The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-08-04
The sale OF American Exports In
Foreign Markets.

in u ictttT pIlLlfu III L hE sun OF aug
ust a correspondent asks the reason
for the limitation of our sales in foreign
markets He asks why We cannot
create an export trade for manufactured
goods. lis our home market so great
that We do not want foreign trade. or
h our cost of production too much 10
permit US To compete:' Before at
tempting to answer the questions Of our
correspondent let vs. note the recent
expansion in American trade in manu-
featured goods bulletin issued a
few days ago by the Bureau 81 Statis-
tics says that exports Of manufac-
lures in the fiscal year 1910 exceeded
thoee If any earlier year" The sum
mary Of commerce for that wear shows
exports Of manufactures ready for con-
sumption "a valued M s5Oo. SsI .2ia. and
exports Of manufactures for further
use in manufacturing IA valued at
t267, al, s44. II 10 the total ~ sos 900. =
ono there u added the $3.50 coo On repre-
sented nv -foodstufs partly or wholly
manufactured there il n grand n, al
sale Of 81 OF 600 .OnO worth Of merchan-
disc properly included in a group 81
manufactured articles Not all are
finished products but all have been sub
jected 10 mechanical process or processes
changing them from their original
state. For instance, -four, pig copper,
sole leather and lumber are manufac-
tured articles under broad classifica-
tion, while wheat would properly he
classed as a foodstuff. and copper ore.
hides and logs may be regarded as raw
materials. although some labor has been
expanded in their production. Using
the limited classification Of "manm-
features ready for cOnsumption" and
manufactures for further Use in manu-
. featuring. the s76s 600 on sales of 1910
NAV bs compared with shipments ~
like commodities wear ago valued ~
ss7I Ooo ,OrO. shipments IT sass. 600 go
worth ten years ago, and II sI7g O1O 90
worth twenty wears ago.
These figures show remarkable ex-
pansion in our eNpOrr salcs 81 manu-
factured goods. Taken bv itself the
increase IL gratifying. Taken IN its
relation 10 increased power ~ produc-
ton, increased need II larger outlet
and the increased absorbing power Of
the worlds markets. the exhibit - far
less satisfactory. large part Of the
increase appears in n few special lines
a. the result of the energies ~ n COM
paratively and even actually small num-
Der ~ concerns. For instance. sales Of
mineral oil and It's numerous products
mainly the business Of the Standard oil
Company. show increase from about
s45.OOO.o00 in isaO 70 81 co.. On in 1900
and TO nearly $40 10000 in 1910.
A few makers Of locomotives, sewing
machines. typewriters. hardware. boots
and shoes, agricultural implements,
railway supplies. automobiles. s,nICtu-
raj iron ana a few other lines and arti-
Giles have sought and found a profitable
outlet In foreign markets nv properly
catering To the needs and wants Of
those markets. The intelligence and
energy 81 a few makers 81 boots and
shoes have increased the exports Of
those articles from 81 ,OIO, ?2s in 1895 to
81, tnO,O0O IN 1910 Makers 81 agricuI-
tural implements have increased their
exports from $ ,4Oo Oco in Is9S 10 So.
Ooo,OOO in 1910. Shipments Of manu-
features Of iron and steel have increasad
from ss2 OOO ,0OO in iS05 10 $40 90 90 In
1910. Sales Of lumber and articles made
% wood have in fifteen years increased
from SIS, OOO .OOO to s7a.Oo OOO.
Yet the merchandise exported is prob-
ably less than per cent. ~ the rner-
chandiSe produced. The home market
the largest and the best market in the
world, absorbs the remainder. and all
except few Of our merchants and man.
ufacturcrs prefer 20 limit their saIes
and To compete with each other In the
home market. The homo market does
take the goods produced less the rela-
lively small percentage exported. but
our producers taken collectively are far
from the maximum limit Of possible pro-
duction even with their present cuuip- !
ment. Tho cotton mills of Fall River
New Bedford and other places are
idle to-day not becalusc there is no mar
ket IN which their overstock could no |
sold, but becau-" they will not seek and
hold permanently u larger share in the
foreign field. The various markets Of |
Ms world now require and purchase
annuaify more than $50 go on worth
~ cotton cloth in addition n many |
millions ~ dollars worth " cotton goods
IN other forms. American export sale.
n cotton cloth In 1910 amounted 10 |
iis""ol nm, not including shipments TO
our insIlar possessions. and one-third |
OF that ventto China alone. Argentit A