Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1911-12-27
OUR FOREIGN COMMERCE
Shows Larger Total Than Any
Preceding Year of Our
Commerce.
INCREASE OVER $500, 900, 900. 90.
Some Very Interesting Statistics Con.
corning the Imports and Exports
Between the United States
and Other Nations.

The foreign commerce of the Unit
ed States in the year about to end
will show an increase of over 200
million dollars, when compared with
the Immediately preceding year and
larger total than in any earlier year
of our commerce. Imports, while
falling below those of 1910 in the
earlier months, have, in the closing
period of the year shown a marked
increase, indicating that the total for
the year will differ but little from
that of 1910, which made the high
est record in the history of the i'm
port trade. Exports are larger than
in any earlier year, and manufac-
lures exported also make their high
est record, reaching approximately
one billion dollars in the calender
year of 1911. The approximate total
for the year, based upon 10 months
record already compiled, are: Ex-
ports over 2 billion dollars; imports,
l 1-2 billion dollars, of which over
one-half entered free of duty.
Considering the great groups Of
articles, the noteworthy changes are,
in the case of imports, falling OF
in manufacturers raw materials and
in finished manufactures; in the case
of exports, general increase partf-
cipated in by all the important
groups, foodstuffs, manufactures and
manufacturers materials. Compar-
ing the 10 months movement in the
years named, imports of crude food
stuffs increased from 11S million in
1910 to 145 million in 1911; while
foodstuffs, partly or wholly manu-
factured, decreased from 169 mil
lion to Isl million; manufacturers
raw materials, from Asa million to
422 million; manufactures for furth-
er use in manufacturing increased
Slightly, from 237 million to 242 mil
lion dollars, and finished manufac-
lures decreased from $40 million to
294 million dollars. Exports, on the
other hand, advanced in the case OF
crude foodstuffs, from 70 million to
95 million dollars; foodstuffs, partly
or wholly manufactured, from 2O3
million to 247 million; manufac-
lures raw materials, from 437 mil
lion to 491 million; manufactures
for further use in manufacturing,
from 234 million to 267 million; and
finished manufactures, from 447 mill
lion to 531 million dollars.
The principal imports of the full
year. grouped according to magni-
tude of values will show: Sugar,
over billion pounds; coffee, 500
million pounds, valued at about "a
million dollars; hides and skins, 80
million dollars; India rubber, 75
raw silk, about So million each; fibre
million; cotton manufactures and
manufactures, 55 million; wood and
manufactures, so million; fruits and
nuts, over 40 million; block and pig
tin, 400 million; diamonds, 33 mill
lion; while copper manufactures, un-
manufactures fibers, iron and steel
manufactures, silk manufactures,
leaf tobacco, and oils will each show
at total of about 80 million dollars.
Art works, fur and fur skins, and
wool will each aggregate about 25
million dollars each in the years i'm
ports. Lower prices contributed to
and India rubber, the decrease in
value being far greater than in guam
tity. Hides and skins show a mark
ed reduction in quantity as we'll as
in value of imports. Tan imports are
about the same in quantity but much
greater in value, due to higher
prices.
Cotton is still the leading article
of export, it's total for the year, over
a half billion dollars, exceeding the
combined value of the two great
classes next in rank, iron and steel
manufactures, about $50 million, and
meat and dairy products, 160 mil
lion. The exports of cotton in 10
months aggregated 2,945 million
pounds, valued at 81 million dol
lars, the largest value in the history
of American commerce, and but
slightly less in quantity than the
high record total of 3,052 million
pounds exported in the 10 months
of 1905. Iron and steel also made a
new high record in the 10 months OF
1911-2O6 million dollars. against
164 million last year. Substantial
increases also occur in other leading
articles, and the complete year will
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