The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-12-10 00:00:00

ONE OF THE "GLORIES" OF WAR!

A few figures from the recently issued trade returns
and placed in junta position will give a sufficiently
sad, thouFh w t unexpected, picture of the present
commerce of France ; so far, at least, as it is con-
cerned with the demand for British Foods. We can
now compare the exports with the month of atober
last, with the exports of October, 1869, in respect of
twenty articles or thereabouts which are of sufficient
note to be entitled to separate enumeration in the
monthly tables. Statistin to many people are not at-
tractive, yet we would venture for a moment to beg
our readers to look carefully down the columns below
and consider what is implied by the portentous diminu-
tion of the transactions in 1870.

Export of certain Prlth 14 produce and manufactures to
Frauce durlug the mouth of Oztober 1819 end ISIO.
IS 9. 1810.
cot,. 14 SS f 1 000

Alkali, mode

Eottei;, 3 arn lbs. 21 864 .. 12.616
C Awn, mum( t, tores yards 28100)0 .. 27d00
Cotton, thread for seising lb.. 1755) .. 1,710
l eothenware
. atl.ry ...... ........

el and Inm tools ..... value £7,311 .. 93
rrnan 41leer & plated goods value £l5 905 .. 1 634

Linen yllll
Liven manut.cturee
Iron. wrooght, unwrought, &
parttally ; steel, us 0,0500 tOns 11,532 .. 1,190
Steam engtnee & other ma-
chloery .....
Copper, wrought and on-

value £19,600 .. 8,000

_
liqratight ........ ...... .... cwt.
Tiu, wrought awl uowrought cwt.& 6,542 ..
Rod oil .. ...... ........ ... galloos 119.0® ..
_ . .
Ibu 19,000 ..
yards

........
Tarown allk and ank yarn
broa.l pieces ....... .....
. . .

o,9er anides of silk ........ y.uo 8.800 .. 900
Wool, Ito ep and 1amt,5'...... lb. 031 010 .. 21 0 0
Wo, lien an, 1 wonted you .. lb.. 314,000 .. 21 000
Wonted stuffs of all kinds .. 'aria 1,10,,000 .. 1.50,000
Carpets ......... ...... yards 97.000 .. 903

The s xport of come of the article. enumerated here
had to seriomly felt n elf last October that the trade
in them appears to be on the point of utter extinction.
Tilly, it will be observed, is the case with alkali, steel
at d iron Mobs, copper and tin goode, seed oil, and
carpete. The three articles enumerated under cotton
are reduced to one-teeth of their former quantity ;
linen goo de to has than one-twelfth ; £33.000 worth of
silk in 1869 has ebrunk to £3,000 in 1870; sheep's
wool for French spindles Lan fallen to just one-thirtieth
of its former weight, woollen yarn to one-fifteenth,
and worsted studs to less than one-seventh. The
ehipn.ents of wrought and unwrought iron and steel
are under one.tenth of the quantity sent across
Channel in October, 18139. •
On the other hand, there are marked indications
that the nscessilies of war to some extent have been
fed by our commerce. Thus we have rent to France
27,007 horses, against 410 in October, 1862. Woollen
and worsted clothe of all kinds have very slightly
diminisherl, and woollen shawls., ruins, coverlets, sod
wrappers have lamely increaeed ; the export last
month was 5,351 against 865 in 1869.

What may be the total decreane, se measured in
money value, of the October trade im not yet known ;
hut the tra le in September last w £370,000, against
£901,000 in S,ptends, r, 1.869 • the former mouth,
therefore, shows a decrease Of £331,000, or 33 per
cent.

The bullion trade bet iseen the two countries may in
some degree be taken as the exponent of the condition
of trade in general. Last October the imports from
France were 1:67,1J0. against £202,000 in Ootoher,
1880; the exports to France £35,000 against £510,000.