23. Development of the American copper industry. [Depew, chap. 47 by Cowles; chap. 27, p. 182, by Rothwell; Census, Mines, 1902, 467-506.]
24. The uses and production of petroleum. [Census, 1880, vol. 10, first monograph; Mines, 1902, pp. 710-764; Encyc.]
25. Development of the American oil industry. [Depew, chap. 31 by Folger; G. H. Montague, The Standard Oil Company, N. Y., Harper, 1903.]
BIBLIOGRAPHY
See chapter li.
CHAPTER LIII
IMPORTS, POLICY, DIRECTION OF COMMERCE, 1860-1914
695. Survey of the import trade, 1860-1914.—The development of the import trade of the United States since 1860 is shown in the following table, which gives the values in millions of dollars of merchandise imported:
| 1860 | 1913 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | Per cent | Value | Per cent | |
Foodstuffs, crude | 36 | 10 | 212 | 12 |
Foodstuffs, manufactured | 54 | 15 | 194 | 11 |
Raw materials for manufacture | 37 | 10 | 635 | 35 |
Manufactures for further use in manufacture | 24 | 7 | 349 | 19 |
Manufactures ready for consumption | 200 | 57 | 408 | 23 |
Total, incl. miscellaneous | 534 | 1,813 | ||
696. Changes in the character of imports.—The percentages of the table furnish a ready means of comparing the relative importance of different classes of imports at the beginning and end of the period. The most striking change is the decline in importance of the class of manufactured articles ready for consumption, which amounted to over one half of the total value of imports in 1860, and sank to less than one quarter in 1913. The indication here given that the country was learning to supply its need for manufactured wares, without depending so much as previously on foreign producers, is confirmed by another item in the table, giving the imports of raw materials for domestic industries. This item increased greatly in importance in the course of the period, and took now the place which was formerly held by the item of finished manufactures. We now imported raw materials and made the goods at home, instead of sending abroad for the finished product.
697. Character of foods imported.—The large item of food supplies imported would seem to show that the United States resembled the countries of western Europe in being unable to nourish its population from its own resources. Such an idea would be wide of the facts. The figures of the previous chapter have shown that the country could spare for export immense quantities of the staple foods, such as wheat and meat, and the item of food imports covered mainly luxuries, which the country could afford to buy abroad in increasing quantities as it gained in spending power. We may take as characteristic the case of the so-called Zante currants, seedless raisins which are used in cakes, puddings, etc., and which are so clearly a superfluous luxury that in England they are made the object of a revenue tax. The imports of Zante currants into the United States were small and scattering before the Civil War, rarely exceeding a thousand tons in a year. The imports rose rapidly to five thousand tons after the war, and at the close of the century were about fifteen thousand, in spite of the fact that part of the supply was now raised in the country, and imports were restricted by protective duties. Other similar cases might be mentioned to show the peculiar character of our food imports.