Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1921-04-25
Big Fall off in Value of Elk.
ports due in Some Mea-
sure to Prevent low
Prices.
QUANTITY DECLINES
Much Less Export Business
POW Than There was
/: Year Ago.


due in considerable part to lowe
prices. We scarcely realize. says
statement by the National City Bank G
New York, the reduction in expor
prices which has occurred in the las
few months and effect of this reduction
upon our export trade. While doubt
less part Of the marked decline re
corded in the March export figures j:
due to reduction in the quantity OF
certain lines of products exported. the
fact that many of the principal factors
forming our exports are now going
abroad at practically half the former
price, per unit of quantity, accounts in
considerable part for the decline in the
total value of merchandise exported.
Some Examples.
While figures Of export prices in
March are not vet available. those of
February, as recorded by the govern
ment, indicate that many Of the i'm.
portant articles now passing out of the
country are going at less than half the
price per unit of quantity of those be-
ing exported a few months earlier.
Take cotton, for example, one Of the big
factors in our export trade. The offic-
ial records of the government show that
the average price per yard of the cotton
exported in February, 1921, was 172c
per yard against 37.5c in August. 1920,
and 45.3c in June. Flour, another big
item in the export trade was exported
in February, at $S37 per barrel against
1928 in the preceding September; cop
per averaged in the February exports
1870 per pound against 2Oc in August,
and 2O.4c in February of 1920. Corn
exported in February, averaged SIC per
bushel against S196 in June of the pre-
ceding year. With the fall in the price
of raw cotton, that Of cotton manu-
features correspondingly declined, the
average price of unbleached cotton
cloths exported in February having been
11.9c per yard against &c in August
1920; and bleached cottons 17.7c per
yard against 33.2c in the preceding
September. Even in meats, in which
the export prices have shown less
contrast with those of last year. the
average price in February was ma
tcrially below that Of the corresponding
months of the preceding year. Canned
teef exported averaging 1899 per
pound in November. only four months
earlier; bacon 2O.5c per pound against
-. 1c year earlier; lard 15.2c against
.1,.Sc per pound one year earlier; and
refined sugar exported in February,
showed an average Of &c per pound
against lace in November. four months
earlier.
1t does not follow, however. adds the
banks statement, that all of the big
reduction in the value Of exports is due
to the fall or in export prices above
noted, for further examination of the
February exports shows tremendous
declines of quantities Of certain arti-
clcs exported, especially in classes in
which the exports of year ago were
running at exceptionally high figures.
The number Of automobiles exported in
February, 1921, was, according to the
official figures Of the government only
2,2O5 passenger cars against 1857 in
February of the preceding year, and Of
commercial cars only 622 as against
o.169 in February, 1920. Cotton cloths
also show a marked fall off in quantity,
the total number of yards exported in
February, 1921, having been only 30
100000 against 79,OOO,OOO yards in Feb
rnary, 1920, and the value $5,671 600
in February, 1921. against $19, 900
in February, 1920; raisins 471.OO0
pounds against 6,GO7,OOO in the same
months of last year; prunes 1.722,O00
pounds against 16,146,0OO in February,
1920, and canned salmon 4.236.OOO
pounds against 9,GO7,O 900 in the same
lnOnth Of last year.
In two classes of merchandise export |
cd. steel and petroleum. the prices of
February, 1921, show little, if any de-
cline compared with the corresponding
period of the preceding year. In most i
of the manufactures of iron and steel,
the February. 1921. prices are, in fact, |
higher than those of February, 1920. |
and the grand total of iron and steel |
exports in February, 1921, was SOL
oO5.OOO against $71.0OO,OOO in February
If last year. In mineral oil. practically
all classes show higher prices in Feb
ruary, 1921, than in the same month
of the preceding year, and at the same
time an increase in quantity exported
tie total number of gallons of mineral
oil in all forms exported in February,
1921, having been 257, 5S2, 600, valued at
s46.379,O0O. against 226, 900 gallons,
valued at $34, $4,000 in February of
The preceding year,