The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1911-01-25
S48,OOO,OOO.OO FOR PRECIOUS STONES
America Paid that Vast Sum for Gems in 1910. Imports
OF Luxuries Furnish Prosperity Weather-Vane

WASHINGTON.-That 1910 must
have been a prosperous year in the
United States is indicated by the
figures of importation of the class
of articles usually termed luxuries.
No more satisfactory barometer OF
general business conditions is found
than the figures representing the i'm
portation of diamonds and other pre-
cious stones, laces, art works wines,
tobacco and it's manufactures and
other articles of this character.
This is illustrated by a glance at
the yearly record of imports as re-
corded by the bureau OF statistics
of the department of commerce and
labor, In years of marked depres-
sion, 1894 and 1895 or example,
the value of diamonds and other
precious stones imported dropped
from sixteen million dollars in 1893
to five and one-half in 1894, and was
seven and one-half millions in 1898,
and about six and three-quarter mil
lions in 1896; gradually moving up
ward again until 1899 and 1900 and
reaching a total of thirty-two mil
lions in 1907. In the fiscal year
1908, a year of business depression,
the total fell to thirteen million dol
lars, returning to twenty-niDe mil
lion in 1909 and fOrty-eight million
in the fiscal year 1910, while the
figures of the calendar year will not
materially differ from those of the
fiscal year.
X The figures of the diamond i'm
portations above cited are merely
an example of the evidences of pros
perity supplied by the figures of i'm
ports. In automobiles, art works,
laces, feathers, furs, wines and
liquors, tobacco, decorated china
ware and numerous other articles !
named in the list of importations, !
the figures of 1910 are large, and !
the importatiOns of articles usually /
classed as luXuries will show be- ,
tween 200 and 800 million dollars +
value. OF laces and embrOideries +
alone the value imported during the .
year just ended Appropriated forty
five million dollars, a very large pro-
portion of which was of cotton. This
class of importations also shows
considerable fiuctuation according to
conditions of prosperity or other
wise, thOdgh the fluctuations are not
as great as in diamonds The value
of cotton laces, embroideries, etc,
imported in the fiscal year 1898 was
twelve and three-quaTter million dol
lars, and dropped in 1894 to elgnt
million dollars. Again in 1907-S, a
period of depression, the value of
this class dropped from thirty-nine
and three-quarter million dollars III
the fiscal year 1907 to thrty-lnrse
and three-quarter million IN 1900,
returning to thirty-four and one
third millions in 1903 and thirty-six
and three-quarter millions in 1910.
Among the other articles of I'M
portatiOnS in 1910 which are classsd
as luxuries are: Silk laces, four and
One-half million dollars; laces of fax
and other similar fibers, four mil
lions; tobacco cigars, etc., thirty
three millions; furs and fur skins,
twenty-five millions; art works,
tWenty-One millions; spirits, wines
and liquors, twenty millions; feath-
ers and flowers, natural and artif-
eial, eleven millions; toys, eight nil
lions; mahogany, three and One-half .
millions; jewelTy, two millions; .
manufactures of gold and silver, two
millions; beads and ornaments, per
fumeries, cosmetics, shells, orchids, /
pipes and smokers articles and /
musical instruments in various sums
between one million and two million .
dollars each.