The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-11

about S5 per cent of our aggregate trade both in imports and exports. These 10 cites substantially. although not fully, represent the federal reserve districts of the United States. mere glance at the official statistics Is sufficient to show that New York city maintains it's pres tige as the commercial metropolis of the United States so far as concentration of
 international trade Is concerned. Tn the week under consideration, the money value of the imports received at New York was-using round numbers for con- venience-s17 eo0,00O. This was more than matched by the money value of the ex- ports, which is found to be somewhat In excess of s2S,00o,000. The full statistics show that 1t will be 8 long time be- fore any of the other seaport or interior ports of the United States receive im- ports even approximately near the money value of those which are brought to New York
 There appears to be a curious discrep- ancy between the figures which show the. money value of the imports received at~two or three cities and the money value of the exports from the same cities. The imports are, comparatively speaking, trivial but the exports are of magnitude both in quantity and money value. For instance, the money value of the imports received at Baltimore in the last week of October was only s50o000. while on the other hand exports from Baltimore in the same time were s1,000,000 in excess of this. So, also, the commodities imported at New Orleans in the week now under consideration were in value not quite s900,000, but there went out from New Or leans to other lands American commodi- ties of the money value of a little under s4,0c0, 000 The most striking discrepancy or influence is that of the figures fur nished by Galveston, for into Galveston came imports of a money value a little over s1oo,0o0, whereas from Galveston went American commodities of the money value of Little over s7,OOo00o.
 What the Difference Means
 These figures demonstrate that the great mass of imports In the United States arrive at the largest of the sea- ports. New York, Boston, San Fran cisco and Seattle are the chief distribut- ing points in the United States of eom- modities purchased in other lands This Is especially illustrated in the record made at Boston, where the imports wera second in money value to those received at New York. These figures are a perfect demonstration of the fact that Boston is a great distributing port for commodities purchased in other lands
 The record made by the chief seaports on the Pacific coast contain an instruc- tive story. Practically the entire imports received on our Pacific coast are those Which are discharged under the eyes of customs authorities at San Francisco 80 far as imports are concerned, although the difference between tine two cities is not great but when 1t is remembered that San Francisco has been the center of large foreign trade for many years whereas Seattle has attained its influence in that respect within a comparatively recent time, then the story of Seattle's growth as city of imports is all the more remarkable.
 If cotton were left out of consideration, then Boston would stand second to New York as city of American exports. In the last week of October the money value of exports which went out to sea from the wharfs of Boston was approximately 2,500,00o, or about s1o00,0oo in excess of the money value of the imports received at Boston. New Orleans and Galveston surpassed Boston In the money valne of exports, but chiefly because these cities lead in the exportation of cotton. In fact, Galveston's exports are almost exclusive ly cotton, whereas the commodities shipped abroad from Boston as whole represent almost all departments of American industry agricultural as well as manufacturing.
 The export sfrom Seattle in the last week of October were of the money value of $1,600,00O, or about $400. GOO more than the value of the imports received at Seat tie. But If if had not been discovered or believed by the authorities at Washing ton that traffic arrangements which were worked out by James J. Hill. and which were competent to supply full cargo at Seattle for the American-built ships de- signed for the far eastern trade were not in conformity with the law and, there fore, were compulsorily abolished, the probabilities are that by this time the exports from Seattle would be averaging