The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-22

much greater than that in foodstuffs and
considerably greater than IN raw ma
terials.
FoOdstuffs Stand Still
Foodstuffs as a whole show exports in
1913 almost identical with those of 19Os-
approximately s51O,000,0OO in each of the
years named, but this equality in values
indicates considerable reduction in guam
tity, In view of the advanced prices. Man
ufacturers' materials show growth from
Slo9.OO0,000 in 1903 to approximately $780,
100000 in 1913. Manufactures show a much
larger growth, having been. in 1903 $46S,
100000, and in 1918 approximately 81, 200. .000,-
900. In the above figures foodstuffs in the
manufactured state are included in the
general group of "foodstuffs' and are not
included in the general group of "manu-
factures."
1t is in manufactured articles that the
most striking increase in exports occur.
Iron and steel manufactures as a whole
show an increase from $97, 100000 in 1903
TO little over $500 100000 in 1913; copper
manufactures. including pigs, bars, ETC.,
in this general term, increased from $40,-
100000 to SAC, 100000 in the 10 years. Cot
cent, their total exports having been s32,
100000 in 1908 and the close to $54, 00O,000 in
1913. Machinery increased from $5l 900, ,UOU
to $780, 10000 during this 10 years; agricul-
tural implements, from $21, 100000 to $42,
100000: engines from $6,00O,O00 to s26,O0O,-
900; typewriters from $4,000,000 to $11, ,OO0,-
900, and sewing machines from $5.O0O,0OO
to s120OO,OO0.
Must Develop Manufactures
The point is that with more of our food
stuff being consumed at home, and the
part we have for sale constantly growing
less as 1t becomes necessary to home
consumption, far seeing statesmen believe
that in order to maintain the balance OF
trade in our favor we must now begin
to look ahead and work out some plan to
not only to encourage manufacturing in
this country, but encourage every effort
possible to get the manufactured products
OF the United States into the foreign fields
of trade and competition.
1t has been too much the policy of our
manufacturers, who have had the advan-
tage of an almost prohibitiye tariff pol
icy, to protect them from their outside
competitors, to content themselves with
their home markets and the enormous
profits they were able to obtain by reason
of the tariff. They did not care for the
foreign trade hence its development has
been slow, and only the surplus goods
made here which could not be consumed in
the home markets were offered abroad.
A high tariff policy is not conducive to
a foreign trade, or helpful in creating it.
What foreign trade we have in the line
of manufactures has been more or less
forced upon us by combination of cir
cumstances rather than through any ef-
fort on the part of our merchants and in
dustrial captains to get it.
Underwood Saw 1t Long Ago
Mr.. Underwood saw this years ago. he
also saw that it could never be different,
and that the country could never reach
out and obtain its share of the trade of
the world under the republican tariff sys-
tenn. Gradually under this system we lost
the control of the seas and our flag has
almost disappeared in foreign ports There
was no incentive for American vessels to
attempt to engage in transportation on
the seas because they received no encour-
agement at home, and gradually all this
vast business was turned over to foreign
nations and the trade we once possessed
was lost.
1t is quite true that the. trade was OF
a different character than the trade 1t is
now possible for us to develop. Then our
articles of export were the prod
ucts Of our fields: now they must be-
come the products of our factories. I'm
der the new tariff law-if the country will
permit it to remain upon the statute
books-our export trade is bound to
grow, and if eventually our lawmakers
will give some announcement TO the mer-
chant marine in the way of a discrimina-
ton in favor of American ships in the
duties collected at our ports, as Mr.. Un-
der wood attempted In the present bill.
IL win add materially to the rapid growth:
OF our export trade in manufactured stuff
which is sure to come.
If through the oversuppiy of manufac-,
tured goods in this country which Were
sold abroad under unfavorable conditions
and merely to get rid of something not
needed here has been able to keep the bal
ance of trade in our favor, and has taken
the place of the losses in other lines such
as In fresh meats and cattle, the former,
for example, having fallen from oO,0o0
in 1903 to 100000 in 1913; and beef. cattle
from $4,000 600 value in 1893 to $l,0OOOOO in
1876 and canned beef from s7S,OO0.00O to
81, ,OOo, 600, surely with the proper encour-
agement and under pressure the United
states can invade the markets of the
world with it's manufactures, and in "a
few years become the king bee IN the
trade at all the ports accessible to us.