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Show ; --- TRADE OF ORIENT FOR SAN PEDROj 1- Recent Figures Show Immense Growth of the Traffic. According to figures which have just been received from Washington by one of . the officials of the Salt Lake route, the exports from the United States to the Orient increased 275 per cent during the fiscal year ending June 30, .1903, as compared with 1893. The prospective development of trancontinental . traffic-bound traffic-bound to and from the Orient was a potent factor in the determination to build this road, and the growth since the project was undertaken has exceeded ex-ceeded nearly all expectations. This business has already reached such proportions pro-portions that it is believed that the Salt Lake route, with its short line, quick time and connection with a fine harbor from which vessels will sail over the line of smooth seas with great advantage in loading, will develop from the start a highly profitable Oriental Ori-ental trafiic. The figures sent out by the recently established department of commerce and.lubor show that the trade with China .has grown more rapidly than that with any other, foreign country. Ten years, ago the exports to China were $3,900,457, while those to Hongkong, Hong-kong, which is the gateway for jp.-' large part of the Chinese trade through a British port, were $4,216,602. For the year ending with the 30th of last month, the exports to Chineae ports are estimated esti-mated at $19,000,000 and those to Hongkong Hong-kong at $8.C00,o00. The exports during ! the year just closed were greater than in any previous year except 1902, when practically two years' business was done because the Chinese war had just closed, bringing a rush of business which -had been checked during hostilities. hos-tilities. During the decade the exports to Europe, while they have filled all the nations on that continent with alarm over, the "American commercial invasion," inva-sion," have increased only CO per cent. The increase with South America was 30 per cent and with other nations of North' America 80 per cent. Japan shows ah even greater increase than China, the exports to this nation of "Yankees of the East" having jumped from' st (inn nnn tn i-i nnn rrn These figures are taken as highly encouraging en-couraging to the Salt Lake route, as U is 'generally conceded that the awakening awaken-ing of China' has scarcely begun, and that the business with the Celestials, as well as -with the Philippines, will go ahead with leaps and bounds. |