The National tribune., 1909-08-05
QUEER IMPORTS.

-
is going to steal the same COW again
since she is doubly his.
QUEER IMPORTS.
1 The World Ransacked for Odd Ma
terials for American Use.
Il a study. of Imports for Consump
Ition,'' as issued by the Bureau OF sta
u itistics, and constantly consulted by
4 statesmen in preparing and discussing
+ and acting upon the pending tariff bill
4 shows many curious facts regarding ar
4 trcles included in the import trade OF
the United States. ir
4 Wild animals, for example, imported
for geological exhibitions and scientiht
and educational purposes, which are
Ipermittcd to enter free of duty because
4 of their prospective use for -educationa
and scientific purposes, amounted II
1908 to between $4,000 and $1,000
while those imported for other purposes
evidently exceeded this sum by 1ar,
since the group, "all other animals,
aside from cattle. horses, mules, sheep
1 swine animals for breeding purposes
and teams of immigrants, still shows q
value of over 100000 .a
| Birds imported in 1908 amounted to
over 100000 in value, and while they
are not specifically enumerated as to
varieties, it is presumed that this group
| is largely composed of canaries and
| parrots.
Leeches are also enumerated by the
| Bureau of Statistics under its general
head of animals imported, the total value
of the imports of this species in 1908
| having been S5.341; in 1907, $500; in
| 1906, s4,494; in 1905, $3,S62; in 1904.
1859; in 19G3, s3,240. and in 1902,
$2.412, the commerce in leeches being
| thus of a growing character. The total
value of the leeches imported into the
United States in the decade ending with
1908 is about $4,000. Leeches, it may
be added, are imported free of duty.
| Snafls were at one time enumerated as
an article of Importation, the records
from 1894 to 1898 showing snails i'm
ported to the extent of about $4,000,
but the snail trade so dwindled, show
ing only $24 offiluports in 1898, tina.
the Bureau discontinued its statements
of this article. q
'r "Divi-divi'' as an article of impOrta-
tion has been the subject of many jests
by the humorists during the tariff dis
cussions OF Congress, tho, in fact ii Is
an article of no inconsiderable impor-
tance in the tanning industry, the prod
uct of a leguminous tree in the West
Indies and South America, entering in
the form of pod, and amounting in
quantity in 1908 to $4,000 pounds,
valued at between $4,000 and $4,000.
Inc Ndlue Oh lflt OIL InC IdSI
decade has aggregated about $4,000.
Divi-divi. which does not compete with
other grades of material used in tan
ming, and which is required in the de-
velopment of certain lines of this indus
try, is imported free of duty.
Rose leaves are also imported free of
duty when brought in in crude state,
the value of the imports of 1908 being
but $105, in 1907 s2.137, and in 1906
$5,S79, the value of rose leaves i'm
ported in the decade ending with 1908
amounting to over $4,000.
The extension of the chewing-gum
industry and the use of that product
among the people of the United States
is illustrated by the fact that the i'm
portation of "chicle" In 1908, chiefly
for use in the manufacture of chewing
gum. amounted to more than 1000, 900
pounds. This article, "chicle," is OBJ
tanned in southern Mexico from the
trunks of the sapodilla plum tree, and
the importation of this gum during the
last decade has amounted to about 3O,-
900, 900 pounds, or over 1900 tons,
valued at over $s,000.000. -
Dragons blood imported, amount.
ing on the face of the returns to 15, 900
pounds in 1908 and to . over 200, 900
pounds in the last decade, Is, of course,
not in fact dragons blood at all, but a
mere name for deep reddish resinous
d.
trees in the Orient. especially the east
coast of Sumatra, and used as an in
gredient in varnishes, stains and denti-
frices. The value of the importation of
1908 was about 5000, and during the
decade about $4,000.
Infants foods also form a consider
able item of importation, s41. 900 worth
in 1908, and during the decade have
amounted to nearly a quarter of a mil
lion dollars, on which the duty collect
ed amounted to nearly $4,000.
'Nux. vomice" forms more impor-
tant feature OF the import trade than
would probably be realized by the av-
erage individual unacquainted with this
particular trade. The Bureau of Sta
tistics' figures show that the importa-
ton of nux Vomica amounted, in round |
in 1908, to 5000, 600 pounds
valued at $54, 1000, while the quantity
imported inH the decade ending with
1909 amounted to about $4,000, 600 |
pounds. valued 'at over $500 900. This |
article comes in in the form of large
round seeds; of, a tree grown chiefly in
southern Asia, and is used in the manu- |
facture of stTycfnine and certain tine
lures and fonfrs prescribed as medf-
cines, and since it does not compete |
with any product of the United States /
enters free OF duty.
Musk impertations in 1898 amounted /
I" 49, ~"otNNp' 4Ut COI1-
merce is secretion of a special gland |
Of the musk deer and comes chiefly |
from China.I Tonkin and other Oriental
countries, being thus exported in most
cases in the gland as cut from the
sanimal, and when imported
in this form Is described as .'musk,
crude, in the natural pods" and when
entering In this form is free of duty.
Palladium" ris also an article of
tho in extremely small ouan.
titles, since the quantity of palladium
imported in 1908 was but three one
of one pound This small
quantity, three one-hundredths of one
pound, was however,, valued at s2I, a
pound therefore being worth approxi-
lnatey 500. In other years the auan-
titles imported have been much larger.
in 1905 to over $4,000 in
value and in 1904 TO more than SIG, 600
in value. This rare metal, associated
with platinum. while found In its ma
tive state in small quantities in Ger
many and Brazil. is chiefly supplied
from the working over of pIatiniferous
residues OF various mints. and is used
m the manufactLre of astronomical in
straments. and by dentists, when al
gold.