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NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



been the chief cause of the decline. Indeed, in summing up the 

 whole matter, the Canal Improvement Committee of 1903 states 

 that year after year the port of New York has been steadily 

 losing its proper share of the export and import traffic of the 

 country, and this committee further states that New York's 

 growth in manufacturing and industrial enterprises has not 

 kept pace with sister states in proportion to natural advantages. 



In regard to this latter proposition, the statistics cited on the 

 preceding pages of this report show that irrational and non-pro- 

 gressive laws are the chief causes of the failure of New York State 

 to increase in manufacturing and industrial enterprises in the 

 same ratio as sister states. Moreover, the proposition that the 

 foreign commerce of New York is falling away may also be open 

 to question, and the following from the Report of the Bureau of 

 Statistics for 1903 may serve to show the contrary. In the fiscal 

 year ended June 30, 1903, exports from New Y^ork amounted to 

 1505,000,000, an increase of f 158,000,000 over 1893. A compari- 

 son of seven Atlantic and Gulf seaports stands as follows: 



Exports in 1S9: 1 . Exports in 1903 Increase 



New York f 347,000,000 $505,000,000 f 158,000,000 



Boston 85,000,000 88,000,000 3,000,000 



Philadelphia 49,000,000 73,000,000 24,000,000 



Baltimore 71,000,000 81,000,000 10,000,000 



Savannah 20,000,000 54.000,000 34,000,000 



New Orleans 77,000,000 149,000,000 72,000,000 



Galveston :;7,000,000 104,000,000 67,000.000 



In regard to the increase of the two southern ports. New 

 Orleans and Galveston, it is very largely due to the high price of 

 cotton in 1903. It is evident that this staple, which is exten- 

 sively grown in Texas and Louisiana, will naturally go to nearby 

 ports and will not in any case conic to New York. 



-Moreover, New York is ahead in imports. In 1903 her trade 

 amounted 1o $618,000,000, while the imports at all the other 

 Atlantic ports combined was only *l>03,00O,000, an excess at 

 New York of $415,000,000 over all tic oiler ports. 



This matter of the decline of New York's commerce having 

 become the subject of considerable discussion, the Legislature 

 passed an act, chapter 014 of the laws of 189S, authorizing the 



