Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 February 1891 — A PROSPEROUS YEAR. [ARTICLE]

A PROSPEROUS YEAR.

IMPORTS AND EXPORTS GREATER THAN EVER BEFORE. Our Buying and Selling with Other Nations for the Year 1890 Amounts in Round Numbers to Over a Billion aud a Half of Dollars. The imports and exports of the year just ended have been greater than those of any preceding year in the history of the country. Our buying and selling with other nations of the earth amounted in round numbers to over a billion and a half dollars. To be more accurate, the imports and tho exports of tho year 1890 amounted to $1,680,942,460. These figures relate to the imports and exports of merchandise, and do not include those of gold and silver. There is no year in the history of our country in which its imports and exports have been as great. And what is more gratifying, the balance is on tho right side of tho ledger. Tho exports exceeded tho imports by’ about $35,000,000. The exports for the twelve months in question were $857,623,677; the imports were $823,318,782. There has only been one year In the history of our export trade in which the total exports were as great as tho-e of 1890, and there has been no year in which the importations were as great as those of 1890. Curiously enough the figures just submitted by the Bureau of Statistics in regard to the importations do not show tho marked increase for the last half of tho year that was generally expected. The total Imports for the last six months of the year are practically but 0110-half of the total for tho year. Exports and imports of gold and silver do not show the marked chango compared with former years that had been expected. The total exports of gold for the year were $24,000,000, against $50,000,000 in the preceding year, $34,000,000 in 1888, and $9,000,000 in 1887. The imports of gold were $20,009,000 for 1890, against $12,000,000 in 1889 and $10,000,000 in 1888.

The exports of silver for the year were $26,000,000, and $29,000,000 in 1888. The imports of silver for the year 1890 were $22,000,000, against $19,000,000 in 1889, $16,000,000 in 1888, $16,500,000 in 1887, $17,000,000 in 1886, and $17,500,0)0 in 1885. Cotton, breadstuffs. meats, and kerosene oil continue to be tho chief of the articles exported by tho United States. Cotton is still king. The exportations of cotton for the year were $230,000,000 in value, being a sum greater than that received for cotton in almost any other year of the history of our commerce. Breadstuffs and meat and dairy products ran a close race as to second place. The breadstuffs, including corn and corn-meal, wheat and wheat flour, amount to over $140,000,000 in the year. The provisions, including meat and da'ry products, amounted to nearly $140,000,000. Of coal oil the total exportations amounted in value to about $45,000,000. Beally the provision list should, perhaps, take precedence over that of breadstuffs, for the exportation of live animals, mostly cattle, amounted to $35,000,000 in value and as a large proportion of these are sent abroad to bo s'aughtered, it is proper they should bo added to the proportion which is given to provisions, as against brftadstuffs, thus bringing that line of industry second in the list of exportations in value. Iron and steel exportations are beginning to cut quite a figuro in the total of our sales to other countries. They amounted last year to over $25,000,000 in value. The exportations of tobacco for tho year amounted to something over $20,090,090. In.the importations, sugar stood at tho head of the list in value. The importations of sugar for the year amounted in round numbers to $300,000,000. Coffee stand next in the values of importations, tho total va ue of coffee Imported during tho year being over $85,000,000, an increase of $25,000,000 over last year. Manufactures of Iron ana steel, including tin plates, amounted to $45,000,000, and flax hemp and jute, manufactured and unmanufactured, reached about tho same “total. Manufactures of silk amounted to over $40,000,000 In value. The unmanufactured silk was over $20,000,000 in value. Tea seoms to bo losing its grip as a beverage, the total importations of tea being but $14.000,0C0, as against tho figures on coffee indicated above In spite of tho fact that wo grow most of the cotton of the world, and pride ourselves on having machinery that wiH do almost anything, the importations of manufactured cotton amounted to nearly $30,000,000. There is also tho same remarkable state of affairs with reference to wool. The Importations of manufactured wool for tho year amounted to over $55,000,000 and of .unmanufactured wool to over $14,000,000. Great Britalu continues to be our most important customer abroad. Of our corn Great Britain took $20,000,000 worth, against $!>,000,000 by Germany and $2,500,000 by France. Of our wheat Great Britain and Ireland took $28,000,OCO worth, against $4,000,000 by France and $5,000,000 or $6,000,000 by other European countries. Of flour Great Britain took $30,000,000, against less than $10,000,000 in all European countries. The West Indies took $5,000,000 or $6,000,000 worth, and Brazil about half that quantity. Of our cotton, Great Britain and Ireland took $130,000,000 worth, Germany less than $40,000,000, France a little over $16,000,000, and all other European countries $30,000,000. Of coal oil, Great Britain took about $8,000,000 worth, Germany nearly $10,000,000, Australia about $5,000,000 and the British East Indies over $6,000,000. Of oar bacon, Great Britain took $3,000,000 worth, and all other countries less than $4,000,000 worth. Of lard, Great Britain and Iroland took $10,000,000 worth, Germany $8,000,0)0, France $3,000,000 and other European countries 56,000,000. The private correspondence of th© Prince of Wales is something enormous. He is said to receive four times as many letters a day as does the President of th© United States. Senator Jones has built a magnificent villa at Santa Monica, in southern; California, and Mrs. Jones is so charmed’ by her new residence that she will not return to Washington. Thomas Edison says that although, in Italy he has the title of count, he prefers that of “tho old man,” by which h© Is better known among his employes at Menlo Park. It is claimed for W. H. Dobson of 1 Havre de Grace, Md., that he has a record of 530 ducks killed in one day. Thia feat, it is said, was performed in 182 A.