The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-04-28
j. s. HAS A BIG
PANAMA TRADE
DURING DECADE
AS is Shown by a Report Of the
Department of Commerce
Just Issued.

WASHINGTON, D. C.. April 70
An indication of the stimulation OF
trade and industry in the republic OF
Panam and the Canal zone in the
brief period since the United States
began work on the Panama canal IS
contained In recent figures compiled
by the Bureau of Foreign and Do
nestle Commerce, Department OF Com
merce. They show that over ITO mil-
lion dollars worth of American mer-
chandise has been exported to Panama !,
and. the Canal zone during the last, ten
wears and that twenty-four million
dollars worth of products of Panama
entered the United States during the
same period
The record of our trade with Pan
anna. begins with 1904. In that year
our exports to the Isthmian republic
were valued at about two and one-nalI
million dollars. in 1907, the year IN /
which active canal building operations
began. the total rose to eighteen ana
two-thirds million, and in 1912 ana
1e13. respectively, the exports were
only a little under twenty-five mlllon
dollars in value, the crest OF the move
ment having been reached in 1912. Our |
exports to Panama thus increased
nearly tenfold in ten years, while I'M
ports from that country steadly grew
though at a much slower rate, from
less than one million dollars IN l9O4
/ and 1905 to a little less than five mil
lion last year.
Canal q Cause.
That this remarkable expansion OF
our exnort trade with Panama was
largely due to purchases OF supplies
for canal construction and commlsary
| is apparent from a comparison oil our
| own figures with the CORRESPONDING
i import statements of the Panamaln
/ government. The latter indicated for
i 1910 only five and one-half million
4 dollars worth of imports from the
\ United States and four and one-half
4 million from other countries, an ag-
gregate importation of ten mlillon
\ dollars in value, or less than one-naiI
| the declared value of our known ex-
ports to Panama.
Additional evidence that the goods
II Skinned to Panama from this country
were incidental to the requirements OF
canal construction is developed by a
study of the character of the articles
making up the trade in question the
| largest items contributing to the
| tventy-four million dollars worth OF
Il nrod,Icts shipped to Panama last year
and of the ITO million dollars worth
sent thither during The last decade
arc structural iron and steel, cement,
| dynamite, electrical machinery, mis-
/ cellaneous iron and steel goods coal
flour and meats.
During the last ten years the Unlteu
States; has exported to Panama nine
million dollars worth OF cement l 70 DS
nsed in concrete work on the Canal
zone eight million dollars worth OF
biturninous coal, nearly seven million
/ dollars worth of board and pianks'
six and one-half million dollars worth
of structural iron and steel, four and
one-half million dollars worth OF
-four. and three million dollars worm
of fresh beef. A single year showed
record of two and one-half million dol
lars, worth Of structural iron and
steel and over one million dollars
worth each of electrical machinery,
castings. and coal; also cons1deraple
Quantities Of cotton goods, patent ana
nronrietary medicines, earthen, stone
china and glass ware, cars ana car
riages, soap, cigars and c1garets,
paints, fish, butter, potatoes ana otnei
vegetables 4osoro
baen handicapped through lack OF
ADEQUATE dock and bonding facllltles'
nut inDroyements in this line are re-
norted nv consular officers on the istn-
mus In fact, with the. opening OF tue
canal the character of exports thlIner
| will materially change. Large snip
meltS or coal Will ~ AASSSA--
| bunkerine ships. Warehouses ana de-
po ots,'l may also be established for the
disruption OF goods to many coun-
'fieS bananas Half of Imports.
i Bananas represent half the entire
value of merchandise imported from
Panama. Last year the total exceeded
&C., n1;IIion dollars. Except for about
one million dollars worth Of American
made articles returned to the United
states. the remaining inward ship
ments are relatively small. They con,
sist chiefly of coconuts, hides and
skins, crude rubber, vegeta6Ie lNot .y
mated mated that 100000, goo worth of cab
met woods, many of them similar In
appearance and hneness to mahogany
and ilgnumfvitae, are available IN tne
republic, and they offer promise OF IN
creaslng commercial Importance Ihel
aTey rnr