Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-06-29

such Information Is being called Tor
constantly by Congress. economists.
statisticians. etc. 1t is indispensaple
TO Congress. especially when the
question of revision of the tarin Is
under consideration.
In connection with this program of
revising the commodity classification
the interdepartmental committee is
also considering revision OF the
classification by countries on exports
and imports. The present country
classification is along geographic
lines. grouping all the countries by
the six grand divisions or CONT
nents-E Europe. North America. South
America. Asia, Oceanica and Africa.
1t has been proposed to abandon
the grouping by continents and adopt
classification by major commercial
divisions of the world according to
established trade or shipping routes.
The United States Shipping Board has
adopted such a redrawn trade map OF
the world and the Department of Com
merce is seeking the counsel of the
trade to see whether it would better
serve the business interests in com
pilation of the export and import
statistics.
= :,
Business men sometimes complain
that Uncle Sam is very strong on
furnishing excellent for
Domestic eign trade statistics, but
that he supplies very poor
AAooe' domestic trade statistics.
This is due entirely to the system
through which the statistics are
gathered. The domestic statistics are
had from the census. while the for
eign trade statistics are gotten from
the official records on every piece
of merchandise shipped into or
out of the country through the GUS
toms districts. There is an invoice
must make a declaration on his cargo
before he is allowed to clear.
This is how the statistics are gath
cred: Monthly reports are received
from collectors of customs through
out the country or at the principal
ports. Thus reports come from forty
eight collectors of customs through
out the United States or contiguous
territory. These reports cover exports
and imports of merchandise, gold and
silver. entrances and clearances of
vessels in foreign trade of the United
States. shipments between continental
United States and its non contiguous
territory ALASKA, Porto Rico and
HawaiD.
For the last year the monthly ex-
compiled by central bureau of GUS
toms statistics organized by the
Treasury Department in the New
York custom house. This bureau
complies the reports mechanically
on power tabulating machine from
the original import entries and ex-
port declarations forwarded from
each customs port of entry or dis
trict to the central office in New York
People engaged in commerce wan:
these statistics promptly. During the
war on account of
PromptneSS embargoes, licensing
system and blockade
ne4uAsiIe. with many regula-
tons, there was considerable delay In
the custom houses and there was
further delay in the government
printing office, because that big
printing establishment, the largest
under one roof in all the world, was
damned and clogged with urgent
government work.
Considerable unjust criticism re-
suit in trade circles on account of the
delay in sending out these monthly
statements. Since the war this has
been remedied to considerable ex-
tent so that the last report is now re-
ceived in Washington on the 10th of
each month for trade during the pre-
eeding, month. 1t is sent to the print
ing office between the goth and 26th
and in about two weeks the summary
is ready for distribution. 1t Is now
taking about five weeks to get out
these monthly summaries. whereas
during the war it took about two
months.
The division of statistics was for
merly known as the bureau of sta
tistics. organized in 1866 in the Treas
ury Department, transferred to the
in July, 1912, consolidated with the
bureau of manufactures into the bu-
reau. of foreign and domestic COM
merce. Prior to 1856. and since 1920.
the foreign trade statistics were pre-
pared in the registry division of the
Treasury Department.
The systematic collection of statis-
tics of the foreign trade and naviga-
ton of the United
system Is a. States was first au-
Century Old. t i'm 1se0 'S T congress arss
law, however. included only exports
by vessels and did not provide for
statistics of goods shipped by rail-
roads across the border until 1892,
when additional legislation remedying
this defect was passed.
The job Of tabulating the statistics
is exacting, tiresome and time-con-
Stunning. The bureau of foreign and