The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-09-03
MILLIONS
FOR PRETTY TOYS
Fifty Million Dollars Worth
Imported Into the u. S. in
Ten Years.

Fifty million dollars worth of toys
have been imported into the United
States in the last decade. and five mil
lion dollars worth exported in the same
time. The high-water mark in the exc
port of this class of American manu-
features was reached in the fiscal year
just ended, the total value Of toys eX-
ported exceeding for the first time ST.
100000. On the import side the high
water mark was reached in 1908, when
the value of toys imported was 1880,
600, dropping 10 about s5,000,00O in 1909
Despite the fact that the manufactur-
ers of the United States have increased
their investments of capital in toy
making from less than $1,000, 900 IN 1850
to S4,750,000 in 1905, and increased the
value of their output Of toys from ST.
500,0 900 in 1880 to S., 500 900 in 1905, the
impOTtatiOns Of this class of merclan-
disc have grown steadily meantime. To
be sure the figures of the fiscal year
1909 are slightly below those Of 1905
the record year, but this is part Of the
general reduction in imports OF manu-
features which chaTacteTizes the record
of the fiscal year 1909, and cannot be
looked upon as q permanent depression
in this line of Importation, since the
AlOnlilg uSuItS III 4lIS ttUSll-E part VI
the year 1909 showed larger totals than
the corresponding months of 1905, thus
indicating a revival in the imports Of
toys.
The toy importatiOns into the United
States, as shown by the reports Of the
bureau of statistics # the department
Of commerce and labor, nave, as already
indicated, aggregated in round terms
S50,000000 in the last decade, Under
the general title of Toys" the bureau
of statistics reports imports valued at
S4.S69,097 in the fiscal year 1909, s, 2O6, -
423 worth in the fiscal year 1908, St, 993, -
sci worth in 1907, and S5,SS7, S63 worth
in 1906 In 1904 the total was in round
terms S5,000000 worth, in 1903 s4,250,O00
in 1902 $4,000, 900, in 1901 $3.50, 900, and
i'm 1900 about So, 100000 worth, making
the aggregate for the decade approx
mately $4,000, 900 value. Meantime toy
manufactures in the United States ap-
parently amounted TO about an equal
sum. or an average of about 5000 900 a
year since the census record shows the
product of 1905 at 1851, 693, and that of
1900 at S4,024, 999 This would indicate
that the toys supplied TO the people of
the United States during the decade
have aggregated about 500, 600 600,
stated in the valuations Of the importers
and home manufacturers, and not in the
prices at which sold to consumers. OF
this approximately $50,000,000 worth of
home production, however, there was
exported during the decade about So
100000 worth.
This trade in toys. both as TO imports
and exports is largely a development of
the last decade. The total value Of toys
| imported in 1899, a decade ago, was but
I z o. ole d.
Gated, reached approximately s., 600 600,
then slowly but steadily increased,
passing the $4,00O,0OO mark I'm 1902, the
So 600. 600 mark in 1906, the So OO0, 900 line
in 1907, and the $1,000, 900 line in 1908, but
dropping I'm 1909, the year of general de-
preston in importations of manufac-
lures, to a little less than $1,000 900, but
with an upward movement again in
the closing months Of the year,
In June, 1909, for example, the value
of toys imported was S544 342, against
$524,376 In the corresponding month of
the preceding year, indicating that the
record for the fiscal year 1910 will prob
ably exceed that Of 1909 and may equal
that of the high record year 1908. Mean
time the expectation Of toys, which
amounted to but $780, 600 in 1900, passed
the $500, 900 line in 1904, the 100000 line
{
in 1908, and passed the $1,000 600 line in
1909. the total for that year being 81
09S,1S7
Germany is the worlds leading pur-
veyor of toys. at least by far the larg-
| est source of supply for the United
| States, and presumably a larger man
ufacturer than any other country, Son
neberg alone, it is said, producing an
nually some 24,OO0,OO0 articles, repre-
/ senting about 100000 value, while
/ Nuremberg and other cities of Ger
many are also large producers in this
| line The value Of toys imported into
! the United States from Germany IN
/ 1903, the high-record year, was $500,
( coo. out Of a total of 81 .25O, 600 imported
/ in that year The largest value of toys
/ imported from any other country in that
/ year was: France. $1S0,472: Austria
| Hungary. S179.41s: Japan, s177, 720; Bel
GUM. 6l,551, and the United Kingdom
! So. 725.
! The growth Of the production of toys
/ in the United States has, despite thi.
/ large Importation and despite the &c.
/ tivity in manufacturing in other coun-
/ tries, been rapid in recent years, tn,
value of the manufactures classed by
the census as Toys and Games beins
reported at $4,000 900 in 1850. So, $50 900 il
1890. S4,0000O0 in 1900, and $500, 900 il
| 1862 the amount Of capital employee,