New Britain herald., 1918-09-25

Cost Of Imports in 19
 Over Previous ReC0r3 Pls

New York, Sept. 24.-World Drice4 continue to advance. A compilation by the National City bank of New York showing the average fimport prices in the fiscal year 19GS of a large number of articles represent ing production in every section of the world, shows prices even higher than those of 1917, which in turYn exceeded those of 1916, 1915, and the fiscal year 1914, all of which proceeded the war
 These average import price figures of the great articles of cofnmerce are an exceptionally accuratei method of measuring broadly the advance in world prices. The import price of each article brought into the country represents it's selling value in the country from which exported to the United States As the aggregate i'm pOrtation of any given article repre- sentS in most cases the product of several different countries and covers large numbers of importations through many ports of the United States, and extending through the entire year, the average annual import price based on these figures may be ac- cepted as a reliable barometer of world prices in the article.
 The leverage annual import prices" quoted by the bank in it's discussion of this question are obtained by talk ing the entire importation for the en- tire fiscal year of the article in ques- tiOn showing total quantity and total value as reported to the Cusom House. and by dividing the quantity into stated value the average import price per unit of quantity for the entire year is obtained. If the average monthly import price is desired, it is obtained by utilizing the months import figures by the same process. A comparison of these annual or monthly average import price figures with those of the preceding periods supplies an accurate barometer of average world prices in the article in question.
 In nearly all of the important articles imported, 1918 average price figures stand at the top of the as cending scale of prices dating from 1914. Take wool as an example of which the imports are drawn from more than a score of countries and representing every grand division of the world; of clothing wool. the average import price in 1918 was 54c per pound against 36c per pound in 1917, 2Sc per pound in 1916 and 23c per pound in 1915. Bombing wool averaged in 1918, Gle per pound against 39c per pound in 1917. 29c per pound in 1916 and Poe per pound in 1915. Carpet wool averaged in 1918, 40c per pound against 29c in 1917, 22c per pound in 1916, 17c per pound in 1915 and 1914.
 Price of Copper.
 In copper, of which the imports were drawn from a dozen different countries representing Europe, North and South America, Asia and Africa, the average price of the importation of 1918 in the form of pigs, ingots, etc was 26.2C per pound against 19.4c per pound in 1916 and 13.4c per pound in 1915, being thus practically doubled in the four year period. Raw silk, representing every silk produce ing area of the world, avera ged in 1918, $3.25 per pound against S4.61 per pound in 1917, $3.61 per pound in 1916 and $3.O9 per pound in 1915.
 Raw sugar averaged in 1918, 4Sc per pound against 4.3c per pound in 1Sl {, ''.iC per pOuIlu III lJ 10, 5.2C per pound in 1915 and Pc per pound in 1914. Tin, drawn from every avail able tin producing area of the world, averaged in the fiscal year 1918, 54 6c per pound against 4Oc per pound in 1917, 35.3c in 1916 and 32.4c in 1915 Mackerel, of which the imports of 1918 were 18,000,000 pounds averaged 20.72c per pound in 1918 against 1O9Sc per pound in 1914. Cheese, drawn from Canada, Mexico, the West Indian Islands, Argentina, Australia, French Africa and half a dozen Euro pean countries, averaged in 1916, 41 6c per pound against 3O.Sc in 1917. 23.5c in 1916 and 17.3c in 1914.
 Goat skins, imported from score of countries, averaged 474c Dor pound in 1918 against 26.2c per pound i'll 1914. Cotton cloths drawt