in 1904. The imports in the year ended June 30, 1905, of all articles similar to those classed by the census as manufactures, were valued at 576 million dollars, which equals 5.3 per cent of the net value of the domestic manufactures of 1904.
Even these figures, which show that the valuation of manufactures exported equals 8.2 per cent of the valuation of the manufactures produced, and that the valuation of the manufactures imported equals 5.3 per cent of the valuation of the manufactures produced, are, however, only approximate, in an attempt to determine the true relation of imports or exports of manufactures to the home production. The valuation of manufactures, supplied to the Census Office, by the various manufacturers, states the value of the product at the place of production; while the Bureau of Statistics’ figures of exportations state the wholesale market value of the article at the port from which exported. Thus the stated values of the articles exported are doubtless in most cases higher than the stated values of the same articles at the place of production since the cost of transportation and dealers’ profits are presumably added in the valuations at which the domestic merchandise in question is wholesaled at the various ports whose current prices determine the valuation placed upon the articles when exported. On the other hand, the values of the imported articles quoted by the Bureau of Statistics are by law “the actual market values or wholesale prices of such merchandise in the principal markets of the country whence imported,” and if freights and profits are added to this figure the valuation at the point where it actually enters the United States would be somewhat in excess of that quoted. Thus the value of manufactures produced are those of the place of production, the figures of exports are those of the wholesale markets of the port from which exported, and those of importation are those of the wholesale market of the country
whence imported. Could production, exports, and imports be brought to a common basis of valuation, the percentage which exports bear to the total production would be slightly reduced and that which imports bear to the total production be slightly increased; and the percentages which exports and imports, respectively, bear to the total production would become more nearly identical than those above quoted, of 8.2 per cent on the export side and 5.3 per cent on the import side.
The share exported of the manufactures of the country seems to have slowly but steadily increased. The gross valuation of manufactures produced was, speaking in very round terms, in 1850, 1 billion dollars; in 1860, 1¾ billion; in 1870, 4¼ billion; in 1880, 5⅓ billion; in 1890, 9⅓% billion; in 1900, 13 billion; and in 1905, 16¾ billion. Reducing these gross valuations to net value at the same ratio as that indicated by the census reduction of 1900, the net value of manufactures in 1850 would stand at ⅔ of 1 billion dollars, in 1860 at 1¼ billion, in 1870 at 2¾ billion, in 1880 at 3½ billion, in 1890 at 6 billion, in 1900 at 8⅓ billion, and in 1905 at a little less than 11 billion. The exportation of all articles now classed by the census as manufactures was in 1850, 43 million dollars; in 1860, 87 million; in 1870, 160 million (currency values); in 1880, 315 million; in 1890, 404 million; in 1900, 803 million; and in 1905, 895 million. These figures of net products and exports, when compared statistically, show that the exports equalled in 1850, 6.6 per cent of the figures of net production; in 1860, 7.2 per cent; in 1870, 5.9 per cent; in 1880, 9.1 per cent; in 1890, 6.7 per cent; in 1900, 9.6 per cent; and in 1905, 8.2 per cent. That the exportation has grown even more rapidly than the production is also apparent from a comparison of the figures of 1905 with those of 1850, since the production of manufactures in 1905 was practically seventeen times as great as that of 1850, while
the exportation of manufactures in 1905 was twenty-one times as great as in 1850.
On the import side the ratio of imports of manufactures to production has steadily fallen. Imports of all articles now included by the census classification of manufactures amounted in 1850 to 143 million dollars, in 1860 to 267 million, in 1870 to 433 million (currency values), in 1880 to 426 million, in 1890 to 481 million, in 1900 to 470 million, and in 1905 to 576 million. The percentage which imports of manufactures bore to production of manufactures was, in 1850, 21.8 per cent; in 1860, 22 per cent; in 1870, 15.9 per cent; in 1880, 12.3 per cent; in 1890, 8 per cent; in 1900, 5.6 per cent; and in 1905, 5.3 per cent.
It is proper to add that the figures above cited as representing the exportation of articles classed by the census as manufactures do not coincide with the usual statement of “Manufactures Exported,” as issued by the Bureau of Statistics from month to month and year to year, but includes many articles classed as manufactures by the census, but ordinarily classed by the Bureau of Statistics as “Foodstuffs Partly or Wholly Manufactured.” The Bureau of Statistics in its import and export statements groups under one title of “Manufactures Ready for Consumption” all articles completely manufactured and ready for use, such as boots and shoes, cars and carriages, and illuminating oil; under another head, “Articles for Further Use in Manufacturing,” all articles in a partially manufactured state, but requiring further processes before ready for final use, such as pig copper, pig iron, pig tin, lumber, etc.; while the group “Foodstuffs Partly or Wholly Manufactured” includes food articles which have undergone certain processes of preparation for use, such as salted meats, canned fruit and vegetables, dried fruits, flour, sugar, and other articles usually classed by the great importing and exporting nations under the general title of foodstuffs. The two groups, “Manufactures Ready for Use,” and
“Manufactures for Further Use in Manufacturing,” are usually included by the bureau in its statements of exports of manufactures, while the third group, “Foodstuffs Partly or Wholly Manufactured,” is not usually so classed. In the above statement, however, in which the attempt is made to compare imports and exports with the census figures of manufactures, the third group, “Foodstuffs Partly or Wholly Manufactured,” is included under the general title of manufactures, in order to make the import and export figures comparable with the census figures of production.
Turning to the individual articles forming the great mass of manufactures produced or exported, the percentage of the product exported varies greatly with the various articles or groups of articles. Comparing the Bureau of Statistics’ figures of exports for the fiscal year 1905 with the census figures of production in the calendar year 1904, the percentage which the export figures bear to those of production are, in the case of agricultural implements 18.5 per cent, bicycles and tricycles 26.8 per cent, cash registers 20.6 per cent, sewing machines 29.3 per cent, and typewriters 44.6 per cent; while in a large proportion of articles the percentage is very much less—boots and shoes 2.5 per cent, carriages and wagons 2.7 per cent, structural iron 4 per cent, furniture of wood 2.6 per cent, flour and gristmill products 5.6 per cent, and automobiles 8.3 per cent.