Democratic Sentinel, Volume 22, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 February 1898 — HEAVY TRADE BALANCE. [ARTICLE]

HEAVY TRADE BALANCE.

Immense Increase in Foreign Com* merer of United States. Revised returns of tlic statistical bureau of the Treasury Department, just issued, show the value of exports from the United States for the calendar year 1897 to have been $1,099,743,554, against $1,006,837,241 for 1890, and imports to have been $742.t531,350 during 1897, against $081,579,550 in 1890. The total of our foreign commerce for the calendar year 1897 is $1,842,374,904, a larger volume of business than in any previous calendar or fiscal year in our history. The trade balance in onr favor for the calendar year 1897 was $357,711,202, against $324,257,085 for 1890. For the two years last past the outside world paid the United States a balance of $081,309,889. This balance was largely paid in gold and in American bonds and stocks, though American tourists reduced the total by $50,000,000 to $75,000,000 left yearly in Europe. Exports of corn for 1897 were the largest on record, aggregating 189,127,570 bushels, against 131,900,500 the year preceding, 09,000,000 bushelß in 1890, 41,000,000 in 1894. and 55,000,000 in 1893. The United Kingdom was our largest customer, taking 81,049,000 bushels, Germuuy 33,440,000 bushels and France 9,078,000. All Europe took 171,1X52,000 bushels, and British Columbia 12,000,000 bushels. Exports of wheat and Hour were 171,092,943 bushels in 1807, against 155,107.091 in 1890, Flour exports fell off nearly 2,500,000 barrels, nud raw wheat increased 20,000,000 bushels. English millers are recovering the ground lost during the groat depression u few years ago. The totals of lake commerce are as follows: Exports for 1897, $70,208,508, against $03,081,720 the year preceding; imports, $40,733,790, against $40,1X55,529. Statistics of immigration for the first lu\lf of the fiscal year 1897-98 (July 1 to Dec. 31) show a falling off of 8,433 from the low water murk of the corresponding period of 181X1-07, the total arrivals having been 09,175. This is the low record Rinee the Government supervision of immigration began in 1883. The previous low mark was for the fiscal year 181X5-97 —230,832 —which was a decrease of 112,000 from 1895-IKS, Italy continues to send In the grentest number of people, Russia next and Ireland third.