Republican farmer., 1919-10-31
INCREASE
 IN IMPORTS IS DUE THIS YEAR
High Prices and Greater Demand Given As Cause
 For Increase.

Demands in the United States for manufacturing materials and food stuffS are the principal causes of the large increase in importations The trade figures for the nine months ending with September, says a state ment by The National City Bank of New York, indicate that the total value of our imports in the calendar year 1919 may reach nearly $4,O00,- 0O0,000 as against less than S2,OOO,- O00,G00 in 1913. Practically all of this increase occurs in manufacturing materials and foodstuffs. Manu- factures show a fall off of about s75,- 000,0O0, while manufacturing material shows an increase of approximately $40. 0.0O0,O00, and foodstufs an in crease of over $15,0OO,00o.
 India rubber, hides, ard skins, raw silk, tobacco, and diamonds are the principal manufacturing materials showing increases, while sugar, coffee, fresh meats, olive oil, and cocoa are the principal foodstdffs showing in creases.
 Raw cotton, wool and fbers show reductions. lIanufactures of fbers. cotton, and wool also show marked decreases, burlaps alone drop $16,-
 
 of over S3,000,O00, and woolen manu- factures a fall from 17,50O,OOO to about $8,000.0OO. There is a large increase in the importation of cattle; 270,000 head this year valued at $21,- 64S,00Q, against 162, 900 valued at $8,- 577 in the same months of last year.
 A considerable part of the increases in value of foodstuffs and manufac- turing material imported is due to the higher prices. Coffee shows a total value in eight months ending with August of $156, 100000 against $75,- 000,00O in the same period of last year, while the quantity is 883, 3,O00,- GOO pounds against S19, 900, 900 in the corresponding months of last year, the value having more than doubled while the quantity increased less than 10 per cent.
 The average import price of the coffee brought in in the eight months ending with August 1919 is about 18c per pound, these figures being the valuation in the country from which importedD, as against about Sc per pound in the corresponding months of the preceding year. and in the month of August the import price was 21.Sc per pound as against g. in August of last year.
 Sugar tmportations, despite the shortage at present, show large gains in quantity and a tremendous in crease in value, the quantity imported from foreign countries and our isl ands aggreSaung in the eight months ending with August 1919, 6,6SS, S,OOO,- 900 pounds against 5,536, 900 in the same months of last year and the value S391, 100000 as against s275,- GOO, 900 in the corresponding months of last year.
 The average import price of sugar from foreign countries in the month of August 1919 was five and sixty four one-hundredths cents per pound as against four and seventy-five one hundredths cents per pound in Au- gust of last year, these figures being the valuation of raw sugar in the country from which imported.
 Fresh meats show an importation of 25,000,00 pounds against less than 9,O0O,O00 in the same months of last year; olive oil s12,s36, 900 in the eight months of 1919 against $303,0 ,000 in the same months of last year. Of manufacturing materials, raw silk. rubber, tobac and hides and skins show large increases. Raw silk imports of the eight months of the current year are $16S 100000 in value as against SIO9, 100000 in the same months of last year and the import price in August of the current year averaged $7.92 per pound as against S5.7O per pound in August of last year.
 India rubber shows a large in crease in quantity but a fall in price the quantity imported in the eight months being 35o,000,O0O pounds as against 230,O00,0OO in the same months of last year and the value S137,O0O,O00 against $121, ,000.O00; the , average import price havJEg been in August 1919 39.1c per pound as against 432c in August of the preced- ing year.
 Hides and skins show a total value in the eight months ending with Au- gust at S157, 7,OO0,GO0 against 2,000,- i coo in the same months of last year, an increase of over 100 per cent. in value, while the quantity imported shows an increase of but about 75 Fer cent
 Diamonds and tobacco also show large increases, the value of dia- i monds and other precious stones irn- ported in the eight months ending , with August amounting to S66, 6,OO0,- i coo against SIS, 100000 in the same | months of 1918, while of tobacco the 1 total imported in the unmanufactured l state is S5S 100000 against S3S,oOO,- i 900 in the same months of last ! year