The Washington herald., 1909-02-21
BY FIGURES
Statistical Tables Show Big
Business improvement.
SOME FACTS FOR COMPARISON
In Numerous Lines of Activity the
Month of December, 1905, shows
Great Advance Over Corresponding
Period of 1oO7-In Many Instances
Consumption Is Normal.

mess conditions Of the United States
at the close OF the calendar yea- 1873. ia
comparison with corresponding dates
at an earlier period. and 20 thus deter
mine whether OF not business conditions
have really improved. Some figures just
compiled by the Bureau of Statistics Of
the Department OF Commerce ard labor
give this opportunity for compar. ng pres
ent conditions with those CT q year ago
and two years ago.
The conditions in the various Industries
occupations. businesses. and groups u
people can be measured. Al least approx
imately. by movements Of all the articles
IN which they are in one way o. an
other interested. and in whose production
movement. purchase. sale. or consump-
ton they respectively participate.
The quantity Of manufacturers mate
rial imported. for example. must give al
least an approximate indication Of the
activity Of those Of our manufacturers
utilizing these various raw materials Il
for example, the quantity OF raw silk inn
ported in December. 1905. is twice as
great as in December, 1915, and this lS
the fact, II may be assumed that the
great silk manufacturing industries OF
the country have greatly increased their
activity as compared with that Of year
ago.
Rubber Imports Increase.
II yhe importation of india rubber was
two and one-balf times as great in De-
cember. Ia0S- as compared with Decem-
her. Is97. and This is a fact. it may be
assumed that the numerous industries
which utilize india rubber in their various
lines Of manufacture are busy. much
buster than a year ago. II importations
Of hides and skins have doubled, and this
is tie fact. comparing figures Of Decem-
Der. 1905. with those Of December. 1871;
If raw wool importetionS have increased
nearly 159 per cent in quantity, pig Tin
more than 80 per cent, and Unmanufac-
rured fbers . per cent. and this Is the
fact in each case mentioned. IT may be
assumed that there Is greatly increased
activity in all these lines OF manufacture
II the Importation Of diamonds and
other precious stones Is in value six times
as great IN December. 1865. as IN Decem-
Der. 1866. and this is true. il may be as
SUmed that the class OF our population
chiefly utilizing these materials oi mn
portatiOn are again returning tc that
general business condition which has per-
mitted them TO eXpend from 100000 20
81. .o5oloo month in recent years for mer-
chzut5iSa of This character
II the number Of cars handled bv the
great csr-ServiCe associations Of the coun-
Try is greater at this time than a year
ago. and this is the fact. il NAV be safely
assumed that general business conditions
are improving. and that the quantity OF
merchandise being bought and sold and
transported Is increasing
Building Permits Larger.
II 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. 1895. when
compared with December. 1897. these fE-
ures may be accepted as q further evi-
dence Of the Increase Of general activi-
ties and increased employment among
those engaged in building and IN sup
plying material from which buildings are
constructed.
All Of these cases are shown statisti-
cally by the Bureau Of Statistics. and in
every case show marked Improvement III
December. 1905. over December. Is07. and
in many cases a return. or Al least an
approximate return. TO normal business
conditions In the lines which they re-
spectively represent
Special compilations made bv the Bl-
reau Of Statistics. with the purpose OF
comparing conditions Of imports. exports.
trafnc movement, and building in some
sixty principal cities Of the country. show
in all cases marked improvements al the
close Of I9oS compared with conditions in
the latter part Of 1907 and the early part
OF 1908
The table OF imports shows that impor-
tation of crude food stuffs. which
amounted 20 162s millions in December
1906. had fallen 10 Il millions in Deem
Der, 1906, and returned to i4lz millions in
December. 1865. Food sJufTs. manufac-
tured. which were 122s millions in De-
cember. 1906. had fallen TO S94 millions in
December, Is07. and were practically the
same figure in December. 1905.
Materials Nearly Normal.
Crude materials for use in manufactur-
ing. a test Of the activity OF manufac-
turing conditions. amounted 20 455s mil
lions in December. 1906, 2S millions in De-
cember, 1907. and had returned 10 Il mil
lions III December. 1865. Manufactures
for further use in manufacturing. which
were 2Slz Millions in December. 1876. had
fafier 70 80 r7ssflforS in Ffereu7l,ar 100
q fan Of practically one-half. and
reached 1911 millions in December, I99S.