The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-07-19
Manufacturers Increasing
Their Importation of
Working Material

New evidence of the increased ac-
tivity of the manufacturers of the
United States comes to the surface i'm
the latest reports of their importation
OF manufacturing material of the
class for which they rely upon for
eign countries. Official reports of the
value of the manufacturing material
imported in May of the current year
show, says the Trade Record Of The
National City Bank of New York, an
increase of 33 per cent in the value of
the raw material imported when COM
pared with the same month of last
year, and an increase of over 60 per
cent in the value of the manufactures
for further use in manufacturing.
This startling increase in the value
of manufacturing material drawn
from abroad in the latest month for
which figures are available is the more
interesting, adds the Trade Record,
when we consider that the prices of
many of the articles so imported are
now materially lower than year ago.
and that the advance in the total value
of these mtcrials imported really
means a larger increase IN quantities
,han the mere figures of value would
indicate. While the details of the
May importation are not yet available,
those of April, in which the increase
was also large, are at hand and show
that the price at which many of the
manufacturing materials were import
ed was less than that of a year ago.
Manila hamp, for example, imported
in April, 1922, came at $134 per ton
against S255 in the same month of
last year; sisal $1O9 per ton against
STAG; India rubber tic per pound
against 21c; pig iron $32 per ton
against $G2 in the same month of last
year; copper $12l2c per pound against
lie; tir 29c per pound against 34c;
leaf tobacco for cigar wrappers $2O3
per pound against SILT, and other to-
hacco 63c per pound against $1.O2 a
year earlier; and ground wood pulp
$50 per ton against $40. In the tex
tiles, however, cotton, wool, and silk,
the 1922 prices are higher than those
of year ago, and this is also true Of
hides.
a study of the figures of quantity
Of manufacturing materials now being
imported gives further evidence of the
increased demand of our manufacture
hn f.i< Il e,
skins imported in April, 1922, al
though at slightly higher prices than
a year earlier, aggregated $4,000, 900
pounds against 22,OOC,OOO in April of
last year; India rubber 100000
pounds against 26,000,00O a year ear
ller; unrefined copper 100000
pounds against 100000; furs 8,-
100000 pieces against 4,9O6,OOO in the
same month of last year; pig tin 1O,-
100000 pounds against 100000 in
April 1921; lumber 10000 M feet
against 4l,0O0; mechanically ground
wood pulp 10000 tons against 5000;
and chemical wood pulp, 41,24O tons
against 1886 tons in April of last
year In cotton, wool, silk and fibers.
however, the quantities in April, 1922,
are less than in the same month of
last year.
While it is not to be assumed, adds
the Trade Record, that prices are
down in all the manufacturing ma
tcrials or that the quantities of all
classes show an advance, the fact that
the total value of manufacturing ma
terial imported in May, 1922, is $127,-
100000 against $90,OOOOOO in the
same month Of last year, suggests
that the reports of increased activity
coming from the great manufacturing
rrnters are quite justified.