The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-04-12
REGENT IMPORTS OF
 WAR REQUIREMENTS

stocks of foreign merchandise of character likely to be required TOT
 war purposes and under war conol- iona are apparently above the normal f the import figures Of recent months
 nav be accepted as an index or the situation. A comparison made by the { National City Bank of New York or -ha imports of the seven months end
 nr with January 1917 with those or he corresponding months of each year since the beginning of the war, '.hows that in nearly all articles of
 rreat reouirements, the quantities brought into the country in the past ,,ew months are abnormally large.
 Take nitrate of soda, for example,
 he quantity imported in the seven 7nortths ending with January lsl1sWas 7o2.435 tons against 530,9OS 1n the ,ame months of last year, and 26S,306
 ons in the corresponding months or he year preceding.
 z or copper ore the imports or the ncst recent seven month period were
 ,6.0O0. .000 pounds against 56, ,0OO.Ooo sn the same months of 1915, and 65,- s)Of). 900 in the corresponding months of 1914 while of copper in pigs, the
 ,uantity imported in the recent pe-
 iod was 1s5,000.00o pounds against 47. .O0O. 900 the same months of last
 rear. and 100000 in the same pc s,iod of the year preceding.
 Of India rubber, the quantity i'm ported is the largest in history, l55,- DOC. 900 pounds in the seven months ending with January 1917 against
 5000, 900 pounds in the correspond
 ng period of 1915, and 64,OO0.oOo Tn AhN like period of 1914.
 The quantity of hides and skins, of |. which we must now bring half our do- nestle requirements from foreign countries, for the 1917 period was ,s6 .OOO, 900 pounds against 279,OOO.- 100 in the like period of 1915, and '285. .O0O, 900 in the same period of sl914
 Conbee imports in the 1917 period sare 715,0oO,000 pounds against 709,- t,O0. 900 for the 1916 period, 693 3,000,- 900 for 1915 and 552,000,O0o in the
 914 period. Cacao importations are s.lsD higher than in any preceding year Ls7, ,ooo, ,0o0 pounds for the seven months ending with January 1917, asainst 13s, ,000 in the period i'm snediately preceding and 8S.000,000 in hat of 1915.
 Pig tin imported in the 1917 pe- aiod amounts to 72.00o.000 pounds :la,dnst- 4s ,0OO, ,000 in the like period of 1915, and 56, 100000 for the same 1nonths of 1914.
 Printing paper shows also an in .rease, the imports being 545,000.- \ 900 pounds for the 1917 period against Tl75, 900, ,00O for the corresponding pe- afod Of last year, and 383,000,00O in ihe same months of the year preced- sng.
 Soya bean oil, now largely used in certain of the industries, shows an im- a,ortation of 6e.o00. 900 pounds in the 1917 period against but 17,000,000 in he same months of last year. and T. 900, 900 in the corresponding months of the year preceding.
 In certain lines of articles, howev- ar. the quantities imported in the last seven months are apparently be- low normal, certainly below. those of The period immediately preceding. Of augar, for example, for which the de- ally great. the imports of the seven lAIOAt06 CA01A6 WAI4A n1lu0Ay AO1 cA actually below those of the same pe- liods of 1916 or 1915, having. been 2,22S,000,o00 pounds in the 1917 pe- ,iod, against 2,35O, 100000 in the 1916 period and 2,348, COG, 900 in the 1915 period while exports at the same time ire double those of the period ending with January 1915 but slightly less han those of the same period for 916.s
 Meat imports show a marked de- cline, being but 1s,000,000 pounds in he 1917 period against 55,o00. 900 for :, he same period of last year, and 185,- 900, 900 in the like period of the year oreceAfnE.. h
 Wool imports also show a. decline when compared with the same period sn last year, being in the seven l3,1.~ Nvuyi%I Tar