The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-05-11

~ January sGan.sn. rsbrusry $780,
- ~ March Hsossco. Ths eiosins
tmokth - he .period also showed larger
Htotal impcvts than any other, a1.eoo.ooo
aBainee 01&oo9ooe in IT. frst month. On
the othss hand. the exports OF domes-
tics PRODUCTS have steadily fallen. the
0gurs for October. ls1A having been
03eeaeea apd IN March. 1874 but siA.-
~. ~
the imports In the six months In
crsxsed over n per cent. while the ex-
ports decreased over a par cant in thu
name period In the last month CT the
Payne tariff, September. 1sls. the ex-
ports OF domestic products exceeded the
Imports BY tb.oooooo; In March, 1914. the
etxth month under the Underwood tariff.
the exports Of domestic products exceed
Cd the imports by barely A.ooo.o0o
IL 70 the persistent fall In the impor-
tation Of manufacturer materials, how
ever. that there h the gravest concern.
No part Of the machinery Of the govern
ment gives such excellent opportunity to
measure the activities Of the manufac-
turers Of the country as does the record
OF the imports Of their requirements for
manufacturing and OF the manufactures
which come In competition with them.
The record OF imports Of manufactures
during the six months operation Of the
new law. including In this term the ma
terials for further use in manufacturing.
saows Q total Of but S469, 000, 900 against
ST.. 100000 In the same months of last
year. while the record OF finished manu-
features imported shows SIS ooo, 900
against s2i6 10000 in the same months OF
the preceding year and under the pre-
Prices Not Reduced.
Nor can 1t be said that the fan In value
Of manufacturers materials imported -
due to lower prices An examination Of
the detailed records of the period shows.
In many cases. much smaller quantities
Of the various materias brought in in the
recent months. The total quantity Of
raw cotton imported in the SIX months
against 100000 pounds In the same
period Of last year; pig tin for use In the
tinpiate factories. 81 .ooo. 900 pounds against
5000 900 pounds: hidss and skins. go
100000 pounds against 20. 10000 pounds:
rubber. 6. ZOO 900 pounds against S, o00. 800
pounds, and in many other articles Of
this class there 10 q like falling on In
quantity imported.
In those articles of manufacture In
which the duty was reduced in order to
sharpen the wits of their producers Mt
home. there has been q striking increase
In importation and in most cases a cor
responding decrease In expectation due
apparently to . slowing down In produc-
ton by our manufacturers. In tin plate.
for example. In which the duty was de-
creased about one-third. the imports of
the six months under the new tarin we're
more than s300o.ooo pounds against less
than 300o.0o9 In the same months Of last
year. an increase Of 1000 per cent, while
the exports fell from 900 In the six
months Of last year to a. 900 pounds
in the six months under the new Ian.
Leather and It's Manufactures.
In leather and its manufactures. in
which the duties were either removed or
largely reduced. the imports increased
over 70 per cent, while the exports de-
clined Is per cent. In cotton manufac-
lures on which there was q reduction of
duties. the imports show an increase Of
nearly 100000 while the exports show
q falling on in total values. Duties on
iron and steel manufacturers were re-
duced. and the exports Of iron and steel
manufacturers have fallen 90, ooo. 900 in the
six months. period.
Meantime, the talk about increased sup
piles Of food and reduced prices through
removal Of duties on foodstuffs Is max
Ing manifest its real qualities. The rec
ords of the six months snow an importa-
tion Of s3.ooo. 900 pounds of fresh beef in
that period. or about two ounces per
month for each individual in the United
States, but the ofYiciai records Of the De-
partment Of Commerce show that the
price at which the importation occurred
was over 30 per cent higher in March.
under the new Law. than in September.
the Hast month Of the old law. while In
many other Of the articles on which