Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-05-21
LUXURIES Of
UNITED STATES
Specia. to The Tribune.

Specia. to The Tribune.
WASHINGTON May 21.-Luxuries
imported into the United States dur
ing the fiscal year which ends with
next month will exceed 200 million
dollars in value. Under this term,
"luxuries", are included such articles
as diamonds, art work, faces and en-
broideries, champagne and other
wines, tobacco and manufactures
thereof, ostrich feathers, artificial
flowers, toys, perfumeries and cosme-
tics, jewelry, manufactures OF gold
and silver, and numerous others OF
this general character.
In many of these articles, especial
ly the more important ones, the i'm
ports of the fiscal year 1912 will ex-
coed in value those of any earlier
year. Art works, for example, show
for the 8 nine months ending with
March, total exceeding by so per
cent the highest record Of any earlier
year, and will approximate 40 million
dollars in value for the full fiscal
year. as against 22k million dollars
in 1911 and p million in 1910.
Diamonds will also show a large
total for the fiscal year 1912. The
9 months figures thus far receiver
by the bureau of statistics, depart
ment of commerce and labor, show
for diamonds and other precious
stones total of 30h million dollars.
indicating for the full year a total
of about Al million dollars. thus ex-
ceeding the record Of any earlier year
except 1910, when the total was near
the total was 42k million. Uncut
diamonds will amount to about one
fourth of the grand total of precious
and semi-precious stones.
Laces and embroideries are also an
important factor in the general group
Of "luxuries," or articles of voluntary
use, imported. They will amount in
value in the current year to about
A million dollars. The growth in
the importation of this great group
has been very raped, the total of 1902,
a decade ago, having been less than
80 million dollars and the increase
in the decade fully so per cent. This
total Of "A million dollars includes
laces and embroideries, edgings, in
servings, ruching, trimmings, tuck
ings, lace window curtains, and other
articles of this general character,
whether made of cotton, silk, or the
group of raw materials usually termed
fiber" such as flax, ramie, etc. Those
manufactured from cotton, however,
from more than three.fourths of the
tital value if the group.
The bureau of statistics this year
for the first time separates the group,
cotton, laces and embroideries," in
to it's principal constituents. The
first nine months under this new and
more detailed grouping shows, Of cot
ton embroideries, about Is million
dollars; laces, ,out II million dol
lars; lace window curtains, thre-quar-
ters of a million dollars; nets and
nettings, three quarters of a million;
and hand made laces, little over a
half million dollars.
Other articles and groups of articles
which may properly be termed "lux-
uries" are tobacco and manufactures
thereof, which will amount for the
year to about 90 million dollars; toys,
about 9 million dollars; ostrich and
other feathers, artificial flowers,
champagne and other wines, beads
and ornaments, musical instruments,
perfumeries and cosmetics, and manu-
featuring of old and silver.
Europe is the section of the world
from which most of these articles of
luxury are drawn. OF the 30 million
dollars worth of art imported in the
9 months ending with March, France
supplied 1871 million dollars worth,
the United Kingdom nearly II million
dollars worth. and Germany little
more than 1 million dollars worth.
OF cotton laces, embroideries, etc.,
imported, Switzerland supplied about
one-third of the total, the remainder
being drawn from France, Germany,
and the United Kingdom. Cut dia-
monds are also drawn chiefly from
Europe, though the product, in most
cases, of the African mines. OF the
~ million dollars worth of uncut
diamonds imported in the latest
period for which official returns have
been received million dollars worth
was from the United Kingdom, and 1
million dollars worth from Belgium.
Of the IS million dollars worth of
diamonds, cut but not set, imported
in the months ending with March,
7 million dollars worth were from
Belgium, 6k million dollars worth
from Netherlands, 1-3 million from
France, and / 1-3 million from the
United Kingdom. OF the champagne
imports. very large proportion. ap-
proximately nine-tenths, are from
France.