Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-06-09


gress Of March 8, 1879.
Foreign representatives: Cone, Lor-
sngen & Woodman, Mailers Buliaihs.
Chicago; 325 Fifth Ave-. New orh
City: Gumbel Bldg. Kansas CITY, MO-
INCREASING IMPORTS.
In the senate May 20 Mr.. Smoot OF
Utah obtained unanimous consent 10
present some figures in relation to the
imports and exports of the United
States for the month of April. AS re-
ported in the Congressional Record, MS
remarks In part were as follows:
Mr.. President, the tariff law has been
In force now some six months, ana II
can now be judged as to what the
future result of the workings OF that
bill will be as affecting our commerce
I am in receipt of the report from
the bureau OF foreign and domestic
commerce, department of commerce.
showing the total vaules OF imports
and exports Of the United States 1or
the month of April, 1914.
The question is often asked, what is
the matter with business? | believe
that this Is proper time to call the
attention of the senate and OF the
country to one of the great reasons for
the unsettled and unsatisfactory state
Of business conditions in this country
From the report 1t Is shown that the
merchandise exported for April aggre-
gated value of $162,36S.s52, as COM
pared with s199,s13,43S for the cor
responding month of last year. This
ia q loss in exDOrts of $37,434,5 $50 in a
single month.
The imports in April of this year
were $172,64O,724, as compared with
S146,194, 461 in April of last year, or
gain In imports for the month of $780,
446,263. Taking the imports and ex-
ports together they show total loss
In money to the commerce of the Unit
ed States of $63,SSO,S49 in one month,
or at the rate of $766,570,14S annually.
This, Mr. President, is the promised
expansion of trade, and it shows the
adverse balances against our country
under the present tariff law. But 1t
must be remembered that we are just
beginning to experience the real effect
Of the democratic law. 1t has not yet
gone into effect to Its full extent.
The duty on sugar was cut in March,
but It will be some months yet before
It takes full effect and thus wipe out
the industry in this country. The I'M
ports exceeded exports in April by
SO .271,s72. Thus we are coming to a
condition which has existed under for
mer democratic tariff laws, when dis
tress everywhere prevailed. AS
stated. these figures tell of that won
derful expansion of trade promised by
eur democratic friends.
Another thing I want to call atten-
ton to Is the amount of goods that are
manufactured ready for consumption
imported into this country, and the in
creases of that class of goods. have
not yet the figures for April. 1t will
be impossible to get them until about
the beginning of next month. But
Ihave the figures for February and for
March of this year, and they can be
compared with the figures for Feb
ruary and March. 1919.
i am going to call attention to few
Of the increases. For instance, on
manufactures of aluminium the In
crease is 1854 per cent. The increase
on cotton cloths are 94,2 per cent.
The increase on other knit goods is
1898 per cent; on tin plate, 694.6 per
cent.
Mr.. President, noticed in the press
q day or two ago one shipment of tin
plate Of 10000 cases landed in the port
OF New York. So when we get our
May returns the increase will be great
er than 694.6 per cent.
M On leather and tanned skins there
ID an increase of 144.S per cent; on
wooden cloths, an increase of 324 per
cent; on wearing apparel, an increase
of only 3.2 per cent; on dress goods.
an increase of 227 per cent; on all
other manufactures Of wool, an in
crease of 707 per cent. The total aver
age increase of goods ready for con-
sumption during the. month of March
this year over the month Of March,
1913, is 71.9 per cent Then people
wonder why 80 many of our mills are
closed. People are asking why so
many Of our laboring men are out of
employment. These figures tell the
story, Mr.. President Instead Of our
laboring men making our goods, they
are made by foreigners and shipped
into this country.
So far in the month of May, Mr..
President, the same increase of impor.
tations has been repeated as in the
month OF April, for notice that the
receipts from customs for the month
OF April, 1913 and 1914, to the 18th
OF the month, Notwithstanding the re.
duction in duties, amount to a little
more this year than they did last year,
1t was freely admitted by democrats
that at the close of the fiscal year
there would be from $45 100000 to $50.
600, 900 shortage in revenue from the
collection of customs under the demo
cratic tariff law, but instead of there
being at the end of this fiscal year a
deficit Of $5o,0OO,000, want to say to
the senate, there will not be deficit OF
$30,000,OOO. So the tariff law has had
the effect of increasing the importl
even more than our democratic friends
contemplated that 1t would.
AUToISTS VIOLATE LAW.
In view of the effort being made by
the city to regulate traffic at the bust
est corner in the city so as to provide