New-York tribune., 1910-01-01
TRADE RECORDS
BROKEN In 1909
IMPORTS LARGEST IN
N4TTON'S HISTORY.
Figures Shoe Prosperity and
Constitute argument for
Payne Tariff Lac.
rEronn The Trihune Rureau1


Washington. Dec. 31.-Oficial figures
Of foreign commerce for 1909 nrade pub
lie to-day by the Bureau of Statistics
NAV be used as a strong argument by
President Taft and other defenders of
the Payne tariff law. In his Winona
speech. on September Il, Mr.. Taft said:
"On the whole, however, / am bound to
saw that the Payne tariff bill is the best
tariff bill that the Republican party ever
raised" This utterance of the Presi-
dent had been widely criticised by OPP
ponents of the Payne law, who alleged
that time would show the rates of duty
10 be so excessive that there would be
falling off in imports into the United
States
Mr.. Taft will now be able to cite the
old adage that the proof of the pudding
Is in the eating" The imports for the
present calendar year will exceed by
more than S:J000O.000 the highest i'm
port record Of any year in the nations
history. 1t is estimated t4.at the i'm
ports for 1909 will show that foreign ar
ticies TO the value of S1.415.oO0,0OO
A
exception of 1907. the foreign commerce
Of the country this year will exceed IN
value that of any earlier year. Whlie
the imports were larger than in any
other single year. the exports fell slightly
below those of 1906 and 1907.
Not only were the imports greater this
wear than ever before, but the statistics
show that more foreign articles entered
American ports free of duty in 1909 than
in any previous year Articles imported
free were valued at S100.000,OoO, as
against $685., 100000 in 1907, the high
water mark up to 1909. Dutiable i'm
ports this year amounted TO about SISo.~
100000. which is greater than in any
preceding year except 1907. when the
total was S1S1, 100000.
The statistics made public by the bu-
reau are based on official figures for the
eleven months of This calendar year.
The December figures, of course. are
not yet available. but those for the pre-
ceding months have been consulted, and
an estimate for the year has been made
on the assumption that the twelfth
month of 1909 will show imports and
exports approximately equal TO those of
the Immediately preceding month.
HOW IMPORTS WERE DIVIDED.
OF the imports this year about 500
100000 was raw material for use in
manufacturing and $500, 100000 partly
manufactured material, making the to-
tai value of manufacturers materials
imported nearly Ss00000oo0, or more
than half the entire imports of the
year.
All the grand divisions and practi-
calIy all the important countries shared
in the increased imports. From Europe
the imports in the ten months for which
detailed statistics are now available
show an increase from S436,OO0,GoO in
1905 TO S616,0O0O00 in 1900 North
America. from S194 600 900 TO S241 ,0O0,-
900: South America. from S101 100000
30 S143, 600; Asia, from S13I 100000
TO S157 100000: Oceania, from $4,000
600 to SO, 900. and Africa, from S13,
100000 to Sl4.OG0,000.
Exports for the year Were approx
rnateIy of the value of S1,750.00000O.
More than half of these exports under
went a process of manufacture before
leaving the United States. Exports to
the countries of North America were
greater than in previous years, while
decrease in exports from last year was
shown in trade with Europe, Asia,
Oceania and Africa.
The trade of this country. with its nom
contiguous territories was greater this
year than in any previous year. This
trade aggregated about S113.OOO,0OO, of
which S1s0O0OO0 consisted of exports.
II wifi surprise many persons 10 learn
that more than S40.Oo0.000 worth of
diamonds and other precious stones were
imported into the United States for the
first eleven months of 1909. These fig
ures represent an increase of $2S.0o0.O00
over those of 1908 and more than S.
100000 over 1907. the previous record
year for the imports of Jewels
An increase in customs receipts Of
S30,743.120 and in internal revenue Of
ss412,O0 in the first six months of the
fiscal year 1910, as compared with the
corresponding period of the fiscal year
1909, is the showing of the operations Of
the Treasury, according to the latest fig
ures available which lack one or two
days of being complete. The deficit for
1910 thus far in ordinary receipts and
expenditures is S26.140025. as against
s56. Az. .613 in the first six months of
1908 These figures do not take into ac-
count postal revenues and disburse-
ments, except the postal deficiency, nor
do they include $16.311 ,97s paid for work
on the Panama Canal.
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