Los Angeles herald., 1909-02-25
UNITED STATES
TRADE IMPROVES
MARKED INCREASE MANIFEST
IN ALL LINES
MANY IMPORTS AND EXPORTS
ARE DOUBLED
Building Permits and Proposed Build
ing in Great Cities Reveal Dizzy
Figures - More Persons
Find Employment

in comparison with corresponding dates
at an earlier period, and to thus deter
mine whether or not business condi-
tions have really improved. Some
figures just compiled by the bureau Of
statistics Of the department of COM
merce and labor give this opportunity
for comparing present conditions with
those Of a year ago and two years ago.
The conditions in the various indus
tries, occupations, businesses and
groups of people can be measured, at
least approximately, by movements of
all the articles in which they are in one
way or another interested, and III
whose production, movement, purchase,
sale or consumption they respectively
participate The quantity Of manufac-
turers' material imported, for example,
must give at least an approximate in
dication of the activity of those of our
manufacturers utilizing these various
raw materials. If, for example, the
quantity of raw silk imported in De-
cember, 1908, is twice as great as in
December, 1907, and this is the fact, it
may be assumed that the great silk
manufacturing industries of the coun-
try have greatly increased their activ
ity as compared with that of year
ago.
Import of India Rubber
If the importation Of india rubber
was two and one-half times as great in
December, 1908, as compared with De-
cember, 1907, and this is the fact, it
may be assumed that the numerous in
dustries which utilize india rubber in
their various lines of manufacture are
busy, much buster than a year ago. If
importations of hides and skins have
doubled, and this is the fact, comparing
figures of December, 1908, with those
of December, 1907; if raw wool i'm
per cent in quantity, pig tin more than
$50 per cent, and manufactured fibers
20 per cent, and this is the fact in each
case mentioned, it may be assumed
that there is. greatly increased activity
in all lines Of manufacture. If the i'm
portation of diamonds and other
precious stones is in value six times as
great in December, 1903. as in Decen-
Der, 1907, and this is true, it may be
assumed that the class of our popula-
tion chiefly utilizing these materials of
importation are again returning to that
general business condition which has
permitted them to expend from $3,000,000
to $4,000,00O a month in recent years for
merchandise 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 general bust
ness conditions are improving and that
the quantity of merchandise being
bought and sold and transported is in
creasing.
Building Permits Increase
If the number of building permits and
the value of the proposed buildings in
the great cities of the country show a
marked increase in December, 1905
when compared with December, 1907,
-
further evidence of the increase of gen
eral activities and increased employ
ment among those engaged in building
and in supplying material from which
buildings are constructed.
Ali of these cases are shown statis-
tically by the bureau of statistics of the
department Of commerce and labor, and
in every case they show marked i'm
provement in December, 1908, over De-
cember, 1907, and in many cases a re-
turn, or at least an approximate return,
to normal business conditions in the
lines which they respectively represent.
Special compilations made by the
bureau of statistics, with the purpose
of comparing conditions of imports, ex-
ports, traffic movement and building
in some sixty principal cities of the
country, show in all cases marked i'm
proyements 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
portation of crude foodstuffs, which
amounted to SIC, 1900 in December,
1906, had fallen to $11,0O0,0O0 in De-
cember, 1907, and returned to $145OO.-
900 in December, 1908. Foodstuffs,
manufactured, which were $12,750,0O
in December, 1906, had fallen to $S,-
100000 in December, 1907, and were
practically the same figure in Decem-
ber 190S
Crude materials for use in manu-
featuring, a test of the activity of
manufacturing conditions, amounted to
45,500,000 in December, 1906, S28,000,-
600 in December, 1907, and had re-
turned to 41,000,00 in December. 1908.
Manufactures for further use in man
ufacturing, which were $26, 800 900 in
December 1906, had fallen to $13,500,-
600 in December, 1907, a fall of prac-
tically one-half, and reached $19, SOC, 900
in December, 1908. Manufactures
ready for consumption were S31, SOC, 900
in value in December, 1906, $29,750,000
in December, 1907, and $27, 900, 900 in
December, 1908, being the last on the
import side to respond to improved
business conditions.
In exports of domestic products
crude foodstuffs show in December
1905, $15,250,000; in December 1907,
$25, $685. 900, and in December, 1908
$14,500,00 the fall occurring almost
exclusively in wheat, of which the
quantity exported in December 1908
was but 5,75O,000 bushels against over
100000 bushels in December, 1907
Foodstuffs, manufactured, in Decem-
Der, 1906, $30,750,000; December, 1907
$29,500,000 and December, 1908, $780,
100000. Crude materials for use in
manufacturing, in December, 1906
$81, 100000 December, 1907, $S7,5O0 600:
December, 1908, $50 ,OO0, 900. the fall oc-
curing almost exclusively in cotton,
of which the quantity exported in De-
cember, 1908, was larger than in De-
cember, 1907, but the selling price ma
terially less the quantity in December,
1908, being 80S, 100000 pounds against
S69, ,000, 900 in December, 1907: the value
in December, 1903, $72,25O. 600 against
$77,750,000 in December, 1907; an aver
age price per pound in December, 1908.
Of S.96 cents against 116 cents pound
in December, 1907.
Luxuries Find Big Sale
Taking diamonds as an example Of
luxuries imported the figures Of the bu-
reau show that during the early part
Of 1907 the value of diamonds import
ed averaged about $3,500,0OO a month
and in July $4,50O,000, but in the later
months of the year ranged rapidly
downward, being in October but 81, $780,
900: in November, $933, 900: in Decem-
Der, $3S3,000; February, 1908, $283, 600;
then moving slowly upward, ranging
about $1,500000 month; March, April.
May averaging 100000; $750,OO0 in
June, $1,333,333 in July and August;
averaging $2,000,000 month in Sep
tember, October and November. and
&2,25O,000 in December, 1908.