Arizona republican., 1909-03-01
THE DECEMBER SHOWING
A Notable Increase Over Corresponding Month of Preceding Year In Exports Imports and the Country's Car Service.

Washington, Feb. 2S.-Opportunity
 now offers to test the business condi-
 tions of the United States at the close
 of the calendar year 1908 in compari-
 son with corresponding dates ct an
 earlier period, and to thus determine
 whether or not business conditions
 just compiled by the bureau of statis-
 tics of the department of commerce
 and labor give this opportunity for comparing present conditions with those of a year and two years ago.
 The conditions in the various in dustries, occupations, businesses, and groups of people can be measured, at least approximately, by movements of al the articles in which they are in one way or another interested, and in whose production, movement, pur- chase, sale, or consumption, they re- spectively participate. The qu1nt ty of manufacturers material imported. for example, must give at least an approximate indication of the activity of those of our manufacturers utiliZ- ing these various raw materials. If, for example, the quantity of raw silk imported in December, 1908, is twice as great as in December, 1907 and this is the fact, it may be assumed that the great silk manufacturing in- dustries of the country have greatly increased their activity as compared with that of a year ago.
 If the importation of india rubber was two and one-half times as great in December, 1908, as compared with December, 1907, and this is the fact, it may be assumed that the numerou9 industries which utilize india rubber in their various lines of manufacture are busy, much buster than year ago. If importations of hides and skins have doubled, and this is the fact, compar- ing figures of December, 1908, with those of December. 1907; if raw wool importatiOns have increased nearly 150 per cent in quantity, pig tin more than 15O per cent, and manufactured fibers 20 per cent, and this is the fact in each case mentioned, it may be as- sumed that there is greatly increased activity in all these lines of manufac- ture If the importation of diamonds and other precious stones is in value six times as great in December, 1908, as in December, 1907. and this is true. it may be assumed that the class of our population chiefly utilizing these materials of importation are again re- turning to that general business con- dition which has permitted them to expend from three to four million dol lars a month in recent years for mer- chandise of this character.
 If the number of cars handled by the great car service associations of the country is greater at this time than a year ago. and this is the fact, it may be safely assumed that gen. eral business conditions are improving and that the quantity of merchandise being bought and sold and transported is increasing. If the number of build ing permits and the value of the pro- posed buildings in the great cities of the country show a marked increase in December, 1908, when compared with December. 1907, these figures may be accepted as a further evidence of the increase of general activities and increased employment among those engaged in building and in sup plying material from which buildings are constructed.
 All of these cases are shown statis- tically by the bureau of statistics of the department of commerce and la- bor. and in every case they show marked Improvement in December. 1908, over December, 1907. and in many cases a return, or at least an approximate return, to normal busi- ness conditions in the lines which they respectively represent.
 Special compilations made by the bureau of statistics, with the purpose of comparing conditions of imports, exports, traffic movement, and build ing in some sixty principal cities of the country show in all cases marked improvement at the close of 1908 com pared with conditions in the latter part of 1907 and the early part of 1908
 The table of imports shows that inn portations of crude foodstuffs, which amounted to 16% millions in Decem- ber 1906. had fallen to Il millions in December, 1907, and returned to 14h | in December, 1908. Foodstuffs, l which were 1924 mill | lions in December. 1906, had fallen to 1 SA millions in December, 1907, and were practically the same figure in December. 1908. Crude materials for use in manufacturing. a test of the ac- tivity of manufactyFing- conditions, amounted to 451s rfinidDs in DecemSl Der, 1906, 2S milli9nS il" "becemberS