Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1911-01-03
GROWING IMPORTANCE OF THE
FOREIGN MARKET.

FOREIGN MARKET.
Mr.. James j. Hill year ago pre-
dicted that the price of wheat woulo
never be substantially lower in this
country, and he said that the United
States would soon be obliged to i'm
port grain to supply its own needs
because the quantity of wheat and
other staple food products increased
at the rate of Is per cent, while pop
ulation was increasing at the rate of
Is per cent.
The necessity for the importation
of grain and foodstuffs generally is
nearer than most people imagine. In
the annual report of Secretary Nagel
of the department of commerce and
labor may be found this significant
passage-he is speaking of the for
eign commerce of the country for
the last year:
Wheat exports. including those
sent in the form of flour. aggregated
but S7,00O,O00 bushels, being little
more than one-half the average an
nual export of the past twenty years
and actually less than in any of the
past thirty years, save the exception
al year of 1905. Corn exports aggre-
gated but 3S,O0O,OOO bushels, being
little less than one-third the average
annual exports of the past twenty
years. The value OF meat and dairy
products and food animals exported
was but $l43,000.000. against 1884,
10000 in 1906 and an annual average
of 222,0O0,O0O in the past ten years.
This falling off in the expectation Of
foodstuffs is apparently due, in a large
part at least, to increased consump-
ton at home, rather than to a de-
cline in production
The United States continues to be
the greatest food exporting country
OF the world, but the amount of
money taken in for sales is growing
steadily and rapidly less. Secretary
Nagel says, by way Of compensation,
that the reduced expectation of food.
sstuffs has been Offset by an increase
an the expectation OF manufacturers:
The value of domestic manufac-
lures exported in 1910 was larger
than ever before, aggregating $751;
100000, against $4S5 100000 in 1900.
'@ 100000 in 1890, AND $122,OOO,OOO
in 1880; and forming in 1910 44.S5
per cent Of the domestic exports.
against 1881 per cent in 1900, 211S
per cent in 1890, and 14.7S per cent
in 1880.
The comparison with the exports
of ten, twenty and thirty years shows
gain and progress that seem pro-
digious, but in the light of other to-
tails furnished by Secretary Nagel
they are not so gratifying after all.
The value of our imports is rising,
while the value of exports is declin-
ing. In 1910 we reached high water
mark in importations, $1,556,947,430;
but exports were $1,744,9S4,720, as
compared with $1,S60,773,346 in 1908
and $1,SS0,S51 ,O7S in 1907, the high
est record years in exports The
balance of trade is still in our favor,
but to maintain it We must be sue
cessful in competing with our rivals
in the foreign markets. Business
with the Orient shows a continuation
of the marked decline which has char
acterized that feature of our trade
during recent years. TO all Asia we
exported goods of value of SOL 1000
900 in 1910. against S12S,50o.0OC in
1905. To Japan we sold goods worth
$22,O0O,GOO. against $52,OOO.OO0 in
1905; and to China goods worth $l6.'
100000. against $53.5OO.O0O in 1905
Whether the door is wide or only
partially open it is idle to speculate;
the fact is that we are losing ground
in the Far East and industrial Japar
is near at hand to occupy it. The
greater cost of manufacturing in this
country precludes the hope that We
shall ever regain the ground lost. Or
the other hand. our exports to NORTH