68 



BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OI^^ FISHERIES. 





Source. 



All kinds. 



Fresh- water pearl. 



Ocean pearl. 



Year. 



Million 

 gross. 



Price per 

 gross. 



Million 

 gross. 



Price per 

 gross. 



Million 

 gross. 



Price per 

 gross. 



1889 



Kstimate 



014. 



21-3 



29.9 

 ''66.0 





(^) 



4-3 



II. 4 



«30. 



/26. 



21. 7 





4.0 



I- 7 





1899 



Census 



$0.30 

 • 30 



$0. 27 



•30 



*-23S 



/.236 



• 225 



$0.48 

 .87 



1904 



do 



1909 



Estimate 



1912 



Bureau of Fisheries 









1914 



Census 



60.6 





4-S 



•551 









a Obtained by dividing census value of $4,217,000 by assumed average price of 30 cents per gross. 

 ^ None. 

 c Unknown. 



d Obtained by dividing census value of $22,708,000 (aggregate), reduced to $20,000,000 to allow for value of waste products, by 

 assum^ed average price per gross of 30 cents. This average price taken from censuses of 1900 and 1905. 

 « 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 1 892-1 894; 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 191 3, rising 

 to more than about one-half of the importations of 1891. Nevertheless, the difference in 

 value between the imports of 1891 and 1 910 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 191 7. 



Imports and Exports 01'' Buttons. o 



Year ending 

 June 30— 



Imports, all 



kinds 

 (dutiable). ^ 



Exports, all 

 kinds. 



Imports (for 

 constunption) 



of pearl and 

 shell buttons, 



including 

 imports from 



PhiUppines. 



Year ending 

 Jime3o — 



Imports, all 



kinds 

 (dutiable).^ 



ExE>orts, all 

 kinds. 



Imports (for 

 consumption) 



of pearl and 

 shell buttons, 



including 

 imports frojn 



Philippines. 



1891 



$2,096,000 



1,317,000 



1,410, 000 



465, 000 



1,071,000 



1,424,000 



950,000 



436, 000 



451,000 



593,000 



551,000 



954, 000 



I, 190,000 



893,000 





$100,000 



292,000 



275,000 



38,000 



376, 000 



332,000 



259, 000 



37,000 



24, 000 



36, 000 



76, 000 



424, 000 



469,000 



157,000 



1905 



$866, 000 



873,000 



936, 000 



653,000 



767,000 



1,056,000 



762,000 



1, 130,000 



1,856,000 



2,082,000 



1,005,000 



789,000 



I, 207,000 



1,276,000 





$172,000 



1892 





1906 





134, 000 



iSo'i 





1907 





164, 000 







1908 





93,000 



180? 





1909 





87,000 



1896 





1910 



$474, 000 



557,000 



724,000 



849, 000 



654, 000 



1, 171,000 



1,903,000 



1,982,000 



c 2,105,000 



107, 000 



1807 





1911 



100, 000 



1898 





1912 



71,000 







TOT-J 



137,000 







IQT/1 



253,000 







I9I5 



280, 000 









546, 000 









1,058,000 







I918 



914,000 











o 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 pearl (small quality); 

 of low price, agate, bone, and nickel bar and recently Japanese pearl. 



c Including pearl buttons to the value of $600,666. 



