Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-08-15

IN EXPORT TRADE.
SALES or IRON AND Steel
MANUFACTURES ABROAD Lar
GER BY so,ooo,ooo
washington. d. c., Aug, 12.--.An IN
crease OF over $1,000 900 dollars In the
exports OF iron and steel manufac-
lures and 9 decrease of over 1000, 900 !:
dollars in the imports Of this class of
merchandise are striking character
istics OF the foreign commerce Of the
United States in the fiscal year Just
ended. Iron and steel manufactures
exported aggregated $230,725,351 In
value. against 3179,133, 1856 In 1910 and
$183,982,182 In the former high rec
ord year. 1908.
The exports of iron and steel manu-
features In the fiscal year 1911 were
$51, 592.165 In excess OF those Of the
preceding year and $46,743.169 In ex-
cess OF the highest record ever made
prior to 1911. Ten years ago. In 1901,
the exports OF iron and steel manu-
factNres amounted to but lit 900
dollars; twenty years ago, 100000
and 80 years ago, 16,50O,000, speaking
in round terms. The chief growth has
occurred In the last dozen years. the
total having never touched the $780,.
100000 line prior to 1910, In which
year it was 122,O00,O0O dollars. BY
1905 it has risen to 135,000,O00: by
1908. to 1S4.O00,0O0; and in 1911, -
already indicated. the total was ISL
000. 900.
This growth Of 81 ,ooo, 900 dollars IN
the fiscal year 1911, = growth which far
exceeds that OF any earlier year. was
distributed among nearly all the Inn
portant classes Of iron and steel ex-
ported. Exports OF Woodworking ma
chinery, for example, advanced from
q little less than 5000. 900 dollars in
1910 to 9,666,e66 in 1911; sewing ma
chimes, from 100000 to 100000 dol
lars; machinery rs q whole, from S0,-
o0O, 900 to 104,5O0,00O dollars; wire.
from 0,333,333 to over 10000, 900 dol
lars: structural iron and steel from
8, 750, 900 to s,6e6.666 dollars: builders
hardware and tools, from $4,000, 900 to
10000, 900; electrical machinery. from
6, 100000 to 5000, 900; locomotives,
from 100000 to practically 100000
dollars: typewriters. from S,250,O0O to
8, $780, 900; pipes and fittings, from 81
500 900 to 10,750,0O0 dollors; and bars
or rods Of steel, from 4.50O, 900 to 81
oo0, 900 dollars.
It can not be claimed that this re-
markable increase in total value OF iron
and steel manufactures exported Is
due to higher prices, since q large
share OF the staple products Of iron and
steel show in 1911 price level materi.
ally lower than that Of 10 or 20 years
ago. or wire, for example, the annual
average export price has fallen from
SIC per pound In 1891 Ito 2.6c per
pound IN 1901 and 2,3c per pound In
1911; Of cut nails, from 2.4c per pound
IN 1891 TO 2.2c per pound IN 1901 and
lee In 1911: and OF bar iron, from -
per pound In 1881 to Lie IN 1901 ana
1911. The downward tendency which
has characterized iron and steel prices
during the last decade was still IL pro-
zress up to June Of the present year.
the latest month for which figures are
available. Pig iron, the basis Of the
more highly finished articles forming
the bulk OF the export trade in iron and
!. steel ranged downward IN price from
1851 per ton in June, 1910, to $3.50
lin juno OF the present year; billets.
inxots, and blooms OF steel, which rep
resent 4 higher class OF material used
in producing the finished product, from
s27.72 per ton in June, 1910. to 322.13
In June, 1911; steel sheets and Plates.
from 1.97c per pound in June. 1910 to
X TIC in June, 1911; structural iron and
steel. from 349.76 per ton In June. 1910
to 344.83 Id June, 1911; steel rails.
from S2S.04 In June, 1910, to y20.b6 IN
June. 1911: and wire from 2.4c per
pound In June OF last year to z.Sc u
june OF the present yeAr
one remarkable feature Of the iron
and steel export trade Is the TACT That
tin and terno plates show In 1911 ex-
ports to the value Of $2,4s9.094.
against S912,17l IN 1910, the quantity
exported in 1911 being 70.19s,298
hounds. against 26,16S,315 pounds IN
the preceding year. This record OF
100000 pounds exported N lSll =. e
more than twice as great as ~ tne
former high record year. 1908, when
the total was 3S,500.000 pounds; 10
nine times as great as In 1904 ana
fifty times as great Is In 1901, wnen
tin plate exports first exceeded 1000:
900 pounds.
All the world takes American manu-.
features of iron and steel; Canada.
Mexico, the West indies. South ana
Central America, Great Britain, France
Netherlands, Germany, Asia, Africa and
distant islands on the opposite SIDE o.
the globe are purchasers OF the various
articles a. iron and steel, ranging from
structural iron and steel and machinery
to more delicately adjusted classes
such as cash registers, adding ma
chimes, firearms, and engines.
+, A,,MNLEA col lfoR.