68 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 
All kinds. Fresh-water pearl. Ocean pearl. 
Year. Source. Million | Price per| Million | Price per} Million | Price per 
gross. gross. gross. gross. gross. gross, 
(Oye e ice ceccrcns WD rele oshnichdre 
4-3 $o. 27 4.0 $o. 48 
II. 4 30 1-7 87 
€30.0 SbagRalkaart > sar dkcph tsps © 
126.0 POZsON ae roe cose] as cele serete 
21-7 225 45 5st 
@ Obtained by dividing census value of $4,217,000 by assumed average price of 30 cents per gross. 
> None, 
¢ Unknown. 
4 Obtained by dividing census value of $22,708,000 (aggregate), reduced to $20,000,000 to allow for value of waste products, by 
assumed average price per gross of 30 cents. This average price taken from censuses of 1900 and 190s. 
€ Unofficial estimate. 
/ From statistical survey of the fresh-water mussel industry conducted in 1913 by the Bureau of Fisheries. 
IMPORTS AND EXPORTS OF BUTTONS. 
The history of imports of buttons of all kinds since 1891 has an interest in connec- 
tion with the domestic industries and is shown in an accompanying table. The exports 
of domestic buttons are also shown for the few years for which they have been sepa- 
rately shown in the schedule. (See table below.) We find, first, a substantial decline in 
imports approximately coincident with the inauguration of the fresh-water pearl industry, 
but evidently not related thereto, this decline being attributable to the financial strin- 
gency of 1892-1894; second, a substantial recovery of import trade in 1895 and 1896; 
third, a marked decline in imports coincident with the rapid expansion of the fresh- 
water pearl-button industry in 1897 and the following years; fourth, a general slow rise 
in the amount of importations, beginning about 1900, although never, until 1913, rising 
to more than about one-half of the importations of 1891. Nevertheless, the difference in 
value between the imports of 1891 and 1910 is not at all commensurate with the output 
of the fresh-water pearl industry. In the later years there is not a wide difference 
between the value of imports and exports. Imports of pearl buttons have never been 
of considerable value, except about 1896, 1903, and 1917. 
Imports AND Exports OF BuTTONS.@ 
Imports (for Imports (for 
oa ii gensuriptics) 4 4 coneimption) 
ports, a! of pearl an: . ‘mports, a of pearl an: 
ie coca kinds Exports, all | shell buttons, Spay coding kinds pee all | <hell buttons, 
URES (dutiable).? kinds. including 3 (dutiable).> : including 
imports from imports from 
Philippines. Philippines. 
$2,096, 000 $100, 000 || 1905....-..eeee eens $866, c00 $172, 000 
I, 317,000 292,000 || 1906....-...2eeeee 873,000 134, 000 
I, 410, 000 4757000! |||) 'ZO07. ass we eciecicins cle 936,000 164, 000 
465, 000 38,000 || 1908.....ceseeewe 653,000 93, 000 
I,07I, 000 376,000 || 1909..... oe waite ae 767, 000 87, 000 
I, 424, 000 B57, OOO |[ATHO ccc ccs cucases 1,056, 000 107,000 
950, 000 259) 000,|). TOLL. b+. veweeswens 762, 000 100, 000 
436, 000 57 OOO PLOL Sa lalaistel ste aicie'sicisiei I, 130,000 71,000 
451, 000 24,000 |} TOL eco sv cvecaee es 1,856, 000 137,000 
593) 000 BGS OOS EN XGLA wise « wivie dim cre ic'vies 2,082, 000 253,000 
551,000 |. 36.000: I) LOLS. < aira ole - waa pee 1,005,000 280, 000 
954) 000 424,000 || 1916.......0cc ence 789, 000 546, 000 
I, 190,000 W4GO SOOO! ||" TOL ere cia cisia wclnivnicls I, 207, 000 1,058, coo 
893, 000 SEPLOOG Hl LOLS sre aie rateinisldiemaniele 1,276,000 914,000 
2 From Government reports and information furnished by the U. S. Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, but in 
each case reduced to the nearest even thousand. 
b Imported buttons of high price are principally glass, pearl, and metal; of medium price, Philippine pear] (small quality); 
of low price, agate, bone, and nickel bar and recently Japanese pearl. 
¢ Including pearl buttons to the value of $600,666. 
