PORT TONNAGE. Some interesting facts are shown as to the relative rank in ton nage movement of the principal ports of the world, in a table prepared by the Bureau of Sta tistics of the Department of Commerce and Labor at Washington. The table is as follows: Hongkong would show a much higher figure, but for the fact that Chinese junks en gaged in the foreign trade are excluded from the estimate, the tonnage of these vessels en tered in 1901 having been 1,126,931, and of those which cleared, 1,130,279. Singapore excludes native craft and vessels under 50 tons, except ing vessels engaged in trade between the Straits Settlements.
In this connection it is interesting to note that during the fiscal year 1 July 1917-30 June 1918, the net tonnage of vessels that entered the various ports of continental United States ag gregated 45,455,937 tons, of which 19,283,530 tons represented American vessels; and the net tonnage of vessels that cleared the ports ag gregated 46,069,482, of which 19,261,733 were American. It should also be noted that during
this period the imports of merchandize into the United States aggregated in value Q2,946, 059,403, and the similar exports from the United States, $5,928,285,641— the largest totals on record. And this when the world was aflame from the Teutonic torch.
In the previous fiscal year the tonnage en trances and clearances at United States customs districts aggregated 50,472,176 and 52,077,070 tons, respectively, as follows : Atlantic Coast, 24,010,685 and 25,047,868; Gulf Coast, 6,991, 335 and 7,570,242; Mexican border, 65,670 and 64,396; Pacific Coast, 5,453,278 and 5,411,299; and Northern border, 13,951,208 and 13,983,265.