Evening star., 1915-11-29
Jonathan Bourne, Jr., Declares
Statements of Department Of
Commerce Misleading.
ATTRIBUTES PROSPERITY
TOORDERs DUE TO WAR
Says Business Slumped by the Hun
dreds Of Millions During
Tariff Tinkering.'

Statements from the Department of
Commerce giving comparisons of the
export trade of the United States are
vigorously assailed and termed mis-
leading in a statement issued today
by Jonathan Bourne, jr, president Of
the Republican Publicity Association.
Mr.. Bourne's analysis of export fig
ures leads him to the conclusion that
practically all the export prosperity
is due to war orders, and that COM
pairing the years 1915, 1914 and 1913,
it will be seen. that. trade slumped
by the hundreds of millions during the
tariff tinkering" of 1913 and that not
until the de1uge of war orders began
did it pick up.
The statement says:
From January to September. 1914,
the democratic tariff was in operation.
During two months of this period, Au-
gust and September, our export trade
was greatly stimulated by the Eu-
ropean war and the consequent demand
for war munitions. From January to
September, 1913, the republican tariff
law was in operation. The world was
at peace, but during the entire period
the business of this country was a prey
to the doubt and anxiety which invari-
ably accompany tariff tinkering and
free trade policy. Nevertheless our
exports for the 1913 period amount
ed to 100000, while for
1914 they amounted to $1.467.000.-
900, decrease of $26S,000.o00 in nine
months under the democratic tariff
law. or at the rate of nearly 100000
900 a month. Contracts for war sup
plies were entered into with American
manufacturers by the belligerents i'm
mediately upon the declaration of war,
t,,% Jnr RI
port trade become commercial torrent
which reached it's greatest volume in
September, when over 100000, goo
worth of American products were sold
abroad.
Secretary Redfeld's war prosperity
bulletin presents the lines Of the 1916
model of democratic statistical argu-
ment and II makes almost as interest
ing reading as Secretary McAdoo's new
style of daily Treasury statement, but
both documents can be improved by
recasting them into their earlier FORM"
Mr.. Bourne's Analysis of Exports.
A statement showing the exports for
1913, 1914 and 1915 is given by Mr..
Bourne, divided into the articles and
classes of trade, such as agricultural
Implements, iron and steel, meats, etc.
The totals for the respective years
are given as 81, ,iSo,fVU,VoO. $l,fo ,4VV,-
900 and s2,532, 500, 900. Mr.. Bourne s
analysis continues:
From this table it will be noted
that of thirty-six classes of exports
listed by the Department of Commerce
there were decreases for the nine
month period of 1914, below 1913. in
all but eight, namely. breadstuffs,
chemicals. explosives, nsh, refined su-
gar. manufactured tobacco, wool manu-
features and zinc manufactures.
For the eight-month period ended
August. 1914. our exports Of breadstuffs
were $4,000, 900 less than for the same
period 1913. Immediately upon the
declaration of war the warning powers
bought large quantities of oats and
wheat in our market. In September,
1913, the average export price of oats
was Al cents a bushel and we ex-
ported something over 100000 bush
els In September. 1914. the price went
to % cents bushel and we exported
100000 bushels The average ex-
port price of wheat in September, 1913,
was 81 cents loushel and we exported
S2,508,000 bushels. In September, 1914,
the average price was 81 busheI and
we exported 106,000,000 bushels. Later
the price of wheat skyrocketed to
over $3.50 bushel.