The Republican journal., 1912-04-25
Imports of Potatoes and Other
FOOdstuffs.

WASHINGTON. D. c., April %, The
fact that 2 1-2 million bushels Of pota-
toes We're imported into the United
States in February, or about twice as
much as the average annual importations
during the decade ending with 1912, lends
interest to figures compiled by the Bur-
eau of Statistics, Department of Com
MERGE and Labor, showing the imports OF
foodstuffs into the United States. I'm
ports of foodstuffs of all kinds in the 8
months ending with February, 1912, ag-
gregated 262 million dollars, against 224
million in the corresponding period of
1911 and las million in 1902, having thus
nearly doubled in ten years. The chief
growth occurs in the class of articles
not grown in the United States, such as
coffee, tea, cocoa, and tropical fruits.
COFFEE, COCOA AND TEA.
Imports under this head have greatly
increased during the decade, though in
coffee the growth is solely due to higher
prices. Eight months imports of coffee
show a decrease in quantity from 1853
million pounds in 1902 to 602 million in
1912, while the value increased from 40
million dollars to Is million, the average
import price advancing from 6.3 cents
per pound in 1902 to nearly Is cents in
1912. Cocoa Imports in the s months
under review increased from 81 million
pounds in 1902 to rs million in the cur
rent fiscal, and the value, including pre-
pared cocoa and chocolate, from 1-2
million dollars to over 9 million. Tea
imports have also increased both in guam
tity and value, the months figures be-
ing 81 million pounds valued at Is IA
million dollars, compared with ga mil
lion pounds valued at million dollars a
decade earlier.
SUGAR.
Of sugar the imports are about the
same as in 1900, though higher prices
give the imports of the present year a
value more than that of dozen years
earlier. Eight months imports in 1900
aggregated 2,150 million pounds valued
at 46 IL million dollars; in 1912, 2,153
million pounds value at SO 1-2 million
dollars, the average price for each period
being 2.2c. and Csc. per pound, respec-
lively. These figures do not include, in
either of the years named, the sugar
from Porto Rico and Hawaii, now GUS
toms districts of the United States.
FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.
Imports Of fruits and nuts are increas
ing at rate of about million dollars a
year, the s months figures having adj
vanced from % IL million dollars in 1910
to 26 1-2 million in 1911 and 20 1-2 million
in 1912, or considerably more than double
the total of Is 1-2 million recorded in the
s months of 1902. Bananas, almonds,
cocoanuts and copra scored the largest
gain under this head; while raisins and
oranges have lost ground during the de-
cade. Eight months imports of bananas
have increased from 2-3 million dollars
in 1902 to 1-2 million in 1912; almonds,
from less than ] million to 2 IL million;
and cocoanuts and copra, from about to
8 million dollars. Raisins have decreased
from million pounds in months of
1902 to million in 1912, and oranges
from SO million pounds to less than mil
lion. In imports of vegetables the in
crease from l 2-3 million dollars in
months of 1900 to 10 IL million in the
elapsed months of the current year is
chiefly due to the unusually large increase
in potatoes already noted. Eight months
imports of potatoes grew from SAT, 099
in value in 1900 to nearly 5000, 900 ip
1912 Beans and dried pease more than
doubled in a decade. from 1891, S27 in
months of 1902 to 81, 290, 209 in 1912.
BKEADsTUFFs.
Under the title ''breadstuffs'' the Bur
eau groups wheat, corn, oats, rice,
farinaceous substances, 0apioca, etc, }
flour, macaroni, bread and biscuit, max
ing d total for the months of over 10
million dollars, against 3 million in the
same months of 1902. The chief articles
forming this 10 million dollars worth OF
''breadstuffs" are nj caroni, 3 million;
rice and rice flour, 1-2 million; tapioca,
sage, ETC., !. million; wheat, nearly l
million; and -four nearly IL million COL
lars.
MEAT AND FOOD ANIMALS.
OF meat and dairy products the
months imports increased from 81, 1S3,
1913 in 1902 to 50, i72, 905 in 1912. Cheese
formed more than half this total, its
growth in the period named being from
81, 745, 754 to 1914 64 Sausage and
sausage castings and cream are the other
items OF Importance. OF food animals
imported, cattle is the leading item,
months imports having increased from
1906, 666 in 1902 to $2,S17, 538 in 1912,
Imports Of fish, mostly cod, herring, hake,
haddock, Holsters ard shrimps, increased
from Sc, 421, 279 in 8 months of 1902 to
S1l, 1902, 1856 in 1911.
SPIRITS, WINES AND MALT LIQUORS.
Under this head the growth in imports
has been comparatively small, from 1-2
million dollars in months of 1902 to IL
1-2 million in 1912. Wines have increased
less than half million dollars compared
with the s months figures of 1902 and
decreased million dollars compared with
1910.
Other imported foodstuffs include for
the months of 1912 mineral waters and
other non-alcoholic beverages, $1,074,
092; spices, So, 638, 716; and edible olive
oil, $3,471, III.
III