora-
meroe of the entire area. including the
United States. amounts to more than Ave
and a half billions Of dollars annually.
Excluding the Unitod States. the commerce
of the remaining area is represented by
81. .Ils. 900 for imports and 81. .4o3,l 600
for exports For various reasons these
figures are approximate rather than abso-
lutely accurate. but they are sufficiently
purposes. In some OF the countries no
complete record Is kept, and in others the
returns are two or three years late. 1t is
probable that full returns for 1907 would
show the foreign business Of the countries
Of this hemisphere. exclusive OF the United
States. as In exoess Of i,2O0, 100000 for
imports and in excess OF $500. 900 900 for
exports.
A feature OF spsoisl Importance In this
excellent work 10 the presentation in some
detail Of the imports and exports OF diner-
ent countries for series OF years. The
nature OF the merchandise 10 shown, to-
gether with it's value. There is also olassi-
fioation OF imports and the country OF
origin, and classification OF exports and
their destination. For instance. 1t is shown
that during the Ave year term lsse-isos'
inclusive. Argentinas purchases OF cotton
cloth from England averaged $S,5OO,0O0 q
year. from Italy So, 300 900. and from Ger
many 81 800. 900. while the average takings
from this country were only $224 900. 1t is
shown that Mexico imported SAL 900 worth
of boots and shoes in 1895 and $1,2e3,00O
worth in 1905; that Chile exported 1.i78
tons Of copper in 1890, and 1922 tons in
1905; that Canada exported $3.50. 900 bushels
of wheat in 1895. and 33,658. 900 bushels in
1905; that the imports Of Costa Rica were
valued at 81, ,168. COO in 1888. and at 81, 600
in 1909.
For the general reader such details
are doubtless worthless and tedious. For
the merchant or manufacturer who wants
business, this work is Of inestimable value.
1t will not sell his goods for him. but 1t
will in hundreds Of cases give valuable
clue to trade conditions OF which he can
take advantage if he wishes to do 80. There
can be no question that the United States
is even now op the threshold Of new rela-
tions with it's neighbors. In order to take
full advantaep Of the new conditions
working knowledge Of the industrial and
commercial development OF those neighbors.
including the origin Of their supplies and
the distribution Of their products. is indis-
pensable. In no other work that has yet
come to our notice is the necessary informa-
ton 80 clearly and 30 comprehensively set
forth as in this official publication.